Sarah Bloom  (nee Schapansky)

Sarah was a true gift, born premature on Christmas Day, December 25, 1928, the ninth child of eleven, to Jacob and Aganatha (nee Wiens) Schapansky of Hague, SK. She passed away peacefully in Prince Albert on February 9, 2021 at the age of 92 years, with her daughter Gail by her side.

Sarah spent most of her years in the Stump Lake and Canwood area. Sarah grew up in the depression and learned to work hard at an early age, both at home and, when she was old enough, went to neighbouring families in need of a “hired girl” to help out, often for board and room. As she grew into her teens, she also worked at the Rosthern Hotel as a chamber maid and later for Harvey & Mary Lohmeier at the Stump Lake Store, babysitting, cooking, cleaning, and whatever else required doing. It was here that she met her first husband, Eddie Paulson. They married in 1946 and her life as a farmer’s wife began.  In a period of 12 years, they had 6 daughters, and life, though not always easy, was happy and centered on her family and the Stump Lake community.

Sarah had a green thumb and grew lovely, huge summer gardens, filled with vegetables and always flowers. As there was no electricity until 1964, she spent the fall canning and preserving. Her Christmas dinners were something we all looked forward to as she always outdid herself. As a family, we went on many berry picking excursions, the highlight being a picnic in the forest, which she had been up most of the night preparing – fried chicken, potato salad, homemade bread and apple pie, to mention a few of the favourites. She loved to cook and the aroma of freshly baked bread often met her daughters when they arrived home from school. How many school lunches she must have packed! She was also a talented seamstress on her treadle Singer sewing machine and could create whatever her daughters wanted, often without a pattern, and often at the last minute, which meant many long, sleepless nights. A friend once mentioned that Sarah had the best-dressed girls! Her dedication as a mother and caregiver was second to none.

Eddie & Sarah moved from the farm to Canwood in 1973. Sarah kept busy babysitting, house cleaning, summers working at The Big Dipper (Bell’s Beach), baking buns for the local café and doing what she loved best, helping others where and when needed. She also cared for her grandchildren on numerous occasions and became known as “Super Grandma” when one of the boys got locked in the bathroom and at the age of 60, she took a run and flying leap, and kicked the door in!

Sarah was in her element when Ione Aiken asked her to help teach dance classes locally and in the surrounding communities for a number of years. She also loved to strum her guitar and sing.

Eddie passed away in 1985 and, in 1990, Sarah married Andrew Bloom. They had 15 years together, camping and going to local music festivals in the summer and to Arizona in the winter with other Canwood friends. They were not a couple to sit still for very long. When they weren’t traveling, they bowled, golfed, and spent evenings playing cards and board games. After Andrew passed in 2006, she developed Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disease, and spent almost 6 months in hospital. She recovered but never quite regained her robust health and moved to Prince Albert to be closer to family in 2007.

Sarah was predeceased by her first husband, Eddie Paulson (1985) and her second husband, Andrew Bloom (2005); her parents, Jacob and Aganatha Schapansky; her daughters Meridel (1967) and Paulette (2010); her granddaughter, Jill (2001); sons-in-law Brian Muller and Rob Appleby; and her 10 siblings: brothers John, Jake, Henry, Dave & Abe Schapansky; sisters Agnes Grimm, Kay Shipley, Anne Parenteau, Marge Steile, and Helen Schutte.

She leaves to cherish her memory and carry on her legacy, her 4 daughters, 13 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren:

Gerri (Dave) Simonson: sons Trevor (Dawn) and son Rhett; Derek (Lisa) and children Jack & Jana

Gail (Allan) Larson: sons Trent (Mary Ann) and daughters Abby, Jorja & Finley; Todd (Christina) and sons Lucas & Kaleb; Curtis and daughters Hailee & Ava

Sandi Appleby: sons Morgan (Kim) Buckingham and children Claire, Lily & Dane; Bradly (Laurel) Buckingham and daughters Kaysha & Emma

Patti (Kevin) Cook: son Chris (Scarlet) Dawson and children Crimson & Caber; daughters Carly Dawson and son Kaden; Danelle (Dusan) Dawson-Chovancak

Children of late daughter Paulette Paulson: daughter Heidi (Steve) Muller; sons Paul Muller and children Ross & Lizzy; Joel (Fawn) Muller and children Brian, Isabella and Markus; and Logan & Spencer, sons of late granddaughter, Jill Wall; as well as numerous nieces and nephews, and many, many friends young and old.

Mom, you will always be our sunshine, our only sunshine, making us happy when clouds are grey. I hope you know, Mom, how much we love you and miss you…

The family would like to thank the 4^th & 6^th floor medical staff at the Victoria Hospital who provided care and compassion in Mom’s final weeks.

In lieu of other tributes, memorial donations in memory of Sarah may be made to the Myasthenia Gravis Society of Canada or the Stump Lake Cemetery.

A Private Family Celebration of Sarah’s life will be held at a later date. Family and friends wishing to send online condolences are welcome to visit www.beaulacfuneralhome.com.  Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Beau “Lac” Funeral Home, Tracy-Lynn Lenchuk, Funeral Director, Prince Albert, SK 306-763-3322.

• Date : 2021-02-09
• Location : Prince Albert, SK