Dorothy Arnason

In Loving Memory of

Dorothy Arnason

Memorial Service

Friday, July 9, 2021

2:00 p.m.

Foam Lake United Church

Foam Lake, SK

Dorothy was born on May 25, 1935 at Rock Dell, SK.  Rock Dell was a rural community not far from Willowbrook where her maternal grandparents lived, she was born in their home.  Grandma Bray was giggling with her four sisters deciding what her name should be.  Grandpa Griffith was sick in the next room when someone suggested Dorothy, he hollered out that that was the first sensible name he’d heard all afternoon, hence she became Dorothy!   At the time of her birth her parents lived at Bjorkdale and she went home to three older brothers. She was the fourth of seven children born to Percy and Myrtle Bray.

When she was still a babe in arms her family moved to the Edfield district north of Foam Lake.  She took her grades 1 to 8 at the Edfield school, then did two years of correspondence classes.  After finishing her grade 10 by correspondence, she went to board in Foam Lake in the fall of 1951, completing her high school and graduation in the spring of 1953.  That fall she was employed by the Fishing Lake School to oversee the students there that were taking correspondence because they couldn’t get a teacher.  She was known as the study supervisor.  She also took on the school board and taught six little girls that year that the board thought should walk 12 miles to the Edfield school; she won and taught them at the Fishing Lake school.

In the fall of 1954 she left for Saskatoon to attend the Saskatchewan Teacher’s College, graduating on June 16, 1955.  Working hard at school and keeping house for a Jewish family, she walked a lot of miles to get both jobs done!  That fall she obtained a teaching position at Battleford public school where she taught for one year.

In the fall of 1956 she came home to teach at the Edfield school where she taught there for one term.

On December 29, 1956 she married Kristjan Marvin Arnason.  After the school term was over she and Kris moved to his farm south of Foam Lake.  Four children were born when they lived on the farm along with the two foster teenagers that lived with us.  They sold out in 1965.  They lived in Regina in 1963 while Kris took his barber course, then moved back to Foam Lake and soon after bought a business on Main Street with living quarters in the back.  Colleen was born right before they moved in.

After the children got a little older Dorothy went to teach at the high school for one year.  Kris and Dorothy built a new house on Forget Street where she set up Foam Lake’s first Kindergarten in the basement which had a long successful run until they started Kindergarten in the school.  They also had two foster children living with them then as well.  Dorothy then went to Regina and took her hair dressing course.  She then opened up and ran her shop alongside Kris’s for over 35 years.

In the 80’s Kris, Dorothy, Hardy, and Bernice bought the old hospital and converted it into several businesses and 13 apartments between the hospital and the nurses’ residence.  That huge undertaking resulted in a beautiful renovation job with fabulous big suites that a lot of family and town folk enjoyed!

In spite of the fact that five children and a job to keep her running, she always had outside interests.  She joined the Eastern Star Lodge and served in various positions over the years including Grand Worthy Matron many times.  She was also active in the United Church, teaching Sunday school, Explorers, and CGIT, and serving as an elder for over 25 years.  She loved to bake, especially cinnamon buns and bread, and sew, making many, many outfits, wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and costumes, but, nothing interfered with her shopping, Sears Bargain Centre was her favourite until she helped her daughter, Beth, open up a dress shop next door to the Barber and Beauty Salon.

A few years ago they bought a cabin at Fishing Lake just in case they should ever retire, and took up fishing.  Whether they were in town or at the lake, there was always family around for coffee and to stay overnight.  They were very close to both sides of the families.  She spent a lot of time cooking while the Arnason’s played cards around the table.  Once they taught her how to play 3-spot, she became a card fiend like the rest of the family though!

After their retirement they moved to the Tiger Lily Lodge where they resided until she moved in to the Foam Lake Jubilee Home, where dementia slowly ended her life.

Dorothy was predeceased by her loving husband, Kris, her parents and his, her brothers Lloyd, Ross, Lorne and Donald.  She leaves to mourn her passing, her brother Harold, her sister Lois, her brother-in law Hardy (Bernice), sisters-in-law Alice and Anne, her five children: Bethalynn (Rusty), Kerry, Mary Dawn (Farley), Laurel, and Colleen (Wayne), her 13 grandchildren: Krista, Jeremy (Re), Ashley, Kris (Sarah), Jessica (Josh), Dione (Brian), Kaitlyn, Bobbi (Graham), Logan, Cody (Candace), Alyse (Andrew), Meghan, Colton (Hayley) and 16 great grandchildren.

To steal a line from her granddaughter, Meghan: her ripple runs through the prairie fields and into the hearts of many!  She will be missed by all!

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dorothy’s name to the Foam Lake Jubilee Home or the Foam Lake United Church.