ROTTENFUSSER, Jenny Mabel
November 11, 1917 - Delburne, Alberta
May 18, 2017 - Calgary, Alberta
Jenny Mabel Rottenfusser (Rude) passed away quietly on May 18, 2017 surrounded by family. She was born in 1917 in a log cabin in central Alberta with the help of a mid-wife. The family always celebrated her birthday on December 11, but her birth certificate said November 11. Mother never minded as when she hit 65 it let her retire a month early. When she was 5 the family moved by horse and wagon to DeWinton so her father could work hauling pipe to Turner Valley. She remembered being awakened after dark as they camped somewhere near Calgary so her mother could show her and her sister the bright lights in the distance. Jenny grew up in a log house in the Great Bend District east of Delburne. As a teenager she drove the school bus, wagon in the summer and sleigh in the winter, staying with each farm family in turn as she helped them work off their school taxes. This enabled her to continue her schooling through the eleventh grade which was as high as the local school went. She trained to be a hair dresser in Stettler and then bought the beauty salon in Alix, which she ran for five years. She met Albert Rottenfusser on a blind date when he was home on leave from the Canadian Air Force. They were married on January 12, 1947. They farmed near Alix, Alberta and had two children, Brian and Wanda. After Albert passed away in 1966, Jenny and Wanda stayed on the farm for one more year to enable Wanda to finish high school. Then they moved to Calgary to join Brian. Jenny worked at various jobs before taking Short Order Cooking at SAIT. The instructors were so impressed with her that upon graduation they hired her to work with them and the cooking students. She worked in Food Services at SAIT until she retired. Jenny enjoyed many interests and handicrafts. She travelled widely around North America, especially after she retired, as long as she could find a friend willing to travel with her. There were many stories of her car and bus trips. She also made two trips to Norway, the land of her father, to meet some of her first cousins. She was the family photographer. Her youth, time in the Beauty Salon, and on the farm, were documented on a WWI vintage box camera. She was famous for hauling the camera out at all gatherings, wedding, picnic or funeral. Colour film cameras came later, but she continued to take photographs. However, most of all, she was known for her beautiful quilts. These treasures were given for weddings, 50th anniversaries, special occasions and sometimes just because you were related. She continued to hand quilt each one until she was well into her eighties and her hands began to stiffen. Then the family bought her a quilting machine. The patterns became simpler as she aged, but with the machine she became a little quilt making factory. Instead of 4 quilts per year done by hand, she started to produce dozens. Quilts were donated to school fundraisers. The circle of relatives receiving quilts became wider. Family headed off on a trip would be tasked with delivering quilts to a distant batch of relatives. Anyone remotely related was in line for a beautiful quilt but she always refused to sell them. Jenny is survived by one son, Brian (Donna), one daughter Wanda (Rick), two grandsons, David (Erin) and Michael, one brother Stuart (Sharen) and numerous nieces and nephews. Jenny was predeceased by her husband Albert, one sister Olga Larsen, four brothers Ivan, Nels, Carl and Gordon Rude, and by two granddaughters Karen and Diane Rottenfusser. A memorial service will be held at 10:00am on Friday, May 26 at McInnis & Holloway Crowfoot Chapel, 82 Crowfoot Circle N.W. Reception to follow at the funeral home. A graveside service will be held at the Alix Cemetery at 3:30pm on May 26 to be followed by a time for memories. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the cancer charity of your choice as Jenny was a long time cancer survivor who participated in follow up research studies for many years. We would like to thank the caregivers from Home Instead who provided wonderful companion care and support for Mother over the last year.
In living memory of Jenny Rottenfusser,
a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by
McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES,
Crowfoot, 82 CROWFOOT CIRCLE N.W.
Telephone: 1-800-661-1599.