Helen Bernadine (Nellie) O'Brien, 1921 - 2006

Nellie O’Brien was born June 26, 1921 at Stettin, near Onoway, Alta., and passed away peacefully Feb. 8, 2006, at the J.B. Wood Extended Care in High Prairie at the age of 84 years.

She was a beautiful sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Nellie was the seventh child of the 13 children born to Jack Heffernan and Margaret Flynn, and grew up on a farm near Sandy Beach with six sisters and six brothers. Nellie was always a caregiver by nature. As a young girl she had aspired to be a nurse, and had started training, but with her father away teaching school, three brothers overseas during the war, other siblings in school, and youngest brother Michael studying in the seminary to be a priest, Nellie chose to stay home and help her mother run the family farm. During the war years her husband-to-be was working in the Dawson City, Yukon area.

On Nov. 25, 1947, Nellie married her schooldays sweetheart, Frank O’Brien. For the first few years they lived on the family farm and started their own family as Helen, Danny and Frankie arrived. The O’Brien’s had a planing mill and seeing the opportunity in forestry, Frank moved the family to High Prairie in 1953 and started O’Brien Lumber Company. Johnny, Alan, Brian and Margaret were born in High Prairie. Nellie’s work was clearly cut out for her raising two daughters and five sons, especially since they were all so much like their Dad. She was also very supportive of her husband and a busy business life that made a living for them and seven children.

Frank and Nellie contributed greatly to the community during the 23 years that they lived in High Prairie and enjoyed many friendships and acquaintances. Socially, they loved dancing and were admired for the way they beautifully danced together. Nellie would often join in the band as she played violin very well.

Nellie was a great seamstress! She sewed almost all of the clothing for our family including shirts for Frank and the boys, many coats and lovely dresses for herself and her daughters. For a few years she did sewing for friends, making wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses.

But nothing was more important to Nellie than caring for the children and grandchildren. Sewing just fit into her spare time. She was a great cook, and there were always lots of people to feed. She never formally entertained, but everyone was always welcome any time of the day or night. Definitely a full time homemaker.

In 1976 Frank and Nellie retired and moved to Westlock, Alta. Frank had thoughts of a retirement home in the Okanagan, but Nellie would have nothing to do with that idea. She knew that she would seldom see her grandchildren if they moved over the mountains, and Westlock seemed to be back to their roots and central for all of the family. They spent several years traveling in the motorhome visiting friends and relatives all over North America.

Frank passed away in 1984 at the age of 63, and Nellie remained in their home in Westlock until she suffered a severe stroke in August 2003.

Her favorite things! She loved children, and would spend hours playing games or just visiting. She was a very clever scrabble player, very lucky at crib, and a master of canasta. In 1998 she won the gold medal in High Prairie at the Northwest Alberta Winter Games in the seniors scrabble competition and was very pleased with that. She also enjoyed reading, knitting and favorite TV shows. Every summer she looked forward to picking berries anywhere and shelling peas at the farm. She really appreciated a good car that got her to church and to visit all of her family and friends. And in the last two years, her nice leather electric wheelchair gave her the bit of independence to get around and help other people if she could.

Nellie was a devout Roman Catholic, never doubted her faith, took her children to church and taught them to pray. She belonged to St. Paul’s Parish in High Prairie, and St. Mary’s Parish in Westlock. The last two years she appreciated the Chapel and Mass at the J.B. Wood Nursing Home in High Prairie.

Nellie is survived by her children: Helen (Jim) Henderson of High Prairie, Danny (Audrey) of Edmonton, Frank of Grande Prairie, John (Dawn) of Grande Prairie, Alan (Joy) of Westlock, Brian (Tanya) of Calgary and Margaret (Dennis) Bell of Grande Prairie; 17 grandchildren including Shaun, David, Barbara, Anna, Kelly, Derrick, Dennis, Owen, Joel, Jesse, Ian, Jackson, Steven, Gail, Anthony, Lynsey and Candace; four great grandchildren including Brenna, Connor, Keagan and Piper; two sisters, Betty (Ed) Carson and Hannah Murphy; her brother, Gerald (Frances) Heffernan, all of Edmonton; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Nellie was pre-deceased by: her parents, John and Margaret Heffernan; husband Frank O’Brien; grandson James O’Brien; brothers Dave Heffernan, Ned Heffernan, John Heffernan, Bill Heffernan, and Rev. Father Michael Heffernan; sisters Jane Barry, Mary O’Brien, Kathleen Heffernan and Eileen Heffernan.

A beautiful mass of Christian burial was held Saturday, Feb. 11, 2006 at 10 a.m. at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Westlock with Father Dario Abram officiating. Interment followed beside her husband at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Westlock.

Nellie’s eulogy was delivered by the eldest grandson, Shaun Henderson, and the pallbearers were grandsons: David Henderson, Anthony Bell, Dennis O’Brien, Steven O’Brien, Kelly O’Brien and Joel O’Brien. Readings by granddaughter Anna O’Brien, a memorial poem by granddaughter Lynsey Bell, and solo “On Angels Wings” written and performed by nephew Martin Murphy.

She will be sadly missed. Her life is complete and she rests in peace.

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