September 27th, 1934—October 20th, 2018
Ina Marie Brownell grew up on a farm south of Finch with her parents Charles Brownell and Maud Eligh and her older siblings Keith, Lila, Boyd, and Neil.
She began her 37-year teaching career, just out of high school herself, at Riverside School with one room and eight grades. Following a few years at Finch Public School, she taught at Morewood Public School until her retirement.
Education was important to her. She completed a B.A. while teaching full time and contributing to farm life with her first husband, Carl Crump. She later pursued an M.Ed. She was a natural, lifelong teacher who loved children. Teaching English to her Schmid and von Kaenel next-door neighbours, and helping their children with homework, gave her pleasure and purpose and an extended family whose activities, growth, and development she followed with interest.
Having inherited artistic genes, her love of painting and drawing continued throughout her life. Early experimentation with colour in rugs and quilts with her mother found later expression in oils, watercolours, chalk pastel portraits of her grandchildren and great grandchild, landscape paintings at her cottage at Mink Lake, and most recently in artwork at Longfields Manor.
She was an active lifelong member of Morewood United Church, and Christ Church United in later years. The church was central to her life and sense of community. She cherished the friendships and purpose it brought her, and she was forever giving back by visiting community members at home, in hospitals, and in nursing homes.
Her interests brought her to horticultural judging, Historical Society events, bridge, and choir. She knew many in her community and liked to share what they were up to – and we all heard about it every time we visited.
She was keen to travel, an interest that was affected, but not thwarted, by the physical limitations of Parkinson’s disease in later years. She was never afraid to wield those walking sticks to get her where she wanted to be.
Ina was proud of her family. She was a treasured companion in their later years to her second husband Victor Poole. She was Mom to Lorna and Judy, mother-in-law to Andy and Catherine, Gram to Bryan and Colleen, grandmother-in-law to Patrick, GGMama to Saoirse. She was Canadian Mom to Anita, Joe, Pete, and Inge, and Canadian Grandma to Wayne, Leslie, Roy, Olivia, and Roxane.
She loved a good sunset, red licorice, euchre, a glass of sherry (or wine, or maybe a half pint), Andy’s coffee, getting her hair done weekly, her view of the farm fields, the flowers and birds in her garden, her grandchildren, and reading Jelly Belly over and over while Saoirse ate all her chips.
One of her students aptly exclaimed in her early teaching years, “If you weren’t so old, you’d be fun to play with!” Well, Mom, Gram, GGMama, you were fun to the end.
Friends and family are invited to an informal gathering in her honour to share memories at the Chesterville Legion on Thursday, October 25, 2018 from 1:00-4:00 pm.
Donations to the Dundas County Hospice would be appreciated.