Lachance, Anita
Anita was born on July 29th, 1951, the third daughter of Eunice Jorgensen and the late Harold Jorgensen. She was raised on her family’s farm near Regina, Saskatchewan. She met Joseph Lachance in 1968 and he convinced her to marry him a few years later. They welcomed a son, James, to their family, then moved to the community of Paxson, Alberta, where Joe’s family resided. Shortly thereafter, they had a daughter, Leah. Early in her life, it became apparent that Anita was more inclined to be her dad’s sidekick on the farm than to do household chores. She’d rather shovel out a stall than dust a shelf any day of the week! She became involved in 4H at a young age, and the love she had for animals carried with her throughout her life. Some of her most cherished childhood memories had been of favourite 4H steers, working on the farm with her dad, and spending time with her lifelong friend Dorothy Anne. She was hired as a veterinary assistant at 17 years of age and devoted her entire working life to that profession. She never shied away from hard work. The only thing that was more important to her than her animals were the people in her life. She valued her friendships very highly and loved her family fiercely. She had said all she’d ever wanted to be was a mom, but that abruptly changed when she became a Grandma. She was never the frail little grandmotherly type...she had colourful language and wore worn-out denim and plaid with kleenex stuffed in every pocket, but she’d bake each of her grandkids their favourite goodies throughout the year, and hug them and love them just the same. She passed along her ‘stubborn’ gene to both of her kids, and all of her grandkids. She also passed along her love of laughter, her care for animals, her enjoyment in growing and nurturing things, her inclination to pick up shiny rocks and carry them in her pocket, and her ability to find worth in the small things simply because they brought her happiness. Anita’s strength was a quality that carried her through many challenges over the years. She was as tough as they come, but she had her limits, and eventually, she got too tired to fight any more.
On Friday, April 10th, with her son James, daughter Leah, and granddaughter Emily at her side, she took her last breath.
Anita is survived by her mother Eunice; her son James; daughter Leah; daughter by marriage Claudette; son by marriage Marty; grandchildren Emily, Stephen, Joseph, Javan, Farrah, Kendra, and Halen; siblings Sandra, Karen, and Mick, and their families; and numerous other relatives and friends.
She is predeceased by her husband Joseph, father Harold, and parents in law Margaret and Fred. Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family by visiting westlockfuneralhome.com.
Westlock Funeral Home & Crematorium Ltd. 780-349-3474.
