Elizabeth May (Betty) Laxdal (nee Boyes), 86, of Tisdale, passed away August 11, 2017 at Tisdale Hospital.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm, August 18, 2017 at St. Paul’s United Church, Tisdale. Interment will follow at Tisdale Cemetery. Arrangements are by Barron’s Funeral Chapel.

Betty was born December 31, 1930 to T.C. and Isa Boyes. She was raised on the family farm near Kelvington, SK and spoke fondly of those days, recalling how family members worked together to ensure a successful harvest each fall. She attended Ross Common School before completing high school in Kelvington. After high school Betty worked at the bank in Kelvington. Betty made lifelong friends during her Kelvington days and managed to keep in touch with many of them through the years.

Betty met J.E. (Ed) Laxdal in Kelvington and they were married October 11, 1952. They moved to Winnipeg, MB and she worked in a bank until they welcomed sons Bruce and Bob. After Bob’s birth, they returned to Saskatchewan, making their home in Tisdale where both Glenn and Wendy were born. In 1960, they moved into their house on 106th Avenue where they stayed until they became residents of Caleb Village in 2012. Betty really enjoyed socializing with her friends and taking part in activities there.

Betty was an involved Mom and Grandma, always ready to create a costume, play a game, or read a story. Her children’s friends were always welcome, and teens often spent the night on Betty’s couch rather than drive home late or in bad weather. Her grandchildren visited each summer and she loved that time with each of them.

Betty was an accomplished seamstress and craftsperson, and her baking was amazing. Our family was well-acquainted with “Betty’s Buns” long before George Canyon made them famous in his country song. When family gathered at Greenwater Lake for a week each summer, she carefully planned meals and desserts to include everyone’s favorites. The tradition continued this summer. Betty was able to be at the lake with the entire family even after receiving her diagnosis midweek. We were fortunate to have this time together and there was nowhere else she would rather have been.

Betty was a dedicated volunteer, devoting her time to Lion L’s, St. Paul’s United Church, and Newmarket Place. She assisted with fundraising efforts for numerous community-based projects and freely offered her time to coordinate or work at local events.

In 1980, Betty was hired to manage the Kelsey-Tisdale Constituency Offices in Tisdale and Porcupine Plain for MLA Neal Hardy. She welcomed this challenge and spent the next 10 years proudly serving the area in this capacity. She loved her work and spent a great deal of time ensuring she was well-informed of local, provincial, and national issues impacting constituents.

Betty Laxdal is preceded in death by her parents and siblings. She is survived by her husband of 64 years Ed Laxdal; children Bruce (Carole), Bob (Aurelia, children Cristina and Robert), Glenn (Tracy), and Wendy (Bill, son Jeff); sister-in-law Biena Boyes; grandchildren Fenn (Anton), Haeden, Maja, Sarah-Jane (Stefan), Matthew, and Jon; great-grandchildren Yeva and Lev; and numerous relatives from both the Boyes and Laxdal lines.

In remembrance of Betty, memorials may be given to Newmarket Place or St. Paul’s United Church.

The family of Betty Laxdal wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Tisdale Hospital for her care during the last week of her life. A special thank you to Dr. Kalejaiye for encouraging and supporting us to take Mom back to the lake after her diagnosis.

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