Obituary of Winnifred Simeon

September 3, 1934 – Mînî Thnî, Alberta

February 23, 2024 – Calgary, Alberta

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our Êna, Winnifred “Winnie” Simeon at the age of 89 years.

Winnie was raised in Mînî Thnî for most of her life and was proud of her traditional upbringing by her parents, Johnny and Sarah Chiniquay. She was the great-granddaughter of the signatory Chief John Che-Ne-Ka of Treaty 7. She was educated in the Iyethka traditional customs, language, and culture, and was a traditional knowledge keeper. A keeper of the oral tradition passed to her by the Che-Ne-Ka teaching.

She attended a residential school in her early years at the Residential School in her community in Mînî Thnî.

Family describes her as a strong and resilient woman with a quiet and humble nature, very loving, caring, and giving.

She was a homemaker most of her life, raising her family. She enjoyed making dry meat, moss bags, moccasins, and dresses, berry picking, tanning hides, and beading.

In her early years, she was involved, along with her family, in practicing the Iyethka traditions and customs, which she shared with her family. She enjoyed being with her children and grandchildren.

She leaves behind her loving family, her two sons, Keith (Lois) and Ralph; her granddaughters, Kelinda (Levi), Kimberley, Stacey (Albert), Keisha, Arlisa (Lestander), Arlivia, Cheryl, Jenny; her adopted granddaughter Petula, grandsons, David, and Jerry; and adopted great-grandson Emilio Dixon. She had 30 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, Kaia and Sveah.

She also leaves behind two brothers, Paul and Frank (Marjorie); sister-in-law Helen Chiniquay, and daughter-in-law Josephine Simeon. The family would like to acknowledge her two special friends, Kathleen Poucette and Pauline Twoyoungmen, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and more from the Mark, Crawler, Kaquitts, Dixon, Powderface, Lefthand, Simeon, Twoyoungmen, Labelle, Wesley, Wildman, and Young Families.

The family apologizes if they’ve missed anyone.

She was predeceased by her late husband Harold Simeon, her two sons, Jerry and Arthur; her daughter Alvina Simeon, her parents, Sarah and Johnny; siblings, MacDonald (Georgie), Walter, Kathleen (Frank), Margaret, Helene (Alex), Lawrence (Mildred), Wilfred, Ralph, Johnny, and Josephine; sister-in-law Sharon.

Wake Services will be held at the residence of the late Winnifred Simeon (Mînî Thnî, AB) on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. Funeral Services will be held at the Bearspaw Youth Center (Mînî Thnî, AB) on Friday, March 1, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.  Graveside Service to follow at Chiniki Cemetery (Mînî Thnî, AB). 

In living memory of Winnifred Simeon, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Cochrane, 369 Railway Street, Cochrane, AB T4C 2E2, Telephone: 403-932-4740.