GORE BAY—Myrtle Marknette, a resident of the Manitoulin Lodge Nursing Home in Gore Bay is one person that makes a different in the lives of other residents and the Lodge itself.
At the June Days celebrations held at Manitoulin Lodge on June 16, Gloria Hall (life enrichment coordinator) at the Lodge told the large gathering on hand for the barbecue, bake sale and musical entertainment, “Every year we are asked to choose a resident for the Making a Difference Award. This is a very hard decision as most residents make a difference in their own way.”
“This year our resident was born on October 7, 1936, on a family farm in West Bend, Saskatchewan. She is the 11th child in a family of 13. She is none other than Myrtle Marknette,” said Ms. Hall. “Myrtle went to school in Horse Lake, Saskatchewan. She has had many jobs over the years. She worked for McLeods, Yorktown then transferred to Brandon, Manitoba. In 1956 she left for Toronto. There she worked at Agriculture Canada in the Health of Animals department in Toronto. Myrtle was in contact with Dr. Ken Tipper, whom many of you will remember, but never had the opportunity to meet him in person.”
“Myrtle met her husband in Toronto and they were married in 1960,” continued Ms. Hall. “Myrtle and Aubrey had no children but shared Robyn with Edna, her sister, and Merv. Plus, she loved all her nieces and nephews. They bought their home in Mississauga in 1973 and Myrtle went to Myrtle Beach every spring and fall. She retired at the age of 55.”
Ms. Marknette “loved to travel, making several trips to Vegas, went on three cruises to Alaska, and two to the Caribbean and also enjoyed a trip to the Holy Land,” said Ms. Hall. She explained Ms. Marknette had many hobbies including being a member of the 50s Club, the bowling league, ladies’ card club and trips to the casino. “She would make lots of trips to Manitoulin to attend family functions. Myrtle would take over to make sure everything would go smoothly.”
“Her favourite restaurant was the Mandarin, which is my favourite as well,” said Ms. Hall noting, “Myrtle was a member of the St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church.”
“After her beloved husband passed away in 2022, Myrtle moved to Manitoulin to live with her sister Edna,” said Ms. Hall. “She lived with her until she joined us in August 2022,” continued Ms. Hall. “Myrtle soon became good friends with several residents. She helps to make sure all the laundry is neatly folded. She makes several trips to check that everything is looking great.”
“Myrtle is involved in many activities and making sure other residents are aware of what is happening and where. She is very involved in resident and food council meetings and often has ideas and suggestions to share,” said Ms. Marknette.
“You can often find Myrtle sitting at the end of the hall with other residents, shooting the breeze or watching for deer,” said Ms. Hall. “And she loves to share her recipes with us, making perogies and cabbage rolls for all of us to enjoy at supper.”
“She also helps with supper club and baking, often doing up the dishes and cleaning up. Myrtle is always asking how everyone is and if there is anything she can do,” said Ms. Hall. “It gives me great pleasure to present this well-deserved Making a Difference Award to Myrtle Marknette.”
