Kathleen Ellen (McKenzie) Cram

             It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kathleen Ellen Cram on Friday, April 19, 2019 at the age of 67 years at the Portage District General Hospital.

            After a short battle with cancer, she leaves to mourn her passing: Rick and their children: Tami (Logan), Tim (Coby), Dallas (Stephanie) and Adam, grandchildren: Jennifer (Ben), Joshua, Carly, Wyatt, Tyson, Nicholas, Rylan and Abby, great-grandchildren: Keegan, Sheldon and Gavin. Sisters: Barb (Syd) Turner, Freida (Dave) McCulloch, Sheila McKenzie, Pat (Don) Kotz, Alice (Leo) Calvert, Brothers: Adam (Wendy) McKenzie, James (Lynne) McKenzie, Bill McKenzie, Gord (Sandy) McKenzie, Sister-in-law: Dawne McKenzie (Buck), Aunt: Pat McKinnon (Cantlon) and a great many nieces, nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews and cousins…all who were cherished but far too many to list.

            She was predeceased by her parents: Bob & Mary McKenzie, her eldest sister Marg Leronowich, her eldest brother Buck Mckenzie, her niece Darlene Leronowich-Kanigan, her father and mother-in-law Lloyd & Freda Cram and her brother-in-law Don Leronowich, as well as many other aunts, uncles and cousins

            Kathy was born on May 23, 1951. She was raised and educated in Hartney. Coming from a family of 12 kids I’m sure there was never a dull moment in her years growing up. She learned the meaning of hard work at a young age, helping with housework, cleaning and looking after younger siblings and was out earning a wage by the age of 12/13 by babysitting for a couple different families in town and then by 14 she worked at Louis Café as well in town for several years.

            In 1970 she married Rick Cram and moved to the farm in the Lauder area. She made lifelong friends with the Lauder ladies while raising their children, helping on the farm, gardening, sewing, keeping house and being involved in various organizations in the Lauder community. She kept busy running us kids to our different activities through the years as well.

            Around 1984 she started working off the farm when she worked at the White Owl Restaurant in Melita, in 1985 she became the Lauder Postmistress and started running the Lauder Inn. In 1989 she took over the Hartney Hotel Restaurant, and then they moved into Hartney shortly after that. She leased the restaurant until 1995. Later she went back to the hotel restaurant when Belbeck’s bought the hotel until about 2000 give or take a year or so?? She also worked for the new people that were running VGs Café for a time.

            She moved up to the Amaranth area in 2004 and worked for two different owners at the restaurant in Glenella. She also made several good friends while working in Glenella.

            Every year, mom and dad would usually make two trips out west to visit the three boys and their families.

            Her kids and grandkids meant the world to her and she loved spending time with all of them.

            Some of her favorite things to do were sew, do puzzles, crochet/knit, garden and she especially loved to have a bonfire and wiener roast with her family.

            We could make enough blankets for everyone in the family with the amount of flannel pj pants that she made for all of us over the years!! We will miss getting those cozy pants every year but of course not as much as we will miss her!

            We would like to extend a huge thank you to her siblings and other family members that were able to provide so much support during this time! We’ll never be able to thank you enough! What a family we are a part of…they are unbelievably amazing!

            We would like to thank Dr. Brett Finney and all the amazing nurses and aides on the medical ward at the Portage District General Hospital for the exceptional care they gave her over the last 4 months. She was admitted three times during this period and this last time was of course the hardest for her and all of us. We would also like to thank the nurses that were working on the surgical ward for their exceptional care during what would be her last night. A huge thank you also to Bonita Miedema, the Cancer Care Nurse Navigator that was assigned to mom as soon as they suspected cancer. She was a tremendous help with appointments and explaining things and just a great support to us overall.

            In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cancer Care Manitoba or the Canadian Mental Health Association.

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