BETTY EILEEN URTON (née Cunningham)

 – passed away Friday, October 21st, 2016

Eileen was born April 4th, 1928 to Mae and Dewey Cunningham at the family farm, originally her Grandfather Roby’s homestead.  Her parents and sister Mary came to Canada from the state of Indiana in March 1926 to take over the farm Northwest of Briercrest, SK.  She began attending Spicer School at the age of 4.  Eileen took grades 1-10 at Spicer and grades 11 and 12 at Briercrest High School, and in 1944 she graduated at 16 years of age.  She wasn’t quite ready to leave home so she helped on the farm, which she loved, for a year before attending Davidson Business College in Moose Jaw.  She was employed as a bookkeeper at Prowse Hardware for 9 years.  Eileen married Willis Urton of the Baildon district on October 3rd, 1956.  They lived, farmed and raised their family there.  They were blessed with three children: Robert, Ronald and Kathryn.  Except for working as part-time secretary at the Baildon Municipal office from 1968-1969, Eileen was busy on the farm with home and family, helping with outdoor work and harvest.  In 1983 they began moving to town for the winter but were happy to move back to the farm in April to end of October.  During their earlier years on the farm, Eileen was active in the Baildon United Church with the United Church Women and teaching Sunday School.  Following the church closure she was on the committee instrumental in forming the Four Corners Friendship Club.  Eileen was brought up in the Presbyterian faith at Briercrest and during her working years in Moose Jaw attended Knox Church also teaching Sunday School.  Following their moving back and forth from the farm in the 80’s, she became active in the St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church Womens Missionary Society and later the Friendship Circle.  In 2006 Eileen became an elder at St. Marks.  Eileen loved the outdoors and God’s beauty in nature.  She loved doing crafts and often used wheat and other grains even fireweed, wild oats and other nuisance plants for her wall hangings.  God created all things to have a purpose.  She loved life and tried to live it one day at a time trusting in God to supply each day’s needs.  Eileen felt truly blessed as throughout the many changes in her life she held a real sense of contentment.  She was predeceased by her mother in 1972, her father in 1980, her husband Willis in 1997, and her sister Mary in 2014.  Eileen was always a family person and she leaves behind the family name and traditions to her three children: Robert (Claire), Ronald, and Kathryn (Barry); to her grandchildren whom she loved dearly: Jon (Stephanie), Perry (Amanda), Ashlyn (Gledson) and Zachary (Kassia); and great grandchildren: Sean, Jayde, Wyatt and Kayden.  A Celebration of Eileen’s Life will be held on Thursday, October 27th, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in Moose Jaw Funeral Home.  Pastor Barry Holtslander will officiate and a private family interment will take place at Rosedale Cemetery.  If so wishing, donations may be made in Eileen’s memory to St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, 80 High St E, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 0B8 or to The Canadian Diabetes Association, 917A Albert St, Regina, SK S4R 2P6.  Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane.  Todd Sjoberg, Funeral Director 306-693-4550