Elinor Alice Samels-Owens

Elinor Alice Samels-Owens

          It is with great sadness that the family of Elinor Samels-Owens announce her passing on November 1, 2018 at Meadowood Manor in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the age of 100 years.  
Elinor was born on November 21, 1917 at Amaranth, Manitoba, daughter of William and Mary Letwin.  At the age of two years the family moved to Portage la Prairie where she was raised and received her education, graduating from the Portage Collegiate in 1936.
            In 1939 she started as a student nurse at the Manitoba Developmental Centre.  In 1940 she married Walter Samels and they resided in Vancouver until 1946 when they returned to Portage la Prairie.  She resumed her nursing career at the Manitoba Developmental Centre and trained towards becoming a Psychiatric Nurse, graduating in 1948 where she continued to work until her retirement in 1982.
            Elinor was an adherent of the First Presbyterian Church, singing in the Church Choir and a member of the Ladies Evening Guild of the First Presbyterian Church.  She was an active member of the Portage Community.  Her memberships and activities included the following; Order of the Eastern Star, Ladies Auxiliary of both of the ANAF and Royal Canadian Legion, Herman Prior Center, Kozy Corner, and served on the board of the Psychiatric Nurses Advisory Board of Manitoba, President of the Manitoba Branch of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses, President of the Local Branch of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Secretary of the Canadian Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Horticultural Association, winning many trophies and prizes for her flowers and vegetables.  She played mandolin with the Winnipeg Mandolin Orchestra (at Folkorama), with Jessie’s Jems, and accompanied the Harmonaires, and sang with the Portage Senior Choir. 
            Predeceased by her first husband Walter Samels in 1979, her second husband Lyle Owens in 2001, one son Douglas in 1975, her brother Fred Letwin, her sister Margaret Cook, and her brother Bill Letwin.  She leaves to mourn her passing her daughter Cheryl (Wayne) Mault of Winnipeg, granddaughter Carla (Carley) MacAskill and great grandchildren Jason and Shannon, grandson Dale, grandson Kelly (Rheanne) and great grandchildren Mackenzie & Liham, grandson Todd (Cathy) great grandchildren Kahnor & Lachlan, special cousin Angie Casey and family of Toronto, Ontario, many nieces and nephews, as well as Lyle Owens’ family.  

              Funeral Services for Elinor will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the Omega Funeral Home; 83 Royal Rd S Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.  Viewing will be held at the chapel from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.  Interment will take place at Evergreen Memorial Gardens following the service.   Should friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association, or to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.  
 

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