Obituary of Lenora Eleanor Toews

June 9, 1931 - Kenora, Ontario

September 25, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta

Please Note The Service Date Change Below

Lenora Eleanor Toews (Nee Carlson) passed away peacefully on Monday, September 25, 2023, at the age of 92 years.

Lenora was born June 9, 1931, in Kenora, ON, from whence she got her name, to parents, Felix and Tess Carlson, both deceased.  She met Wilhelm (Bill) Toews (deceased) at the tender age of 19 and married. They moved to Winnipeg where they raised Roger and Valerie. She worked for several years at the Winnipeg Clinic as a receptionist. In 1974, they moved to Calgary. Lenora worked at the Dalhousie Calgary Coop as a cashier where she made many friends with staff and customers and, at age 67, began an active retirement.

Throughout her life, Lenora was a highly independent person who made a determined effort to be positive and uplifting to all those around her. She made very many friends and still has friends from her school days in Whitemouth, MB.

Mom-Gramma-Great-Gramma was an exceptional cook. Coleslaw, Apple Pie, Death-by-Chocolate, and Sex-in-a-Pan are forever seared into the memory of anyone who had the pleasure of tasting these wonderful creations. Lenora loved country music and square dance and went to Stampede every year while health allowed. She loved to dance anytime, anywhere.

She believed in helping others and, after retirement, continued to be an active volunteer at Confederation Park and several seniors’ activities. She became a deep-water enthusiast, an active walker through Calgary’s parks, and loved traveling with friends on various cruises and bus trips. Elbow falls was her favorite.

Lenora, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother will be lovingly remembered by her children, Roger Joyeux (Judy) and Valerie Toews (Jim).  Lenora is also survived by her brother, Lloyd Carlson (Donna) of Kenora, ON.  Grandma will be missed by her granddaughters, Tracy Williams (Justin), Faye Snyders (Fabian), Kerry Williams, and Marcy Crouser (Ken); and her two great-grandchildren Mason and Naomi.

The family sends special thanks to the staff at the Colonel Belcher Retirement Residence for their care and compassion for Lenora throughout her residency there.  Thank you to the many friends, family, and neighbors who visited her, took her on outings, brought in treats, and made her day brighter.

Funeral Services will be held at McInnis & Holloway (Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB), on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. Reception to follow in the Hospitality Centre at the Funeral Home. Covid protocols where applicable. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed here. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Canadian Institute for the Blind, www.cnib.ca.

In living memory of Lenora Toews, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.