Don Sanders

Since I was and am a pastor I have chosen a text for my few words.  “Give honour to whom honour is due.” 

I have read some of the tributes that so many have sent to the website but I have a tribute that no-one else has mentioned.  She had met Leroy after the war as he was on his way home from India.  There was an interest stirred in her heart proven by this embroidery work that says: "With all my thoughts and blessings."

She had also marked on it all the places he had been.  They had corresponded for 6 months when she decided to come to Canada for 6 months to check us out.  Roy was going to school in Brockville so after three days they decided to come to Bloomfield to check us out.  They decided to get married that week so see Roy on his bike rushing to Wellington from Bloomfield to ask our cousin, Doris, to be the bridesmaid.  Doris told me on Sunday evening that she wondered how she could get from Belleville to Bloomfield and her brother agreed to be her chauffer.  So the wedding happened.  Roy could not understand why I could not remember all about it.  I told him that all I remember was taking them to Richerton Castle for their wedding night.   There we drank  a toast to their happiness.

When they came back to our house in Bloomfield the neighbours organized a chivaree where they came banging on tin pans and blowing car horns.  We had to give them a treat of icecream.

Sylvia did not marry Roy because of our material riches for likely for the first time in her life she was in a house without running water, where you had to go through a hall to what we called the backhouse with a two-hole seat.  If she wanted to have a bath it was in a wash tub in front of the kitchen stove. 

So I honour my dear sister-in-law Sylvia who bravely came to Canada to become part of a very poor family.  As I read her obituary I was reminded of the words found in Prov. 31.  The whole chapter applies to her but I have just chosen a few verses:

“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? 
She is more precious than rubies. 
Her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life. 
She brings him good not harm all the days of her life. 
She extends a helping hand to the poor and open her arms to the needy. 
Her children stand and bless her.  Her husband praises her."

Right now I too honour her and will miss her excited voice as she calls, “Roy, it is Don on the phone”  May God bless you all.  I love you.