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Lynn Nieman was born at the St. Boniface Hospital, trained as a nurse there, had her children there, and she died there on March 9.
Throughout those milestones, she was known for her voice and love of music.
Lynn, who was 86 when she died, realized early in life that she had a gift for singing.
She sang with the Eaton’s Good Deed Radio Club, won many trophies at the Manitoba Music Festival, and became the soloist at St. John Brebeuf Church.
Singing was also how Lynn ended up marrying her husband. She met Duane at a dance in West Hawk Lake — but it was only after he joined her church choir that, as her family says, “he found the way to her heart.”
The couple married in 1960 and soon four children came along.
But the busyness of family life didn’t see Lynn give up music — far from it. She performed on CBC shows and productions at the Hollow Mug Dinner Theatre.
Lynn also directed choirs at her alma mater St. Mary’s Academy and sang with both Manitoba Opera’s chorus and the Winnipeg Philharmonic. She served as president of the Women’s Musical Club and the Women’s Canadian Club, and she was active in the Junior League.
As if that weren’t enough, Lynn also sold real estate, taught charm school and modelled professionaly.
Her love of music continued after she and Duane retired and began wintering in Tuscon. The couple produced annual fundraising concert events to raise money for the Arizona Cerebral Palsy Association, raising thousands of dollars and earning a volunteer of the year award.
Lynn is survived by her husband , three daughters, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son and a granddaughter.
Read more about Lynn.
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How They Lived
Lucien Loiselle was a pillar in the local French community.
Lucien, who was 85 when he died on March 14, worked as a teacher at École Précieux-Sang, Collège Louis Riel, and Collège secondaire de Saint-Boniface, then served as assistant director of the Centre de services scolaire de Saint-Boniface. He later changed course, and worked in the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for more than 15 years.
In the community, Lucien was part of a group that advocated for the creation of what is now the Centre cultural franco-manitobain, and he served as its president.
Lucien was a founding member of Folklorama and the founder and coordinator of the first French-Canadian pavilion. He was general manager of the Red River Folk Ensemble, an official voyageur with the Festival du Voyageur and co-founder and president of Folklore Canada International.
He and his wife Lucienne received the Prix Riel Award, given annually by the Société de la francophonie manitobaine to Manitobans who contribute to the province’s francophone community.
Read more about Lucien.
Helen Guzman was a doctor in the Philippines before coming to Winnipeg.
Helen, who died on Dec. 20 at age 91, graduated as a doctor in 1959 and worked at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Centre before immigrating here in 1966.
In Winnipeg, she served a medical internship at the Misericordia General Hospital, then a year as a junior resident physician at St. Boniface Hospital’s radiology department, before beginning her long tenure as a doctor at the Winnipeg Municipal Hospitals, now Riverview. She worked there until her retirement in the 1980s.
Read more about Helen.
Don Anderson was a psychologist who worked with people in trouble.
Don, who was 78 when he died on Feb. 10, graduated university with a psychology major and worked for a couple of years as a probation and parole officer in Dauphin.
He went on to complete his master’s and doctorate in psychology, and worked as a forensic psychologist with the Youth Court, as well as seeing patients in private practice, writing forensic reports for the province’s justice system, and testifying as an expert witness at all levels of court.
Read more about Don.
Susan Bethune had an abiding interest in history, both at work and at home.
Susan, who died on Jan. 3 at 84 years of age, worked in the dean’s office at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Medicine. While there, she reorganized and computerized its archives.
Susan was also interested in her own family’s archives — she traced her ancestors back to 1567, and she went to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland to take a course in genealogical research. She travelled the world to visit relatives, libraries and archives to learn more about her family.
Read more about Susan.
A Life’s Story
Sarathadevi Joseph was a fearless adventurer whose life was defined by her faith.
Sarathadevi, known as Saratha, was a Hindu by birth, but converted to Catholicism as a teenager. She left home when she was a young woman and travelled through Asia, Europe and Africa to pursue a career in teaching.
Saratha graduated from the U of M before she began teaching. (Supplied)
She later came to Winnipeg and taught science at St. Mary’s Academy for 19 years. A bursary fund has been established in her name there.
Saratha was on the board of the Tamil Cultural Society of Manitoba and served as its president from 2009 to 2011.
Read more about her life in our weekly feature.
Until next time, I hope you continue to write your own life’s story.
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