Muriel C

Muriel Marie Côté
(née Rondeau on May 20, 1926)

On Wed. Oct. 23, 2002, at the age of 76, with her family at her side, her soul was freed from the earthly pains of cancer, to eternal peace. Muriel had overcome her initial struggle with cancer in 1990 to have many years of quality life. Even after its recurrence in 1999, she remained strong in her faith and brave in her outlook.

Muriel was born in St. Léon, MB where she also spent her childhood and school years until she became a permit teacher and taught school for a year in a one room school house in Layland, MB. In that area, she met George Côté. They married on July 5, 1944. Together for over 42 years, they shared the responsibilities of life on their farm in the Haywood area and raised their 10 children. She experienced many changes from the early days of pioneer living to today's modern conveniences, which she said now made work almost seem fun.

She had her losses, too. Her husband, George, passed away suddenly in Dec. 1986, and her daughter, Diane, succumbed to a lengthy battle with cancer in Feb. 1993.

Medical advances gave us more quality time with Muriel. Yet, there is much more research to do. So that dying is not the only way to free a soul from cancer, she requested we help continue the research by donating to the Manitoba Cancer Foundation.

To Muriel, her riches were found in her faith, in the everyday pleasures of family life, and in the ever-increasing size of her family, which currently totals 19 grandchildren, and, with the birth of Isabelle on Oct. 10, 11 great-grandchildren. Our riches are the gift of a beautiful mother with unlimited love, intriguing patience, quiet confidence, and amazing faith in God. She has inspired natural curiosity and active participation in the everyday learning process of life's lessons with a constant reminder that God is our compass. She allowed each of us to learn in our own way and become our own person, by making us aware we are responsible for our own choices, and we live with the consequence of those choices in our daily life, as well as the afterlife. But she also made us recognize that faith and prayer are not only for sad and serious moments, they are practical and essential comforts to daily life.

She has connected with our hearts in many little ways; if she has with yours, as well, please join us at St. Denis Catholic Church in Haywood on Fri., Oct. 25 at 7:00 pm for prayers and on Sat., Oct. 26 at 10:00 am for the rosary prayers with mass at 10:30, to celebrate the life she did have with us and the life she continues to have through God. If you would like to bring flowers, please bring but one rose each, because it is in our accumulated "little ways" that we can send her a message of love through her belief in St. Thérèse, who is "spending her heaven showering roses on earth", and on this day, through us, for Muriel. For more information about the Society of the Little Flower, go to www.littleflower.org.

Muriel leaves to mourn, her children Jeannette (Harold Maher), Gerard, Edith (Gilbert Demers), Rachel Maier (Ray Desmarais), Denis (Cheryl), Richard (Diane), Georgette (Alan Hjeltman), Henri (Tammy), and Claudette Côté (Grant Skene); her grandchildren Mike, Bruce, Christine, Normand, Gilles, Lorraine, Guy, Louis, Suzanne, Michelle, Aaron, Tyson, Erin, François, Phillip, Tyler, Alexis, Damon, and Maxim, and their spouses; her great-grandchildren Logan, Brandi, Samantha, James, Courtney, Brett, Brenden, Siobhan, Carli, Kayla, and Isabelle; her brothers, sister, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and friends.

The family wish to express their sincere thanks to friends, home care workers, and the doctors, nurses and staff at Carman Hospital and CancerCare Manitoba for their attentive care, understanding, helpfulness, and compassion.

Adam's Funeral Home of Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba in care of arrangements.