Dolores Mary Elgert (nee Keller)
With family by her side, Dolores Elgert passed away very peacefully in the Portage District General Hospital at the age of 91 years.
She was predeceased by her parents Mary and Fred Keller of Winnipeg and her husband of 53 years Barry Elgert. Dolores will be lovingly remembered by her two siblings Don Keller (Barb) and Marlene Johnson; daughter Dawn Davis of Portage la Prairie, granddaughter Hilary Davis (Tim); daughter Heather Braund of Calgary, grandsons Tucker Braund (Jamie) and Brady Braund (Magda); son Ian Elgert (Anita) of Portage la Prairie, grandchildren Travis Giavedoni (Regan), Melissa Kintzler (Brandon) and Alicia Carr (Jess); great grandchildren Knox and Stevee Kintzler, Cruz Hindle Giavedoni and James Carr; along with many close extended family and friends.
Dolores grew up in Winnipeg, in North Kildonan, in a loving household, with her younger brother and sister. Her parents were very close and they spent a lot of time with their kids. They shared a strong Christian faith and attended church every Sunday. After Dolores graduated from high school, she entered the Psych Nursing program at (what is now known as) the Manitoba Developmental Centre in Portage la Prairie, graduating in 1953. While in school in Portage, she was introduced to Barry Elgert through friends. Dolores and Barry hit it off and soon married in 1955, eventually having three children.
Throughout Dolores lifetime, she had many passions and was very creative. Her strongest was her love of gardening. Dolores spent many hours tending her many flower beds and massive vegetable garden every year. She designed and laid out elaborate beds and flower borders at her various homes, on first on Yellowquill Drive, later on at their home on the farm in Macdonald, and in her senior years on Wilkinson Crescent and her condo in Mellonville. Where ever she’s resided, her gardens always produced a dazzling display of flowers and greenery throughout the growing season. As many friends and family members can attest, it was common to see Dolores out in the garden in 30 degree heat, in the rain and even after dark with a flashlight in one hand and an armful of corn in the other. Dolores was a long time member of the Portage Horticultural Society, a judge and coordinator with the junior gardeners club and she received many awards and recognitions for her efforts and many entries in the annual horticultural fair. Although very humble in her gardening pursuits, she was always happy to give advice on any number of horticultural subjects, or share a few root cuttings, to anyone who asked.
Another strong interest Dolores explored was her love of art and music. In her early married life she belonged to the Allied Arts group in Portage. She was mainly interested in pottery but also did some works in clay sculpture and painting. Many of her beautiful works remain with close friends and family and are deeply cherished. Dolores had a keen and varied taste in music and theatre, as well. She held seasons tickets with the local Glesby Centre for their events and concerts for many years and always had music playing in the house while she was going through her day.
Dolores and Barry were avid travelers, beginning with short winter trips to Hawaii and the Carribean in the early days, summer camping adventures with the kids and, later, exploring the far reaches of Canada and northern Manitoba. In their fifties, they settled into desert living in Phoenix, AR during the cold winter months and returned for many years until Barrys health began to decline. Dolores loved the outdoors and joined a hiking club that took her through many of the mountains, river gorges and upland forests of the area. Even into her seventies, Dolores was still going on challenging hikes that weren’t for the faint of heart, including a multi-day adventure into the Grand Canyon.
Along with her other many talents, Dolores was also a dedicated farm wife, always trying to lighten the load or reduce the stress for her busy farming husband. She wouldn’t think to bother him with a household chore or repair, but rather rolled up her sleeves and attacked the task herself. She was also a talented cook and produced elaborate three course meals for everyone, daily, during the season. As a widower in her 80s, Dolores took the Palliative Care course and volunteered at the hospital and care homes, visiting ailing seniors and providing end-of-life companionship for families and their dying loved ones. Dolores was always ready to give to others and she touched many hearts as a result.
It would be remiss not to mention Dolores’ lifelong commitment to her Christian faith. Although very devout in her own religion, she was always very respectful of the varied beliefs of others. From youth groups and church camps in her teen years to her decades long dedication to Redeemer Lutheran church in Portage, Dolores’ commitment to God was absolute. She loved teaching Sunday school and taught classes at vacation bible school every summer. She sang in the church choir and often read lessons for church services. Dolores always had a pot of stew for pot luck dinners and sometimes picked up congregation members for a ride to church or bible study. For years, she maintained the flower beds around the church yard, planting impatiens and other annuals to brighten up the borders. Every summer, Dolores would bring cut flowers from her garden to decorate the altar before Sunday services and always looked after the communion ware so it was clean and sparkling. Never known to have any fears of any kind throughout her life, Dolores was caught once standing on a tall ladder changing a lightbulb in the church… in her eighties!
Dolores affected many of those she came into contact with throughout her life for the better. She always took the time to talk to individuals and see how someone was doing, even if it was a telemarketer having a bad day. She maintained a positive outlook and was kind, generous, supportive and selfless. A close friend mentioned that even on her birthday, she was often busy doing something for someone else. In recent times, as age related dementia started to take hold, Dolores remained kind, gentle and understanding in her time at Lions Manor care home and endeared many of the staff who worked closely with her. She even managed to maintain her quirky sense of humour, long after she knew or cared what day it was. Dolores will be sadly missed by her many friends and family.
A celebration of Dolores’ life will be held at McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 2:00 pm, led by Pastor Edmond Mielke of Redeemer Lutheran Church. Private interment will take place at Hillside Cemetery. The service will be live streamed, to register and view visit Dolores’ obituary page on our website listed below.
As expressions of sympathy, donations may be made in Dolores’ memory to Lions Prairie Manor Foundation Inc, 24 - 9th Street NE, Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 3V4 or the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 20 – 12th Street NW, Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 2S7.
A tree will be planted in memory and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel. www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com