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Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell
In Memory of
Merl Jean Gertrude
Jewell (Langrill)
2016
Memorial Candle Tribute From
Mackey Funeral Home Inc.
"We are honored to provide this Book of Memories to the family."
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Obituary for Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell (Langrill)

Merl Jean Gertrude  Jewell (Langrill)
Merl Jean Gertrude Jewell (nee Langrill) October 16, 1916 – May 3, 2016

1916: in the midst of the turmoil of the Great War, a baby was born in Yorkton Saskatchewan to Clarence Garfield Langrill and Mary Elizabeth Rennie Langrill, or M.E.R.L. Hence the baby’s name: Merl.

The euphoria of the end of the ‘war to end all wars’ was tempered with the outbreak of the Spanish Influenza, which killed more people around the world than the war. Both Merl and her mother were infected and became gravely ill, but fortune smiled on them as they recovered, and so began a reverence for life and appreciating each day for its opportunities and challenges, and helping those less fortunate.

Growing up during the Great Depression, life wasn’t always easy, but Merl loved to reminisce about happy childhood memories: racing with her loved dog, a St. Bernard/Collie mix named Rover who, in the winter, pulled her to school daily on a sled. Also, playing in her backyard with her younger sister Wilma and all the neighbourhood children. Her father, the future Mayor of Yorkton, had built a real children’s paradise complete with a swing, trapeze, merry-go-round, and self-propelled Ferris Wheel, which led to hours of fun.

Merl finished high school with top marks and wanted very badly to go to University to become a teacher, but it was hard to justify the finances required for secondary education away from home during the Depression, especially for girls. Always practical and independent, she took a clerking job at Woolworth’s before going back to school for a business course. This led to further job opportunities as a secretary and credit manager, and finally to Winnipeg where she worked for the war effort.

Mother was always a proud Yorktonite, imbued with the western spirit of friendliness, community and hospitality. Her parents exemplified these attributes during the war years by inviting the young RCAF airmen from the base in Yorkton into their home for dinners. Merl always stated she knew exactly what these adventurers were about, and certainly was not interested in their ilk. However, her parents suggested a certain Flying Officer Jack Jewell was the “Cat’s Meow”, and invited him over to share Christmas dinner in 1943, when Merl would be home for the holidays from her job in Winnipeg. On August 12, 1944, eight months after they had met, Jack and Merl were married.

After the war, their early life together took them to Windsor, Hamilton, Woodstock, Kitchener, Renfrew & Lindsay. Always a cheerful hostess in her home, community and church, the couple made lifelong friends wherever they went. Merl had a great sense of humour, and would tell stories of practical jokes that they played on their friends. At one dinner party, she baked cotton batting into half of the pumpkin pies, and watched her friends try to politely cut through the tough crust before giving in with a laugh and serving them all a proper piece. She was an excellent baker and her freezer was always full with a variety of ready-made goodies. She and Jack hosted many parties and loved to entertain in their home.

Merl had a difficult pregnancy with her first child, and was hospitalized with “toxemia” (preeclampsia) for weeks before the delivery. They were overjoyed to welcome a healthy beautiful baby, Wilfred Ross Jewell, into the family on May 22nd 1948. With her illness, Merl lost some of her hearing, and was told future pregnancies would be dangerous. However, after being given the green light, they were thrilled to find out they were expecting twins! Rhonda Mary and Ronald Clarence were born on May 5th 1953.

Always a westerner, Merl and Jack took their three children west every other summer to visit the Langrill grandparents in Yorkton. The family also camped all over North America together in their tent trailer, creating many wonderful memories and a love for travel, as well as a close family bond. Later in life, Merl and Jack became tour hosts with a faith-based international tour company, leading many tours to the Holy Land and subsequently expanding their travels to Europe, Asia, and Hawaii.

She instilled a strong devotion to family in her three children, and was the centre of a treasured tradition of an annual celebration each May long weekend together with the extended family: three children, four grandchildren and their families, including four precious great-grandchildren. Merl spent years researching her family genealogy and compiling stories from her past. In her 80s she learned to use an “ADAM” computer and began to transcribe these tales, resulting in a beautiful anthology she entitled “Tales of our Past”, gifting copies to all her children and grandchildren. Her stories, and the memories and laughter they kindle with each read, will live on.

A staunch conservative all her life, and having raised three opinionated children, she often found herself in animated political discussions with her family. We were looking forward to her reaction on receiving the anticipated letter of centenary congratulations from new Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Nurtured by a strong faith in God, Merl maintained her sense of joy, grace, and gratitude for life, as well as a sense of humour, into her final weeks, when she was taken from us by a stroke in her 100th year. She died peacefully one week later, on May 3, 2016 at Ross Memorial Hospital, Lindsay, with the love of her family surrounding her. She received wonderful care from physicians and staff in the Palliative wing of the hospital, and the family is grateful for the support we have received through this difficult time.

We will be celebrating her life in a Service of Thanksgiving at Cambridge Street United Church, 61 Cambridge Street North, Lindsay, on Friday May 6th at 10:30am. Reception to follow. Interment at Riverside Cemetery at 4pm. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Mackey Funeral Home, 33 Peel Street, Lindsay. In lieu of flowers, donations to Cambridge Street United Church or a charity of your choice would be appreciated. Online condolences may be made at www.mackeys.ca.
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