Aldina Theresa Gelinas

     Aldina Gelinas was born on November 4, 1936 in North Battleford, SK.  Aldina’s parents were hearing impaired and could only communicate by sign language. At age 5, the teacher at Wing School contacted Aldina’s parents to tell them Aldina needed to come to school so she could learn to talk. He father took her to school daily by horse and sleigh and that is where she learned to speak. Her neighbour, Dorean Belland, was her best friend and protected her at school so nobody would bully her.  Aldina was a hard worker. She learned to operate the farm with the help of the hired man. She helped harvest the crop and drove a 2 ton truck hauling grain to the elevators in Vawn and Meota. At age 18, she was a nurse’s aid at the Battlefords Union Hospital. In 1955, at the age of 19, she married the love of her life, Joseph Gelinas, at Jackfish Catholic Church.  At the beginning of their marriage Joseph was a farm hand and  they moved around to different places in Saskatchewan. Their first daughter, Kathy, was born in July 1956 in North Battleford; their second child, a son, Eugene, was born in Edam in January 1959. Joseph began working for CN Rail from 1957 to 1968. He was away from home a lot and Aldina raised the children. Their youngest daughter, Pauline, was born in August 1966, in Lashburn.
In 1968, Joseph and Aldina purchased the Hotel in Vawn, SK. from Joseph's father, Arthor Gelinas, which they ran together for 23 years, bartending, renting rooms, serving meals, and they even added a small grocery store in the mid 1970's. Many people will remember the good times in the old Vawn Hotel. In 1985, they purchased Fairholme Hotel.   Once a month they had live music on a weekend, with musicians coming from all over Alberta and Saskatchewan to play music.  Aldina would cook up a whole buffet for everyone to eat. Many people greatly enjoyed Aldina’s cooking. Once again, good times were had eating, dancing, playing shuffleboard, having card tournaments and consuming beverages. Both hotels were sold in 1991, and Joseph and Aldina moved to Turtle Lake to enjoy their  retirement. Together they enjoyed picking berries, gardening, canning, pickling, fishing, camping, and live music venues, with Batoche days being a favourite. Aldina loved the company of her children, and especially her grandchildren. Everyone was always welcome at Joseph and Aldina’s home. Unfortunately, Aldina moved to St. Walburg on April 21, 2021 due to severe advancing dementia. She passed away peacefully August 1, 2021.
       She is predeceased by:  her parents, Louis and Blanche Amirault; and her brother, Emile Amirault (Feb. 14, 2019).
     Aldina is survived by: her loving husband of 66 years, Joseph; her son, Eugene (Daphne) and their children, Crystal (Mike), Camryn, Alexa, Kayla and her daughter, Harper, and Dustin, all of Regina; her daughters, Kathleen (Wally) of Glaslyn, and their son, Mitchell of Calgary, Pauline of Calgary and her son, Joey (Hannah) of Saskatoon, and her daughter, Amber of Vancouver.

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