It is with deep sorrow and sadness that we share the life of our mother, Muriel Cecile Joyce Bear.  Everyone knew her as Joyce.

Mom was born on April 30, 1938, on Muskoday First Nation (formerly John Smith Reserve) to Ingram and Sarah (Folster) Bear.  She was the second oldest of the kids (older brother Billy and younger brother Chester).  She went to school at the Day School on the reserve up to Grade 8.  Her younger life was spent helping Granny around the farmyard and playing with her cousins Ruby, Margaret and Julia.

In 1954, she met Mervin John Bear who was back from serving with the Canadian Army in Korea and they were married on September 26, 1955, on Muskoday.  Randy was born in 1956 and they lived on the reserve until 1958, when dad re-enlisted in the Canadian Army.  They moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where Bryan was born in 1959. They lived there until 1961, when they moved back to Muskoday and built their house up on the hill atop River Lot 55, not far from Granny and Grampa’s place.  Dad started farming and mom supported him by raising chickens, keeping a garden and raising the family with no running water or inside plumbing.  Norma was born in 1963 and Dean three years later and mom continued to do what she could to raise the family on a shoestring budget.  Times were tough but she never complained.  She did a lot of canning of jams and jelly and freezing of vegetables to ensure there was always something good on the table.

The family moved a half mile west in 1975 into a new house with running water, which made mom’s duties so much easier.  It was at the new house where mom’s green thumb flourished as she could grow a bigger garden and flowers galore to make it a real home.  Mom’s penchant for gardening won her numerous awards from the Saskatchewan Indian Agriculture Program in the 1980s which she was very proud of.

Mom loved country and western music and some of her favorite artists were Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Freddy Fender.  She would often list to music while sewing which she became very good at it as she often made her own clothes.  Mom was an avid curler and could be found most weekends at the Muskoday Curling Rink in the 1970s.  She won a few bonspiels in Muskoday and area and continued to curl until she was 71.  Her other interests included bowling, playing bingo and volunteering with the Anglican Church Women’s Auxiliary.

After the kids left the farm, mom and dad began travelling and she enjoyed trips to Texas, Mexico, Costa Rica and Alaska.  But as much as she loved to travel, she loved being at the farm and continuing to garden and beautify the yard with flowers.

Mom’s health began to deteriorate and spent her last years at nursing homes in Big River, the Herb Basset home in Prince Albert and Birchview Nursing home in Birch Hills.  She loved fiddle music and would often talk about daddy (Grandpa Ingram).  Dad passed away in January 2024 but now they are together again for eternity.

A Prayer service  for Muriel will be on Thursday August 8, 2024 @ 7:00PM. The funeral service for Muriel will be on Friday August 9, 2024 2:00PM. Bothe services will be held at the Muskoday Band Hall Muskoday, SK.

• Date : 2024-08-07
• Location : Muskoday, SK