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Muriel May Arnold (nee Pullin)

April 9, 2013

Arnoldweb

Muriel May Arnold (nee Pullin) passed away peacefully in her sleep in the evening of April 9, 2013 at Hillside Village in Salmon Arm at the age of 88. Born in Thornbury England to Ivy and Jesse Pullin, she arrived in Canada in April 1925 at two months of age with her older sister Violet and her parents. They then embarked on the CP Trans-Continental train across Canada to homestead in Balmoral.

Muriel was predeceased by her husband Frank in 1992, daughter Stella in 1972 and son Ricky in 1978 and grandchild Stacey 1984. She is survived by 6 children, Michael (Judy) of Revelstoke, Ron (Karen Warner) of Kelowna, Evelyn (Paul) Hundt of Kelowna, Barbara (Tim) Pennell of Clearwater, Mel (Linda) of Salmon Arm and Shelley (Terry) Colton of Williams Lake. Muriel will also be lovingly missed by 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Muriel loved and was loved back as a daughter, sister, wife, aunt, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. In her later years the grandchildren and great grandchildren were her greatest joy.

Mom took great pride in her family’s English heritage, their farming background and making the best of what they had. She was also proud of the fact that she started school at the age of 4 so that there would be enough pupils to keep the Balmoral school open. Mom and Auntie Violet lost their mother when mom was only 10 years old, so as pioneer girls they learned to do the baking and housework out of necessity. Mom’s baking only got better with time and was enjoyed by everyone, especially her pies, breads, chiffon cakes and cinnamon buns. Her homemaking skills also included knitting countless sweaters and hundreds of pairs of mittens for the kids and grandkids. Every one of us can remember making snowballs and snowmen wearing a pair of her knitted mittens.

After the family farm was sold in 1971, Mom worked for a few years candling and packaging eggs in Sorrento and then a number of years at Sorrento Centre until she eventually retired. Retirement wasn’t the end of her activity though as she continued to sit on the Salmon Arm Fair Board, acted as strata council secretary and worked hard to get around seeing all of her grandkids.

Mom loved playing softball and won a championship while living in Victoria in her teens. Watching baseball remained one of her favorite pastimes. She was like a kid in a candy shop the night she went to see the Arizona Diamondbacks play in Phoenix. Mom devoted much of her volunteer time to local children and youth programs. From the Notch Hill children’s Christmas fund to many years as a 4-H leader and councillor she helped many kids learn important life skills. She was very proud to have received her Canadian Citizenship in the Nation’s capital when she was chaperoning a group of 4-H members to Ottawa. She felt honoured when she was asked to cut the ribbon at the 100th celebration of the Salmon Arm Fall Fair.

The family wishes to thank the many good friends Mom had in the Notch Hill, Sorrento area and at Macintosh Grove & Piccadilly Terrace. Your friendship meant a lot to Mom and to us as family as we knew you were all there for her. We would be unable to count the number of card games mom shared with friends in her 88 years. The family also thanks Dr. Lipsett (retired) who helped mom deliver most of us children into the world and the many health care workers who cared for mom at different times over the years.

Our appreciation of our mom will be forever.

When you were born, you were crying.

And everyone around you was smiling.

You lived your life so that when you died

You’re the one who is smiling

And everyone around you is crying.

A celebration of Muriel’s life will be held at the Seniors 5th Avenue Centre (170 5th Ave. SE. Salmon Arm) on Saturday April 20th from 2-5 pm. Memorial donations in Muriel’s name can be made to either the Sorrento Centre, or the Alzheimer’s Society,

Online condolences can be sent throughMuriel’s obituary at www.bowersfuneralservice.com

Arrangements are in the care of Bower’s Funeral Services, Salmon Arm.



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