Miriam Vera Pigott
September 24, 1911 - February 10, 2011
Vera was born at the home of Mr. & Mrs. John Grigg, Sr. in Glenbank, B.C. on September 24th, 1911. She was the fourth child of Fred and Mary Wensley of Brouse, B.C. Vera grew up on the Wensley farm in Brouse and attended the one room school situated across the road from their home. She worked hard at home helping to take care of the needs of the school teachers that boarded with them.
She also worked with her dad on the farm, driving teams of horses and helping with harnessing and shoeing alongside her Dad. At the same time she was called upon to churn quantities of butter and take care of household duties as her Mom suffered ill health. Vera learned to drive a car in her teens, which was considered a much greater feat than driving those big horses. Her driver's licence did not expire so she maintained that it was still valid to this day. Vera was always a tiny little person and most that knew her then would not have expected her to live into her 100th year.
In 1930 Vera married Ernest Pigott and they built a home on the lower section of the Wensley farm. The area was fully treed so it took several years of hard work and endurance to clear the land and turn it into a working farm. Vera and Ernie raised their four children on that farm and volumes could be written about the wonderful experiences they and their offspring enjoyed there. Over the years they raised tons of potatoes and were able to supply many of the mines working in that area. They also grew beautiful strawberries which they sold to stores and privately. Vera worked very hard in all of these endeavours, priding herself in being able to keep up with men twice her size. Except for about 6 months during WWII when the family moved to Vancouver to be near their military Dad, Vera spent her entire life on the farm until late 2010 when she moved to Halcyon House.
Vera always had a great respect for God and the Bible, and taught Sunday School when her children were young. In later years she came to recognize the Bible as more than just a book of good stories and began to appreciate it as a wonderful guide and a source of wonderful promises for the future. She was baptized as one of Jehovah Witnesses and was happy to share her hope for a paradise earth with anyone who would listen. Her hope to be resurrected to a restored paradise remained firm in her heart right to the end.
Vera passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 10th, 2011 in the Arrow Lakes Hospital in Nakusp. She was predeceased by her husband, Ernie, two sisters. Enid and Winnie and one brother Fred. She was also predeceased by her oldest son Fred, one son-in-law Bill Gordon, one grandson Jack Warren and two grandsons in law Marvin Boser and Todd Jubinville.
Vera is survived by two sons, Bud and Ernie (Angie) Pigott of Nakusp and one daughter Marie Gordon of North Saanich, B.C. Also 13 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren and 21 great great grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews.
We will all miss our Mom and Grandma very much but Vera specifically requested that there is not to be and kind of service at this time. We hope to get together with family and friends next summer to share memories and celebrate her life.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to all her spiritual Brothers and Sisters that visited her in Halcyon and to those caring workers that attended to her needs so patiently.
The Pigott and Gordon families.