Obituary of Alice Elizabeth "Betty" Mansfield

ALICE ELIZABETH "BETTY" CLEMENTS MANSFIELD (née PETERSEN) February 16, 1930 - October 19, 2012 After a lengthy battle with melanoma, Betty passed away at the Assiniboine Centre surrounded by her family. She is survived by: her husband of 10 years, Fred Mansfield; her children Bruce Clements (Diane), Diane Paull, James Clements (Gisele) & Cindy Engel (Darren); nieces Colleen Guntner (John), Darlene Richards (Bob), Debbie Stanton; sister Blondie Neff (Ted); cousin Allie Mowat, step-daughter-in-law Pat Mansfield & Fred's grandchildren & great-grandchildren. Grandma Betty leaves her own legacy of 12 grandchildren & 7 great-grandchildren to mourn her passing and to remember her fondly. She was predeceased by her mother Alice Robinson, great-grandson Andrew, sisters Sharon Bernardin & Norma Brown, son-in-law Arthur Paull, step-sons-in-law Lyle Ramsay & Bill Mansfield. Betty was a certified hairdresser and self-taught seamstress. She did much of that work from home for her clientele while attending to her babes. As a young mother, Betty always ensured that her children were well fed with homemade food and clothed with her creations. She was very involved in her children's many extra-curricular activities and volunteered her skills for various committees. As an airforce wife, Betty & her family were posted to various Canadian locations (Goose, Bay, Aylmer, Portage, Camp Borden, Kirkland Lake, Ottawa, & Moose Jaw), with one memorable posting at 2 fighter wing in Grostenquin, France. The Clements family were able to enjoy many wonderful sites and experiences during their vacations throughout Europe & Canada. Betty's extended airforce family were a great source of support & lasting friendships for her over the years, especially when she was away from her extended family in Brandon & Winnipeg. Betty spent nearly twenty years living on the west coast (White Rock & North Vancouver), and had worked in the fabrics department at Eaton's and the housekeeping staff at a nursing home. She also volunteered in a palliative care program during that time, as her nature was to nurture. Betty paid many visits to friends who fought their own battles with illness and cared for them when she could. In 2000, she made a move to Neepawa, Manitoba to live in Jim & Gisele's granny suite in order to be closer to her mother Alice in Brandon for her final years. She met Fred at the Neepawa Lily Festival in 2001 and they began a short courtship before marrying on August 24th, 2002. Betty lived with Fred on his family farm in Forrest, until they decided to move to Brandon for their final years together. Fred brought much music & fun to Betty's life with the musical events he was invited to play at. Betty loved attending the afternoon dances at the Central Community Center in Brandon where Fred was the lead guitarist every Friday from fall till spring for many years. Mom's favorite tune was Fred's rendition of "Crystal Chandeliers". Due to her declining health, Betty was no longer able to care for her husband Fred and her family facilitated her move to the Lions Manor where she enjoyed the past year. Although they lived apart, she especially cherished her daily calls from Fred when she was at home and meeting him on scooter for their lunch dates in the park or at the mall. The family would like to thank the many friends & extended family who visited Mom during her various stays at the hospital and during her final 3 weeks at home. Special thanks to Dr. Edwards for his friendship & the compassionate care that he provided to Mom during her illness, also to Barb Hutchinson at the Respiratory Clinic for her advice & support, and to Rev. Joe Ball for his visits & support. Many thanks also to: the compassionate nursing staff on A3 for her final days & A2 during her stays the past year; the home care team who assisted Mom with daily life during the past 12 months; and certainly during the last 3 weeks of her stay at home, Melissa (palliative care), Michele (home care) and the palliative care home nursing team for attention to details. A memorial service to honor Betty's life will be held at the Brockie Donovan Chapel, 332-8th Street, on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. Barb Jardine of Rapid City United Church officiating. In lieu of flowers the family requests that you make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, 415-1st Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 2W8, or to the charity of your choice in Betty's memory.