Lorraine Gold

  Lorraine Gold (nee Bender) from Medicine Hat, formerly from Maple Creek, passed away Wednesday, October 10, 2018 in St. Joseph's Home, Medicine Hat, at the age of 92 years.  She was predeceased by her husband Alfred Asa Gold in 1994.

      Lorraine was born on the Bender homestead northwest of Piapot, Saskatchewan, on May 31, 1926.

      She was educated at Cambrai and Northridge Schools.  When the family moved to Piapot in 1942, at the age of 16, she took her first official job at Bowie's General Store.  In 1945 at the age of 19, she moved to Maple Creek and worked at Dixon's General Store. 

      On December 12, 1946, Lorraine married Alfred Gold in Medicine Hat. The newlyweds moved to Moose Jaw where Alfred attended Technical School.  After Moose Jaw, they lived in Piapot and then the Gold Brothers Ranch in the Northridge District. They lived in Maple Creek beginning in 1962, in Saskatoon for a year, and at Cypress Hills Park for many summers operating several businesses. 

      In 1962, Lorraine and Alfred left the ranch and began businesses in Cypress Hills Provincial Park. Lorraine worked alongside her husband and learned to do books and payroll. She was a partner in the Cypress Hills gas station, Cypress Hills boat rentals, ski rental shops, and Cypress Hills store. Eventually, she took over the store and ran it with her son Asa.

      In 2003, Lorraine moved to Medicine Hat, most recently residing in Chinook Village.  

      Lorraine had an immense love for music.  She enjoyed listening to songs, dancing to band music, and playing the piano. She particularly liked singsongs and was a member of the Dead End Gang, a group of four Piapot women who dressed up in hillbilly style and performed at community events.  She taught her children how to dance, particularly to “old-time” music.  She was a lively square-dancer and loved to polka.

      Lorraine belonged to the Rebekah Lodge in Piapot and Maple Creek, volunteered at the Jasper Centre, and was a key individual in the development of the Maple Creek and District History Book (2000). She enjoyed traveling and visited both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. She and Alfred spent many winters in Phoenix.  In later years, she went on cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico Coast, and Hawaii.

       After retiring, she enjoyed doing cross-stitch, ceramics, silk-flower arranging, and coin collecting.  She was an avid attendee at bingos.  After she sold the store at Cypress, she continued to buy and sell, going to auctions and garage sales as a hobby. 

      Lorraine is survived by her daughter Alexia (Gordon) Turner of Castlegar, BC and their children Brennan (Jaime), Avery, Riston (Miran Kim); son John (Heather) Gold of Wetaskiwin, AB and children Bronic (Jamie), Jocelyn (Geoff) Durling, Evrhetton (Jennifer Ortynski); daughter Donna (Dave) Mestdagh of Medicine Hat and daughter Krista Jensen (Kent Kilford);  daughter Maxine (Dan) Olmsted of Swift Current and their children Dustin (Jessica Rouleau) and Kaitlin; son Asa (Kerri) Gold of Irvine and their children Sierra and Savannah, James Hardy, Justin Hardy, and Tyrel Anderson. She had 12 great-grandchildren.

      She was predeceased by grandsons Sean Olmsted in 1989, Devin Turner in 1992,  and son-in-law James Jensen in 1995.

      Lorraine's celebration of life was held at Binkley's Funeral Home in Maple Creek on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 with son-in-law Dan Olmsted officiating.  Grandson Brennan Turner read the eulogy, and daughter-in-law Heather Gold read emails from Lorraine's grandchildren Bronic Gold and Jocelyn Durling. Grandson Dustin Olmsted and his fiancée Jessica Rouleau performed musical tributes.           

Pallbearers were Lorraine's grandsons, Evrhetton Gold, Brennan Turner, Avery Turner, Riston Turner, Dustin Olmsted, and Tyrel Anderson.  Interment took place at the Maple Creek Cemetery. 

      Friends who wish to honour Lorraine further may make a donation to the Maple Creek Jasper Centre or to a charity of their own choice.
 

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