Judith Gilchrist

Judy was predeceased by her infant daughter Heather, her husband Sam Gilchrist, her parents Harry and Laura (Felker) Dowswell, her sisters Iona, Phyllis Scott and sister Eleanor Albert and brother Lloyd (Isabel) Dowswell and brother Howard (Jean) Dowswell, brother in-law Vern (Valerie) Gilchrist and brother in-law Marvin (Vangie) Gilchrist and grandnephew Michael Gilchrist Jr.

Judy was born in Vita MB and raised in Emerson, and spent her whole life in Emerson. From a young age she was always very active and did a lot of volunteering. Her parents always told her that “You don't need to be paid for everything you do, you can offer to help just to volunteer.” Around the age of 14 she got a ‘real’ job working at the Emerson Journal cutting and folding the papers, she also worked in all cafés in town. Judy also drove the mail truck and delivered the rural mail with her Father and Mother and she continued to drive the route after their death, until such time as when they cancelled it. She had 25 years in by then.

She was very well known in the Town of Emerson for all that she has done and we’ll get to all of that in a second, but first let me tell you about her life and the love of her life, Sam Gilchrist. She met him in 1960 when she was 17 and they soon married in 1962. They were married for 44 years and they truly lived life to the fullest. Together Sam and Judy were successful in business, owning and operating the Maple Leaf Motel and several restaurants in Emerson for more than 30 years. They travelled a great deal and went to many destination hot spots and even as far as Hong Kong and the Philippines. But let me tell you, she loved Vegas. Her pride and joy however, was her family and she had a very close relationship with her children. She was such a wonderful and loving Mother even with how incredibly busy life became, family always came first. And as you can imagine with multiple restaurants that Judy worked in, to say that she was an excellent cook would be entirely accurate! She absolutely loved putting on big festive holiday suppers or birthday parties and was the happiest when the family was all together. When Grandchildren came along, well boy oh boy, (except they were all girls) she was in her element and she loved them to the max! Same with the great grandchildren.

So now getting back to all her volunteering. As you will see, the list of her volunteering is both extensive and impressive! She was on countless committees and has had many, many. MANY honours all which led to the prestigious and distinct honour of receiving the ‘Golden Jubilee Medal’ from the Governor General on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen in 2002. Indeed a great privilege.

Yet there is so much more than what is written here. She was great at organizing and was always on the go somewhere and out and about volunteering at some of following; Emerson Curling Club, Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Order of the Royal Purple, Emerson Figure Skating club, Emerson swimming pool or you could find her working at a booth at the Morris Stampede every year. Often she would help with the town's fall supper by cooking turkeys or baking pies or sometimes both. Judy was also a member of the United Church, once again volunteering her time when ever needed and would be asked to donate sandwiches or dainties for a funeral or any other function that needed help, she was always willing to lend a hand. She was blessed with a gift of service.

Judy was presented with a Life Membership in recognition of over 20 years of volunteer services to the Emerson Curling Club where she ran the canteen and did the bonspiel banquets for the men's women's and mixed curling teams, (she was usually the first one there in the early morning and most of the time the last one to leave). Yes she loved curling, whether in person or on TV, it was just another one of her happy places.

Judy was also one of the many people who were presented with a plaque of appreciation for endless hours of volunteer work during the 1979 Flood. Many people had to work around the clock to save the town.

Judy was a Chartered member of the Order Of the Royal Purple and she went through all the chairs, working her way to the Honoured Royal Lady to which she had to decline because of her family and the business they owned. In Nov. 2001 the Legion Branch presented Judy with a medal for the ‘Year of Volunteers Award’ and engraved on back, ‘In Appreciation Emerson Branch 77.’

The local Fire Department presented ribbons to those who they believe made a difference to the town by volunteering and she was one of them. The ribbons had written on them ‘I Can Make a Difference.’