Mary Irwin

The funeral service will be live streamed on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 11:00 am (central time), please click to register and view the service. https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=72c5ac32-7354-473e-aca4-3615211e4b5f

Mary Irwin from Elie, Manitoba, having lived most of her life in Portage la Prairie, passed away at the age of 77 after a sudden brain hemorrhage on Monday, February 7, 2022 with her husband Jim and family by her side.

Mary was born on April 3, 1944 to Rev. Moses and Salema (Brubacher) Baer in Waterloo County, Ontario. After Mary graduated from Waterloo Oxford District High School in 1961, she went on to become a teacher in northwestern Ontario. She had three children, Charles, Cindy and Maria Morrison, whom she unconditionally loved and supported. She embraced the challenges and adversities of raising them as a single mother and always kept the extended Morrison family dear to her heart.

She spent the majority of her teaching career from 1972 in the Portage la Prairie School Board on Hutterite colonies and enjoyed teaching English to the German speaking children in all subjects from grade 1 -8 in a one room school. The Christmas concerts that she put on were talked about all year. She retired in 1999.

In 1991, Mary married Jim Irwin in Reno, Nevado and called Westbourne home for many years until they moved to Elie in 2016. Her love of travel led her on many adventures from Hawaii, Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Florida, Arizona, California, Osoyoos, BC, Watrous, SK and all the places in between. She chronicled her adventures with many candid photos labeled each year in albums which she proudly showcased regularly..

Mary was passionate about her Christian faith and sharing her life story and testimony to women and offering friendship to all she met. In her later years, she found joy in sewing hundreds of baby blankets for the women’s shelter in Portage. Quilting was more than a hobby for Mary, and she lovingly created one-of-a-kind quilts for each child and grandchild. When she wasn’t sewing, reading, gardening, singing or playing the piano, she could be found putting together puzzles, teaching the great-grandchildren their times tables or practicing flashcards. She had a gift for making each person she met feel special, included and at home. She was the Baer family historian, reunion planner and could tell genealogy tales back for generations.

Mary was predeceased by her mother and father, Moses and Salema Baer, her brother John, and her children’s father.  She is survived by her husband Jim Irwin  of Elie, son Charles Morrison (Sharon) of Portage, daughter Cindy Morrison of Winnipeg, daughter Maria Morrison of Winnipeg, sisters Martha Msuya of Tanzania, Rachel Miller of Oregon, Elizabeth (Vernon) Birky of Montana, brothers David (Marge) Baer of London, On., Peter (Evelyn) Baer of California. Mary’s grandchildren: Jonathan Petkau (Crystal), Joshua Petkau, Rachel Petkau, Allison Ouellette, Ashley Morrison, Lucas King, Talia Morrison. Her great-grandchildren: Austin, Annika, Kai, Brinley, Alora, Elliotte. Her special cousins and extended family near and far are too numerous to name but if they have the last name Baer, they are sure to miss her dearly.

A public visitation will be held at McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba on Friday, February 11, 2022 from 6 pm to 8 pm. A private family funeral service will be held with burial to follow at the Westbourne Cemetery.  The funeral service will be live streamed please click here to register and view. https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=72c5ac32-7354-473e-aca4-3615211e4b5f

If friends so desire, donations in Mary's memory may be made to Compassion Canada, PO Box 5591, London ON, N6A 5G8.

A tree will be planted in memory and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel.  www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com