Obituary of Joyce Ruby Kathan

To view the live funeral service for Joyce please copy this link into a browser

https://youtu.be/Y4qAN6H355U

April 20, 1935 ~ August 24, 2023

Surrounded by family, Joyce Kathan peacefully passed away on August 24, 2023 at the age of 88 years.  She was born on April 20, 1935 in Cold Lake, Alberta to her parents Joseph and Ada Lingrell and was raised in the Rangeland District along with her five siblings, Laurence, Alfred, Eunice, Phyllis and Lyle.

In 1955 she married Art Kathan and moved 12 miles south of Beaverdam on the road to Frog Lake where they ranched and raised their 6 children.  In the 1990’s she moved to Edmonton to work before moving back to Bonnyville to be closer to her children and grandchildren whom she dearly loved.

She will be sadly missed by her six children Alan Kathan, Larry (Mary) Kathan, Shirley McEwen, Murray (Robin) Kathan, Karen Kathan and Myles (Annette) Kathan; 14 grandchildren, Justin, Daniel, Ashley (Brennan), Leah, Ryan (Jennifer), Clarissa, Kara, Nolan, Cassie (Cody), Callie (Dimitri) Keana, Aimie, Tristan (Cam), Jacqueline (Ryan); and eight great grandchildren, Xavier, Ada, Roxanna-Lea, Amelia, Isabele, Sierra, Hanna and Kael.   She will be remembered for her love of God and always being there to lend a helping hand or a listening ear.

Funeral service, Saturday, September 2, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., Ardmore Community Hall with interment to follow at Duclos Memorial Cemetery, Ardmore, Alberta.

Mom’s story

Joyce was raised in the rangeland district by her parents Joe and Ada along with her 5 siblings.  They would go to Beaver Crossing to get their mail and groceries, in the early days with horses.  From all accounts there was a lot of hard work and worry, but on the other hand, lots of tricks and laughs.  She was home schooled to grade eight.

When she was 11 years old, she made a choice to serve God which influenced the way she lived for the rest of her life.  A highlight of each year was when many of the family would jump on a train and go to a Christian convention. She enjoyed spiritual fellowship in the little local Wednesday and Sunday morning meetings wherever she lived and traveled.  In her last days she made the comment that she had always been willing to do whatever God asked of her.     

In 1955 she married Art Kathan and moved 12 miles south of Beaver Dam along the road to Frog Lake where they ranched for many years.  At the beginning they had sheep but later switched to raising cattle along with her 6 children without electricity, phone and other modern conveniences. Like others in her generation, her daily activities include milking a cow who produced bad tasting milk, gathering eggs, bringing in firewood, canning and cooking on the wood stove, and carrying water.  Her children remember the days when she would chop the head off of a younger chicken in the morning and fry it for supper. The days she baked bread were special because there was always a large pan of cinnamon buns when we got off the bus.  It seemed like she was always busy sewing or knitting clothes for us children, tending to 3 large gardens, riding the pasture with her horse Comet and helping around the ranch.

In the mid 1980’s she took a number of classes to get her GED so she could pursue further education.  In the 1990’s she moved to Edmonton where she attended the Jack Braden Community Institute where she proudly graduated in 1992 with a diploma in computer science.  After graduating she continued to work at Jack Braden for several years, a job that she really enjoyed.

In 1999 she moved to Bonnyville so she could spend time with her family.  She quickly added a wood stove to heat the house and converted the back yard to a garden.  Every year she would cut and split firewood and haul it home, where everyone loved the smell and heat from the wood stove.  She got her own firewood until she was 82 years old and had a garden until this year. Always thrifty she would tell how she purchased nice furniture for $3.00 at a local garage sale, another of her many hobbies.

Fun fact – she was named Ruby Joyce Lingrell but her father had a horse called Ruby so she preferred to be called Joyce. This caused confusion so a few years ago she officially changed her name to Joyce Ruby Kathan. 

She also found time to write a 328 page ‘Lingrell History’ book; spending more time with grandchildren; traveling across Canada and into the USA, and was planning a trip this summer to the Yukon this before she became ill.

Many have remarked how she always had time for a visit and could offer good advice.  She will be missed by many.