DONALDSON Isabella Helen. Born: November 23, 1909 ~ Oban, Scotland
Died: October 19, 2011 ~ Nanaimo, BC
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that the family announces the passing of our mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and GG just five weeks before her 102nd birthday. Predeceased by her husband Jim, her parents Jim and Ellen Neil, her brothers Hamish and Andy Neil and her sister Jessie Hunt, she leaves to mourn her daughter Pat Klein (Allan) of Edmonton and her son Neil (Joan), her granddaughters Tara Martin (Greg), Erica Ball (Greg) and Loni Martineau (Yves) and great-grandchildren Ben and Haley Martin and Emma and Austin Ball all of Nanaimo, BC. Also left to mourn are her cousin Nellie Cooke of Grande Prairie, nieces Jean Payne of Leduc and Donna Gummer of Spruce Grove plus a multitude of friends. Mom was truly an amazing woman who was always interested in everyone and everything. Arriving in Saskatchewan from Scotland when she was 12, she learned to bake bread and make jam from the farm ladies and was still making jam well into her 90's! She was also a super knitter and was knitting up to last year. We know that Heaven will never be short of homemade jams and knitted sweaters! Because Mom liked to read so much and always said she learned so much from reading, donations in her memory may be made to a group in Nanaimo that helps adults learn to read. Their address is: Literacy Central VI, 19 Commercial St., Nanaimo, BC V9R 5G3. Special thanks to the staff on the second floor of Malaspina Gardens in Nanaimo, who made the last years of Mom's life so wonderful. No funeral by request.