Frances Margaret McCarthy
December 29, 1919 - January 2, 2025
As published in the January 13, 2025 World-Spectator
Frances Margaret McCarthy passed away peacefully on January 2, 2025, at Cobblestone House in Moosomin, surrounded by her loving family while ‘In The Garden,’ ‘The Old Rugged Cross’ and ‘Amazing Grace’ played softly in the background. Frances had turned 105 on December 29, 2024.
There will be a celebration of life on the farm in the summer at her request.
In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made to Moosomin Integrated Health Care Centre for a CT scanner.
Frances was born to Thomas Roe Fry and Rosa Gertrude Wells of the Spring Creek District. She was one of four children: Irene, Frances, Fisher, and Bill. She recalls her childhood years as happy, and herself as a much-loved and well-cared-for child. Alas, her carefree childhood on the farm was to end abruptly when her beloved mother passed away. Frances remembers climbing a hill to pick purple flowers to make her mother feel better during her illness.
Frances was twelve when she lost her mother, but Rosa had taught her girls well, and Frances and Irene took care of the household, and their two younger brothers from that day on. The girls continued to clean the house ‘from top to bottom’ on Saturday so that it would be clean for Sunday.
By all accounts, Tommy Fry was a good and kind man. Frances always said that she wanted to be like her Dad, who had died peacefully in his sleep. Her wish was granted.
Frances married John McCarthy in 1945 at St. Andrew’s Church, Wapella. They lived on the McCarthy farm all of their lives. John was a very social person; he and Frances loved to dance with their group of friends every weekend in Moosomin and the surrounding areas.
They also enjoyed playing cards with family and friends. In 1983 Brian and Sharon moved to the farm, and it became Spring Creek Simmentals. This enabled Frances to continue to live there after John died, until she decided at 103 that she should move to Cobblestone House to be cared for.
John and Frances had four children: Joan (Alan); Brian (Sharon); Rosemary (Werner); and Tim (Kathy). Frances was devoted to her children throughout their lives, and they were equally devoted to her.
She had a genuine, loving relationship with her seven grandchildren and many great-grandchildren: Andrea (Mark) and their two daughters; Brian (Zora) and their two sons; Dan (Olga) and their four children; Sean (Simina) and their two sons; Lauren (Charlie) and their daughter; as well as Drew, and Devin (Carly) and their daughter.
Frances loved to have long, leisurely conversations with each of them. The whole family enjoyed eating at Grandma’s house, where the food was grown in her garden and served on her table, fresh in the summer, and preserved in the winter.
Frances had a strong work ethic, a remarkable calmness, an acceptance of the way things were, and a great deal of common sense. She accepted her lot in life and put a great deal of thought into doing the right thing.
When she had done her work for the day, you would find her at her dining room table with her well-used dictionary, doing crossword puzzles. She often sat at her piano and played old favourites, or she might go out and push mow a few acres of lawn. Her vegetable garden was a weed-free work of art. Brian estimates that she grew eighty gardens in her lifetime.
Frances enjoyed watching political shows on TV and could give you a reasoned opinion on any subject in the news. A couple of days before she passed, she asked Brian and Tim if “Trudeau had taken his walk in the snow yet.” They shared a chuckle over that. Sean bought her a computer because he knew she was game for anything. They eventually replaced it with an iPad, on which she played endless games of Solitaire and Sudoku and was able to Facetime with all.
Frances lived on the farm with Brian and Sharon, Dan, Sean and Lauren, in her own farmhouse.
Brian recalls that his Mom helped out on the farm in every way she could. She was a traditional farm wife in the best sense of the word. Her children and grandchildren came and went. She would make a rhubarb pie for Tim and Kathy. Dan’s favourite was her Banana Cream Pie, and all the kids loved her Tapioca Pudding. Rosemary would bring Andrea and Brian every summer, and she and her mom would share fresh tomato sandwiches from the garden. Drew and Devin would join in the fun with the others. And Joan and Alan would come from Winnipeg with their camper in tow.
Frances and Rosemary travelled a lot together over the years: Germany, Alaska, Hawaii, England, Scotland, Ireland, parts of Europe (the Vatican, St. Peters Basilica, and a gondola ride in Venice). In Ireland they saw ‘granddad’s farm home’ which he had left in 1889.
Imagine a summer scene in which a big red wagon, pulled by a Honda four-wheeler, with a colorful striped sheet flying from four broom handles, flies by Grandma’s house. A twin mattress softened the box of the wagon, which was full of the young cousins with glowing, suntanned faces. Oh, look, there it goes again! And there’s Grandma’s face looking out the window! Rosemary is taking pictures and rolling videos as the delighted cousins are having the time of their lives. Grandma did a lot of ‘surveillance work’ on the farm, telling her grandkids to slow down.
There is so much to share. One hundred and five years have flown by, to be marked from this time forward by lively memories and quiet times spent in her presence. Frances led what could be called a simple life, but it was a life abundant in what truly mattered. We are all better people for having known her.
Carscadden Funeral Chapels—Moosomin in care of arrangements.
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