Obituary of Elma Ruth UNRAU

June 7, 1933 – Nipawin, SK June 17, 2015 – Calgary, AB Elma Ruth Unrau, after 21 years of battling congestive heart failure, passed away peacefully in the Foothills Hospital on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, just 10 days after her 82nd birthday. Over the course of her life Elma lived in numerous places including Nipawin, Austin, Winnipeg, Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Brandon, Drumheller, Cochrane, Olds, and Calgary. She held even more jobs from farm hand to housemaid, nurse’s aide, cab driver, house renovator, seamstress, raspberry farmer, mobile home park manager, equipment rental shop owner, start-up venture capitalist, T-shirt store owner, and political activist & supporter. First and foremost, however, she was our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Elma was highly entrepreneurial and hard working, starting with very little, but ending up owning and operating several successful businesses. Yet there always seemed to be an extra room in her house for a family member, who needed a place to stay and meals until they got on their feet. Elma is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Perry and Janice Unrau of Calgary, her daughter and son-in-law Kim and Dave Miller of Sundre, Alberta; her grandchildren Scott Petkau & his wife Lyndsay of Miramishi, New Brunswick, Jennifer McQuillan & her husband John of Sundre, Alberta, and Lauren Maillet & her husband Robbie of Calgary; her great grandchildren Chase, Lynk, Seth, Ocean, Jacob, Jasmen, David, and Zoe. She is also survived by her siblings Margaret Unrau of Austin, Manitoba, Helen Neustaeter of Brandon, Manitoba, Betty Neustaeter of Wetaskiwin, Alberta, and Lois Scarrow of Donalda, Alberta. Elma was predeceased by her daughter Pamela; her husband Norman; her sisters Sarah Rempel and Tina Wiebe; her brother Murray Dyck; her parents Bernhard and Anna Dyck. A memorial service for Elma will be held on Friday, June 26, 2015 at 2:30 p.m. at the Chapel of the Bells (2720 Centre Street North). Those who so desire may make donations in memory of Elma to Operation Eyesight, 4 Parkdale Crescent NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 3T8, http://www.operationeyesight.com/. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In living memory of Elma Unrau, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH, Telephone: 403-276-2296.