Obituary of Dorothy Annetta Champagne

It is with heavy hearts, that Dorothy's family announce her passing on February 9th, 2021. Dorothy was born in Alsask Sask, on August 9th, 1931. She stared her life on the Benson farm near Sibbald where her parents lived at the time. She was a great animal lover, especially all the cats and dogs on the farm, and later her horse named Buster. Buster was her way of getting to meet her friends. She loved to go fast, but had to be out of site of her parents as they worried the horse would step into a gopher hole and throw her. Dorothy's mom would cringe when Dorothy rode her horse into the barn, ducking as she went through the entrance. She also had a real love for music. She learned to play guitar from her two aunts who lived close by. Her mom's family were all very musical and a great part of their lives. Dorothy completed her schooling up to grade 10 at Fairdale school in Sibbald. She worked in the Sibbald telephone office for awhile and later ventured west in pursuit of other jobs. She then went to Calgary where she ran the switchboard for T. Eaton's company. She then moved to Hanna to work in the telephone office, and this is where she met her husband Bob who was policing there. Work took them to Calgary for awhile, but city life was not for them. They bought a registered trapline in Mach, Ontario where they lived for about 5 years. From there they returned to Calgary for a short while, before moving back to Ontario, this time to Savant Lake. Here they ran a tourist camp and Bob still did some trapping and guiding. Dorothy looked after the skinning and preparing of the furs that were for sale. Dorothy worked at a diamond drilling camp, cooking for the workers. She would stand by the railroad tracks, flag down the train down to catch a ride to the mine, doing the same to to return home. She always said it was good, she loved to cook and the company purchased anything she wanted or needed. The workers would go catch the fish when they wanted a fresh feed. Dorothy was a good marksman, they hunted most for their winter supply of meat. They had dogs and sled for their winter travel. They also had a snowmobile, but the dog team was much more reliable. In 1974, a clearcut logging operation began and in 1975 two forest fires destroyed much of their trapline. In disgust they decided it was time to leave, so in 1976 they moved to Acadia Valley where they ran the coffee shop until Dorothy was forced to quit due to health reasons. Her husband Bob suffered two strokes and in January 1990 he became a Resident of the Big Country Extended Care. Sadly, he passed away on April 23, 1993. Dorothy continued to live in Acadia Valley in her trailer. She always had a dog and several cats. She spent her time in her garden and doing some canning. She spent several years with the Acadia Valley square dancers. She was also very active in the seniors club and also belonged to the Acadia Valley choir. To make life easier, Dorothy moved to the self contained units in Oyen where she kept herself busy with reading, knitting and crocheting. She also enjoyed watching curling and baseball. She took part in floor curling at the Oyen Seniors club and also did a little card playing at the lodge. Her next move was into a suite in the lodge. She suffered a stroke in January of 2017. This is when she moved to Extended Care. Dorothy is predeceased by her Husband Bob, Father (1980), Mother (1993), brothers Vernon (2003), Donny (2010) and Bobby (2012) and sister Sharon (2008). Dorothy leaves behind to cherish her memory her sister Marion (Ted), sister-in-laws Phyllis, Beverley and Lucy (Jake), brother-in-law Albert, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. At this time the family will have a private service, with internment at a later date. If you wish to send flowers, please contact Oyen Flowers and Giftware directly at 403-664-3827