Anna Catherine (Edwards) Warren was born August 9, 1926 and died October 10, 2022 after a brief illness. Catherine was the gift child to remarried widowed parents, Annie (Cavanaugh Greenwood) Edwards and Charlie Edwards of Landis. Catherine often spoke of how she was doted on by her parents and much older siblings: Arthur and Colin (father Stanley Greenwood); Bill, Earl, Lloyd, and Phyllis Edwards (mother Magdalene Sims Crayk).

Catherine was predeceased by her entire birth family and her husband of 60 years, Lloyd Warren, and Greatgrandchild infant Wyatt. She is survived by DAUGHTERS Rayna (John deceased) Strokin (Saskatchewan) and Valerie (Brian) Aubichon (Yukon); GRANDCHILDREN Laurianne Strokin Bencharski and Ryan, Tynan, and Orlanna (Ben Harper) Aubichon. GREAT GRANDCHILDREN Brendan and Brittney Bencharski (Sk), Brooklyn Charron Aubichon (Yukon), and her beloved little twins Violet and Faith Aubichon (Nanaimo); and cousins, nieces and nephews from the Edwards and Warren families.

Right from grade 12 graduation, she began work at CIBC Landis. The next summer at nearly 18, she became a wife and mixed farm partner. Not long after moving to the Palo farm, she was relieved to get power installed which gave blessed lights and water available across the yard to pump and carry. Each week, one day was kids’ day – pancakes for supper – as the washing machine was rolled into the kitchen to launder and hang clothes outside to dry.  In addition to raising children and helping two sets of older parents, homemade meals three times a day always including beautiful creative desserts and homemade bread/buns, raising poultry, bottle feeding various needy calves and lambs, tending a big garden to preserve to last over winter, farm bookkeeping, bills, crop planning, truck runner for food, parts, seeding and harvesting, she ran the Palo post office and worked as a telephone switchboard operator in Landis. In the late 60’s with a move to Landis, Catherine went back working with CIBC where she stayed through her retirement. Her constant handwork always included several in-process projects at once; sewing clothes for herself and her girls, oil painting, crochet, hardanger and Brazilian embroidery, tatting, wheat weaving, work with the local and provincial needlework guilds. In the winter, there was more time for records, tv and books. On the Island in later years, she continued her passion for making piles of projects with cloth, paper, glue, crayons, paints, forts with the little twins as she did with her grandchildren before them. She also continued to crochet and knit for Hospice, and enjoyed taking regular tai chi and yoga. She thrived through regular lively debates and analysis of politics and football, endured by many but sadly missed by her grandson and friend, Ryan. Catherine stayed fit and active throughout her life. She loved handmade coats, and coordinated interesting outfits and jewellery just as carefully all her life.

Catherine’s love and loyalty spanned from dear friends from Landis grade school, Palo district farming the Warren homestead, and Pinwherry district where in the early 80’s she and Lloyd built their new and happy house for two on her mother’s Greenwood homestead. A few years after Lloyd’s death at age 80, she began to winter in Nanaimo. For the past decade, she lived in Nanaimo, most recently in an assisted living apartment where she met and charmed neighbours and some close friends with her signature quick wit and teasing sharp tongue as much as we all did. She continued lifetime conversations with long phone calls to feel connected to the people she cared about. She was thrilled to have regular Prairie visitors to Nanaimo, and also spirited dinners and laughs about the past with her nephews Bryce (Vivian) and Scot (Marianne) Warren. Catherine’s deep connections extended to a legion of loved dogs and cats over the years up to the present feeding and taming of a street punk cat who allowed petting and holding only from her.
Thank you all from Catherine’s family for the cards, calls and recalled memories. It’s much appreciated. At her request, Catherine chose cremation in Nanaimo with no service until family privately intern her ashes at a future date.