March 16, 1924 – February 25, 2012

Evelyn (Sandness) Birkland

BIRKLAND, Evelyn late of Prince Albert, passed away at the Pineview Terrace Nursing Home on February 25, 2012 at the age of 87 years. She was born in Prince Albert on March 16, 1924 to Ole and Thea Sandness of Weldon, SK. She attended Roosevelt School north of Weldon for Grades 1 – 10, and completed grades 11 and 12 at Weldon School. She attended Saskatoon Normal School from September 1942 to February 1943. There was a great shortage of teachers at that time, as many were away serving in the armed forces. For this reason Evelyn earned her Interim Certificate without completing the whole term and accepted a position to teach in the Resolute School District near Spiritwood. She was only 19 years old and took on the huge responsibility of teaching 40 students! In the fall of 1944 she transferred to the Iranistan School, northeast of Birch Hills. That fall she met Chris Birkland and they were married October 7, 1945. They farmed side by side on their farm for 36 years and in 1981 they retired to Prince Albert. Their retirement years were filled with visits by children, grandchildren and friends. Evelyn and Chris were blessed with four children: daughter Judy (Borden) Wasyluk & their family: Jackie Wasyluk (Ryan Yarush) and Lennon, Terry (Marlene) Wasyluk & Brett, Brendan, Madison & Samantha, Stacey (Dean) Smith & Hailey and Meaghan; son David (Wendy) Birkland & their family: Tyler Birkland and Carla Birkland; son Danny (Carroll) Birkland & their family: Jennifer (Mark) Dalton & Isaiah, Clayton (Lisa) Birkland & Levi and Melissa Birkland, and son Kelly (Connie) Birkland & their family: Kyle Birkland, Aaron Birkland & Anakin, Luke Birkland, Kimberly Sochaski and Shawn Sochaski. She is also survived by her brother Gilford Sandness of Toronto and her sister Bernice Silde of Prince Albert as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Evelyn was predeceased by her mother Thea Sandness in 1963, her father Ole Sandness in 1980, her husband Chris Birkland in 2003, her daughter Judy Wasyluk in 1990, as well as a stillborn baby boy Ronald in 1948 and an infant great-grandson Troy Wasyluk in 2006. Mom’s journey with us is over, but she has embarked on a far greater one. A ship sails and we stand watching till she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says she is gone. Gone Where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large now as when I last saw her. Her diminished size and total loss from my sight is in me, not in her. And just at that moment, when someone at my side says she is gone, there are others who are watching her coming over their horizon and other voices take up the glad shout: There she comes! Life is a horizon and death is just the limit of our sight. A Funeral Service for Evelyn will be Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 7:00 pm, Crossroads Pentecostal Church, 1510 Olive Diefenbaker Dr., Prince Albert, SK, with Pastor Ches Jacobs as officiant. Arrangements in care of Northern Funeral Service, MacKenzie Chapel. Brian and Bev Stobbs, Funeral Directors. 306.763.8488 www.northernfuneralservice.ca

• Date : 2012-02-25 06:00:00