It is with great sadness that the Euler family announces the sudden passing of Wife, Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, sister, friend Juliana Rose (Julie Dreef) Euler at home on Feb. 14, 2018.
Juliana was born on June 3, 1935 in Dryden, Ontario, to John and Dora Dreef.
Mom attended Albert Street Public School, and Dryden High School, after which she worked as a telephone operator for Dryden Telephone, as well as in Toronto, where she lived for 3 years prior to returning to Dryden.
In 1959, Mom met and married her husband of 58 1/2 years, Gordon Euler. They spent 35 years owning and operating Euler’s Camp, a tourist operation on Eagle Lake near Waldhof, Ontario, with Mom putting in very long days and very short nights, managing, organizing and doing the shopping, cooking, meal service, cleaning of cabins, laundry, customer service, chasing bears out of camp, and everything else!
Mom worked very hard all her life, and long before it was fashionable for women, combined the cares of work and home to the best of her ability, considering she lived where she worked. In those early years, Mom spent her winters recovering from the summer rush.
As a young woman, for recreation, Juliana loved bowling, but developed a love for curling, playing cards, her bridge club, the Dryden Entertainment series, and any other event or activity that would add culture and stretch her mind. She even tried downhill and cross-country skiing, until her friend broke a leg.
In her 40’s, moved by Terry Fox’s story, Mom started jogging, which quickly became her passion, until a knee injury from curling put an end to her jogging. A testament to the strength and endurance of our mother, she quit cigarette smoking cold turkey in 1976 after smoking for 21 years.
A source of great joy to Mom was attending her children’s events, anything from ballet to hockey, and everything in between. Even her grandchildren could look out in the audience, and there would be Grandma. One of Mom’s greatest moments was seeing one of her children become a university graduate. She was equally proud of all of her children and grandchildren’s successes, including one landing a position with the RCMP.
Mom always had a cookie jar full of cookies around, and her listening ear at the kitchen table and on the telephone was always appreciated. Family suppers were one of her favourite things.
Upon their retirement in 1994, Mom worked for other tourist operators part time, as well as distributing the Enterprise newspaper from Kenora, which she did until her knees got so bad she handed over the responsibility to Dad. Mom and Dad moved to their beautiful retirement home 22 years ago, and after having moved back and forth from camp to town every spring and fall for 35 years, Waldhof became home.
The United Church became Mom’s new passion, and as Mom’s physical health began to deteriorate, Mom continued helping others, including volunteering in the United Church, which she joined as a teenager, on the church council, in Unit 2, and compiling the Vine for many years, not to mention delivering Meals on Wheels and helping feed seniors in Princess Court. Mom truly enjoyed her Red Hatters experience. Her last volunteer position was doing the volunteer call list for funerals.
Numerous charities were the recipient of blessings as they touched Mom’s soft generous giving heart.
Juliana is survived by her husband Gordon, 3 children, Vicki, Todd and Marlayne (Gary), 6 grandchildren, and 4 great-granddaughters, her sister, Johanna, numerous nieces and nephews, her Unit 2 sisters and friends. Mom was predeceased by an infant brother, and both her parents.
A special celebration of Juliana’s life will be held at the Vermilion Bay United Church on Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Interment will follow at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, and if friends so desire, donations may be made to the DRHC Equipment Fund, or a charity of your choice, through Stevens Funeral Homes, PO Box 412, Dryden, Ontario P8N 2Z1.
Condolences may be posted at www.stevensfuneralhomes.ca