Bella Marie Monias

     It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Bella Marie Monias (LuLu, Lu) our beloved mother, nana, sister and auntie. Bella passed away on January 27, 2023 at the age of 65 in the Palliative Care Unit at the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

Bella was born in The Pas, Manitoba and raised in her home community of Wabowden. She worked in the food services industry throughout Manitoba doing what she loved “making sure everyone was fed well”. Bella relocated to Winnipeg at the age of 20 and had her daughter at the age of 27. Bella was a natural when becoming a mother. She was attentive and filled her daughter’s life with an abundance of love and attention. Bella rerouted to Portage La Prairie in 93’ to babysit her niece Kathryn and nephew Kris, so that her sister Helen could pursue her career. Mom loved children and was happy when Kelsie was born. Kelsie was her second baby, they enjoyed baking together and enjoyed tasing the goods, Kelsie would say “this makes my teeth happy” mom and Kelsie shared a lot of laughs. In 1999 she met the love of her life Darwin and relocated to Amaranth to share a life with him. She made friends easily and many have remained by her side to her last days.

Lu enjoyed playing bingo and slotting, her greatest joy was bringing people together to play cards. She was a talented card player and a humble winner. Her favorite outdoor activities were swimming, laughing and spending evenings around the open fire, dancing, reminiscing and making more beautiful memories with her chosen family Sonia, Edward Starr, and kids.

She was a loving, kind-hearted person who went out of her way to help others. She was a nanny for a countless number of children who called her aunty or nana.

A wonderful part of Lu’s life was her love story with Darwin Oswald. Her good friend Angie introduced them in 1999, and they were together for twenty-years until he passed in 2019. Darwin treated her like a queen, he showed her a lot of affection and took good care of her. Darwin would pick fresh flowers from his garden and have a bouquet ready before she woke in the mornings. Mom loved living off Darwin’s vegetable garden all summer and into the fall. They enjoyed driving around on back country roads listen to tunes. Darwin placed hummingbird feeders at their windows, and they would watch the birds while they drank coffee.

Bella was a kind, easy going, non-judgemental, say anything person who truly loved everyone. Her sense of humor is unforgettable. She held a strong presence in a room, made everyone feel comfortable, and her happy-go-lucky nature was felt by all.

Everyone loved Lu!

She was most proud of her daughter Marcia, her only child. She adored her grandchildren, Mason, Mackenzie, Malikai, and Madison (Maddy), they were her pride and joy. She truly loved all her family and friends.

She was the heart and soul of our family. She leaves us all with a legacy of love.

Bella was predeceased by her parents Emma Jane Braun (nee Monias) and Pete Braun

Grandparents – Bella (nee Henderson) and Joseph Monias

Uncles – Edward, Joseph Jr., Henry, Clarence and Wilfred

Auntie – Mary Chubb

Cousins – Colin Monias and Marisa Chubb

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Bella Marie Monias, please visit our floral store.