Dickinson, Laura May; May 26, 1912 – November 5, 2011. Laura M. Dickinson passed away on November 5, 2011 in the Palliative Care Suite at Groves Memorial Community Hospital with loving family at her side. A wonderful, very personalized, funeral service was held Wednesday, November 9th at Elora United Church, officiated by Rev. Greg Smith-Young with interment at the Elora cemetery. Even the rain could not dampen the celebration of Laura’s meaningful life.
She was born Laura May Burns, May 26, 1912 to James and Mary Burns at Kilbride, Ontario where she was raised with her two brothers, Charles and George and one sister Netta. Laura married Arthur Dickinson in 1936 and was a loving wife for over 63 yrs. until his death in January 2000. They farmed together near Milton until 1945, then moved to Milton proper until 1951, at which time they moved to a farm near Elora, where they stayed until retiring in 1974. Until their children were old enough to replace her at the barn, Laura worked at her husband’s side doing everything from milking cows to helping with the haying and still found time to make butter, do canning of fruits and vegetables, as well as be a housewife and Mother. Since Laura was very interested in her children’s education, she was president of the Salem Home and School Association for several years. She was a lifelong member of the United Church and was involved with the Elora United Church U.C.W. for many, many, years. Her love and devotion to her Church sustained her for her entire life. Her interests included family, flowers, sewing and reading. She was always well aware of current events and never missed reading the daily newspaper or listening to the evening news. Scrabble was another of her favourite pastimes. At 99 years of age, she was still fiercely competitive when playing a game and as a result her Webster dictionary was extremely well worn. Throughout the years, Laura also devoted much of her time and energy as caregiver to family members, including her Mother, Mother-in-law and Father-in-law as the need arose. At the age of 73, Laura became a hostess at her daughter’s restaurant in Alma. Along with receiving a pay cheque for the first time in her life, she got to spend time meeting and greeting people…a pastime that she loved. For the last four years, Laura spent a ‘Diva’ week-end in August with her four daughters and two daughters-in-law at a cottage on Manitoulin Island. Dressed up in silly outfits, they went out to dinner, played games, talked and laughed a lot. Live, Laugh, Love…a personal mission statement for life was worn on a chain around her neck and carried in her heart at all times. Laura has astonished people for years with her ability to remember each and every person that touched her life during the past 99 years…not only names, but where they lived, their children’s names etc. etc. She has always been an encyclopaedia of information for names, dates and events for family to refer to when their own memories fail. At a family gathering, it was nothing for her to amaze everyone with a recitation, word for word and without hesitation, of a very lengthy piece of literature, submitted to memory as a child. Laura is survived by her children Eleanor Crittenden, Jim and Connie Dickinson, Mary Henderson, Frank and Sheila Dickinson, Marjorie Kleingeld and Donnie Suter and Doris and Alf Thiessen. She was the proud grandmother of eighteen grandchildren, twenty-eight great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband Arthur (2000), granddaughter Shelby Dickinson (1988), son-in-law Bryan Henderson (2006) and two brothers and one sister, George Burns, Charles Burns and Netta Burns. Donations may be sent to Centre Wellington Food Bank, Groves Memorial Hospital or the Elora United Church. Donation cards are available at Graham A. Giddy Funeral Home at 37 Church St. E., Elora. Laura’s family would like to extend a very sincere note of appreciation to all those who sent donations, cards, food and best wishes or visited at this time. A special note of thanks to Dr. P. Otto, the palliative care staff at Groves Hospital, the staff at Graham Giddy Funeral Home, Rev. Greg Smith-Young, Elora United Church U.C.W. and the wonderful staff at Heritage River Retirement Community where she lived for the past 3½ years.
