Jeanette Ethel Mobbs (nee Pratt)
Posted Oct 3, 2023 | 1:49 PM
April 17, 1931 – September 25, 2023
Jeanette was born in the Kamloops hospital and grew up on the Pratt family farm in Barnhartvale. She was no stranger to hard work feeding and milking cows, gardening, canning and the usual farm chores of the day. Her sister Lauretta taught her the piano, and she remained a musician most of her life. She loved to sing the old country songs.
She left school early to work at the Greyhound bus depot in Kamloops with sister Lauretta. She worked in fruit packing houses and later worked at the Ace High Lodge on Watch Lake. There she met a local cowboy Walter Mobbs, of the neighboring Watch Lake Lodge, who came riding through the lodge grounds waving a snake to tease the girls.
Jeanette and Walter married in December, 1949 and spent their first winter feeding cattle on a ranch. Jeanette had to shoot a bear on one occasion that winter. It was a memorable time for Jeanette who often spoke of those days and friends at Watch Lake.
In 1956, they bought a farm at Westwold and raised their 4 children there. Money was sometimes slim in the early years. There were no expectations of presents for Christmas, but they always appeared. There was always plenty of food and life was filled with many blessings. They built a new house and the farm was expanded and made very productive over the years.
Jeanette was active in the community, involved in the Women’s Institute, the Westwold Fall Fair, and the Legion. There are fond memories of strawberry socials, dances, preserves and pies judged at the fair. Jeanette was often called on to decorate wedding cakes and to make costumes for the plays.
Jeanette always kept a full cool room of canned fruit, vegetables, chicken and moosemeat. Christmas cakes and pudding were made up early. For many years they had a Christmas tree farm, and also looked after the Monte Lake government campsite.
Later they moved to Falkland and Jeanette’s great joy was sewing and crafts. Grandkids would often get clothing or a hand sewn doll for presents. She had the latest machines, and had file cabinets full of patterns for children’s clothes, dresses, and barbie dolls.
Her final years were at Pleasant Valley Manor in Armstrong where the staff often reported that they would go and sit with Jeanette when they were having a hard moment at work. Her giggle was infectious. We give thanks for the loving care Jeanette received there.
Jeanette is survived by her 4 children: John (Jennifer), Wineva (Frank), David (Barbara), and Marion (Shawn), and by 12 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great granddaughter. She was predeceased by her parents Raymond (Bert) Pratt and Jane Pratt, sisters Mayme and Lauretta, and by her husband Walter Mobbs.
A funeral will be held on October 21 at 1pm at the Falkland Community Church.