Exilda Mary Kondra (Larkin)
Mar 11, 1931 – March 29, 2023
A Celebration of Life will be help on Friday May 19th at 1:00pm. at the Dryden Community Funeral Home with Father Alan Campeau officiating. Interment to follow at the Eagle River Cemetery, with an afternoon gathering at the Eagle River Hall.
Exilda peacefully left us in the early hours of March 29th,2023, at the age of 92, with her daughter Carol by her side.
She is predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Alex(2011). Left to cherish her memories are her three children, Carol, Jacob (Barb) and Wilfred, grandchildren Timothy (Marianne), Christian (Kendra), Jillian (Alex), Kaydi (Tyler), Jessica (Phil) and Alexis (Remi), great-grandchildren Dominic (Rebecca), Easton (Aimee), Andon, Noah, Mia, Kenseth, Sebastian, Lincoln, Scarlett, Hunter, Lainey and Memphis. Along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Exilda was born in Willmar, Saskatchewan to Elizabeth and William Larkin, the youngest of 5 children. In 1937 they left the Larkin family farm and settled on a farm just outside of McCreary, Manitoba. This is where Exilda started school, which she loved. She really enjoyed her childhood in Manitoba.
In 1947 she was offered a job as a “cookie” in a bush camp north of Baden, MB for the winter. This is where she met Alex and their love story began. In the spring she headed back to McCreary and spent the summer farming, spending time with sister Tootz and dancing, lots of dancing. In the fall she returned to the bush camp, excited to see Alex again. After sleeping in for work one day, her and Alex were both sent home. They were taken into town separately and put on different trains. Alex immediately wrote a letter addressed to McCreary, in hopes it would reach Exilda, declaring his love and that they must be married soon. So off Exilda went to Pelly, Saskatchewan to meet the Kondra’s. This is where she first experienced perogies, cabbage rolls and “white lightening”. Saturday June 3rd, 1950, they were wed in Pelly, Saskatchewan.
In November they moved into their first home. A rented cabin south of The Pas, MB. On April 3, 1951, Carol Irene was born. In 1954 Alex was to start work repairing grain elevators throughout Saskatchewan and wanted Exilda and Carol with him. He built them a small trailer to haul around, and this is where they lived. In the spring of 1955, Alex and his uncles headed for Ontario in search of work. Exilda, Alex, Carol and the small trailer made Kenora home for a while, then a gravel pit outside of Balmertown.
The spring of 1956 brought new life; Jacob Dean was born April 27th. Alex headed back to work in Ontario in May, leaving Exilda and the kids with the Kondra’s for a while longer. He came back to pick up them and the little house, this time settling near Sioux Lookout. In 1957 they bought their acre of land in Eagle River and called it home. That acre of land is where Exilda lived out the late years of her life.
Exilda soon became a member on the Home and School Association, quickly becoming the treasurer. She also started attending the small Roman Catholic Church in Eagle River, and later in Vermilion Bay. On November 18th, 1961, Wilfred Alexander was born, making their family complete.
In 1963 Alex got a job at Canadian Tire in Dryden allowing him to be home every night with Exilda and the children and Exilda got a job down the road as custodian at the Eagle River School. She worked here until she retired in 1991. Exilda spent a total of 9 years on council, ran the swimming program for the municipality, spent 2 years on the Dryden Hospital Board and sat on the Pinecrest Board of Management.
The family spent a lot of time camping, fishing, huntingand travelling. Then grandchildren came along and brought even more joy. In 1999 Exilda and Alex moved into their apartment in Dryden which they enjoyed. Alex passed away in July of 2011.
Exilda headed out west in September, going all the way to BC. In July of 2012 she headed out to BC again before her eye surgery. The blemish in her eye had turned into cancer and the eye had to be removed, this was done in October of 2012. 2013 was another trip to BC to visit her sister Mollie. In May of 2014, Exilda headed to Calgary for her granddaughter’s graduation and then continued on to BC for her last trip to see her sister.
In 2017 Exilda gave up her apartment in Dryden and moved in with her daughter Carol, back to her original acre in Eagle River. Cancer had returned and treatment started, it returned again in 2022.
Exilda loved birds, flowers and her willow tree. Her love for birds rubbed off on a lot of us. Her favourite was the humming bird; the daffodil was her favourite flower. You could usually find her sitting under her willow tree looking out over her yard. She took much pride in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, you could see her face light up when ever she talked about them. We will always cherish out memories of dress up, tea parties, her reading Dr. Suess, her loud voice and her singing. She also loved dancing. No matter where she was, if there was a song on she liked, she would start dancing and a smile would spread across her face.
Exilda had the best memory. Anyone who knew her, knew that. In 2016 she wrote her autobiography “Mice Up My Pant Leg”.
Exilda, our matriarch. Exilda was a ray of light who left a mark on everyone she met. She loved her family and her life so much. She was an honest, loving, strong woman who we all admired immensely. We are all so grateful she was ours.
A Celebration of Life will be help on Friday May 19th at1:00pm. at the Dryden Community Funeral Home with Father Alan Campeau officiating. Interment to follow at the Eagle River Cemetery, with an afternoon gathering at the Eagle River Hall.
Donations in her memory can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society (55 St Clair Avenue West, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario M4V 2Y7) or the Eagle River Friendship Club (PO Box 245, Eagle River, ON P0V 1S0)
Condolences may be posted at www.dcfh.ca
Arrangements entrusted to the Dryden Community Funeral Home, 249 Grand Trunk Avenue, Dryden, ON P8N 2X3
