Obituary of Isabella Milda Milburn

Isabella Milda (Liddell) Milburn Isabella a long time resident of Bonanza, Alberta passed away peacefully in her sleep with her daughters by her side, on February 11, 2011 at the age of 94. Isabella was born August 3, 1916 in Elbow, Saskatchewan to William and Milda Liddell, was raised in the Cochrane, Alberta area, married and lived in the Bottrel, Dog Pound, and Madden areas and moved to the Peace River country in 1965. Isabella was an avid gardener, loved her flowers and birds, was a wicked Scrabble player, enjoyed reading, writing, and crossword puzzles. She read the dictionary! There was no arguing with her over a word in Scrabble. She was a volunteer at the Savanna Fair for at least 30 years and took many, many red ribbons with her baking, canning and flowers and vegetables. This past summer, in her 94th year she still had entries in canning and baking and won a few more red ribbons. She truly enjoyed professional ice skating, and Spruce Meadows events, and was getting to know curling pretty well. She was a great fan of the British Royal Family. Isabella is survived by her daughters Vicky McCartney (High River & Silver Valley), Jeanie (Roy) Bouck (Bonanza), Cheryl Ann (Len) Sydoruk (Rycroft), and Leslie (Rob) Bouck (Silver Valley). She was grandmother to nine grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren. She was "proud of them, and loved them all - not always for the same reason!" She loved children - reading with them, playing with them, nurturing them, watching them grow! She is also survived by her sisters, Jean Ryan (Delta, B.C.), Hazel Jordan (Cold Lake, Alberta), Laura (John) Wittchen ( Red Deer, Alberta), and brother Sandy Liddell (Calgary, Alberta); sister-in-laws, Helen Liddell (Blairmore, Alberta) and Helen Liddell (Cremona, Alberta). She leaves behind many nieces and nephews whom she was able to see and visit with at the family reunion in July, 2010, and special friends Alma and Kim, and two very special girls in her life, Faye and Bev Hallett. Isabella was predeceased by her parents, husband Jack in 1977, two infant sons, an infant granddaughter, her brothers Bill and Don Liddell, her sisters Anna Cameron, Edith Liddell, and her son-in-law Bill McCartney. Isabella lived in her own home, on the farm, with the help of her family, right up to five days before her passing. About her illness she said, "what will be will be". The family would like to express their thanks and deep appreciation to all the wonderful homecare nurses who looked after her, Dr. Phillips, and the nursing staff in the Palliative Care at the Central Peace Hospital in Spirit River, whose tenderness and compassion was so comforting to all of us. Thank you to the EMS for the compassion given to Mom when they transferred her from home to the hospital. Also thank you to Carolyn Smith for the prayers and blessings. At Isabella's request there will be no funeral service. The family invites you to attend a "Strawberry Tea" in memory of Isabella on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at the Savanna Rec Plex. If friends so desire, memorial donations to the Palliative Care Room at the Central Peace Health Complex, Spirit River, Alberta would be a wonderful tribute to her life.