Tag: Winnipeg

Obituary: Lena Kelm

Lena and Edward Kelm with children, Ernie, Joyce, and Ken, around 1950. Courtesy of Jeff Kelm.

“ADELINE (LENA) KELM (nee DRAILICH) June 30, 1920 – August 5, 2004

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our cherished mother, Lena, in the early morning of August 5, 2004 at the Grace General Hospital, after a courageous, lengthy battle with the complications of sugar diabetes. She was surrounded by the love and prayers of her children and the spirit of many friends. Her faith in God sustained her as she began her next journey. Lenas memory will be lovingly cherished by her children: Joyce Hamonic, Headingley; Ernie Kelm, Ottawa; Bettiann Kelm (Barry Baker), Calgary; her grandsons: Jeff (Catherine) Kelm, Ottawa; Greg Kelm, Quebec City; and their mother, Yvette Kelm, Regina. She was predeceased by her son Ken (1984) her husband, Edward (1986) and her special “son”-in-law Maurice, just three weeks ago. She was the sixth child of Bertha and Gustave Drailich. Lena was predeceased by her parents and her sisters, Pauline Olga Drailich and Lillian Nealy and her brothers, Alfred, Herbert, Arnold, Ernest, Harry as well as two brothers in infancy. She is survived by sisters-in-law, Hilda and Lyla Kelm, Helen Drylick and Madeline Dreilick; and brother-in-law Dan Kelm. Lena was born in Camper, MB on June 30, 1920. Lena spent her youth in Camper. We were regaled with her spirited tales of homestead life – “poor, but happy times” – the one-room school house, Christmas concerts, chores on the farm, country dances and lively house parties, all intertwined with warm memories of her family and life-long friendships. Lena married Edward Kelm in the Camper Lutheran Church on January 31, 1942. Lena and Ed began their 44 year marriage on a mixed farm near Marquette, MB where their four children were born. In 1958 the family moved to Winnipeg. Here Lena began a 20 year working career with Canada Packers and Manitoba Dairy and Poultry. Lena and Ed built the family home in 1960. Lena resided here until 2003. Our home was the centre of lively gatherings for family and friends. Visitors were always welcome and the coffee pot was always on. Lena was an independent, creative, resourceful woman with a deep inner strength. She sewed, knitted, embroidered, crocheted, gardened, cooked, baked, canned and was handy with a paint brush, saw and hammer. Lena loved to travel and visit family and friends. She enjoyed trips within Canada, to Hawaii, Barbados and Europe. Lena was a member of the First English Lutheran Church. Here she made special, supportive friends with whom she enjoyed many years of socializing. Lena has left us with a legacy of inner strength, perseverance, warmth and love. Her memory and teachings will guide us and will live on in our hearts forever. “She whom we love and lose is no longer where she was before. She is now wherever we are.” St. John Chrysostom Funeral Liturgy and interment will be held on Monday, August 9 at 3:00 p.m. at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home, 4000 Portage Ave. with Pastor W. Lehman officiating.”

From: “ADELINE (LENA) KELM (DRAILICH).” Winnipeg Free Press, 08 Aug 2004. Retrieved 20 Sep 2020, https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-87898/Kelm_Adeline

Obituary: Julius and Martha Kelm

The following newspaper clippings contain obituaries for my great-grandparents, Julius and Martha Kelm, and are from the Winnipeg Evening Tribune and digitized for the University of Manitoba Digital Collections.

From: “KELM.” Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 28 Feb 1959. Retrieved 18 Apr 2019 from University of Manitoba Digital Collections, http://hdl.handle.net/10719/1934469.

From: “MARTHA KELM.” Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 21 Jul 1965. Retrieved 18 Apr 2019 from University of Manitoba Digital Collections, http://hdl.handle.net/10719/2042634/.

From: “MARTHA KELM.” Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 22 Jul 1965. Retrieved 18 Apr 2019 from University of Manitoba Digital Collections, http://hdl.handle.net/10719/2042964/.

Ed and Lena Kelm in “Footsteps through the Years”

The University of Manitoba Digital Collections is a good resource for digitized Manitoba history. Among their local history books is Footsteps through the Years, which mentions Edward and Lena Kelm (Edward is the son of Julius and Martha Kelm). Click the URL in the citation after the transcription below if you would like to view the original.

“Kelms 1938-1958

Ed bought a farm in Marquette in 1938. During the summers of 1938-38 and 40 acres of land was broken [sic], crops sowed and harvested with the Becker brothers. Ed’s winters were spent working in the mine at Creighton, Ontario.

January 31, 1942 Ed married Lena Drailick of Camper. The newlyweds arrived in Marquette on the night train Feb. 6 1942. After having dinner at Charlie Ursels they were driven to their farm.

Ed and Lea have four children, all born during their years at Marquette.

Joyce married Maurice Hamonie in 1969. They reside in Headingly and Joyce teaches school in Winnipeg.

Ernie married Yvette Beaudin of Montreal in 1969. Ernie works for the External Affairs Dept. in Ottawa and he and his family have resided mainly in Switzerland and Israel. They have two sons born in Tel Aviv, Israel. They returned to Ottawa, Ontario in 1975.

Kenneth resides in Winnipeg doing construction work.

Bettyann graduated from the U. of M. in Home Economics and is presently enrolled in the Education Dep. of the University of Edmonton, Alberta.

The Kelm family moved from Marquette with the help of Douglas Strachan and Chas. Slocombe, on September 14, 1958. They have many memories of the little “white” school, Ed’s Sayer Creck fishing days with Bill Maltby and Bill Kulezycki and the winter spent in the bush (1946-47) at the Lakehead with Mike Wallace, also of Marquette.

Ed retired on Feb. 12, 1976 but kept busy. Presently he is planning to build a cabin at Waterhen this summer. Fishing still takes up many summer weekends.

Lena continues to work at Canada Packers. Traveling to see her grandchildren has been her hobby for the last five years.

From: Marquette and District Historical Guild. Footsteps through the Years: Ossowa, Reaburn, Marquette, Meadow Lea, Poplar Heights, p. 126. Marquette: Marquette and District Historical Guild, [late 1970s]. Retrieved 18 Apr 2019 from University of Manitoba Digital Collections, http://hdl.handle.net/10719/2264425.

Obituary: Jennie Kelm

Jennie Kelm was born Eugenja Heft in Lublin, Poland, in 1902. She was married to Daniel Kelm, son of Julius Kelm and Martha Kirsch. I found the OCRed text of her obituary in the Winnipeg Free Press, dated March 24, 1995. The following is an excerpt. I made screenshots of the newspaper PDF from NewspaperArchive if you would like to request the full text and the PDF is unavailable at the link.

“Jennie Kelm, aged 72 years, passed away at the Seven Oaks Hospital on March 21, 1995.

She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Daniel: two daughters, Sandra (Bruce) Mellon, Eleanor (Ted) Laidlaw; her son Daniel W. (Diana) Kelm; eight grandchildren, Rachel, Ester, Aaron, Clinton, Rebecca, David, James and Elaine; one great-granddaughter Clarissa […]

Jennie was confirmed in Zion Lutheran Church where she had been a lifelong member. For 20 years, Jennie was employed in the luggage department at The Bay. Jennie was a very devoted wife and mother whose pride and joy were her children and grandchildren. She loved to prepare meals and go berry picking…”

From: “JENNIE KELM.” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 Mar 1995. Retrieved 17 Apr 2019 from NewspaperArchive, https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-mar-24-1995-p-35/.