Ellen Sophie Riel (nee Hunsbedt)
1912— 2013
Passed away peacefully Sept. 24 in Vernon, B.C. Ellen was born in Vancouver, B.C. on Nov. 6, 1912 and was in her 101st year.
She was predeceased by her daughter Edna Kobe in 1999 and son-in-law Dan Kobe in 2007, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hunsbedt and brothers and sisters-in-law Norman and Elsie Hunsbedt, and Irven and Alma Hunsbedt.
She is survived by two sisters: Irene Ivens of Kamloops, B.C. and Ruby (Bob) Gledhill of Vernon, B.C. Also by three grandchildren: Grant (Laura) Kobe, John Kobe, and Kim (Bill) Guest. Great grandchildren: Amanda, Stephen, Brooke, Sam, Sarah and Jordan, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Ellen attended school in Vavenby starting about 1920-21. She remembered the challenge of walking 3 1/2 miles in the winter and the fear of wild animals.
She lived most of her life in Vavenby and loved the outdoors and fishing the nearby lakes. She was a great camp cook and worked for the Department of Highways (Bridges) and cooked for the crew building the Vavenby Bridge in 1947. She was a welder (1942-44) in Victoria, working on ships during the wartime.
One of her fond memories of the 1920s was going down the river from Lost Creek to Vavenby on a raft of poles with her father. He would beach the raft and used horses to get the poles from the river to the railway for loading.
She made her home in Barriere, B.C. in later years, and then in Kamloops before coming to a seniors home in Vernon.
No service by request.