It is with great sadness that the family of Natalie Emeline Corkum, 101, announces her passing on Monday, January 16, 2017 at the Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital, Lunenburg.

Born in Lunenburg on August 8th, 1915 at home she was the daughter of the late Captain Newton and Lena (Zinck) Bachman. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.

She started her studies in the Newtown School, then at the “Castle on the Hill”, Lunenburg Academy, with pride as she always thought her school was the most beautiful school in the world. In grade IX she, with a few other musical pupils, started a school orchestra. They played at all the functions at school and elsewhere. She played the violin, self-taught at ten years of age, coming from a musical family, seems everyone played something.

Natalie planned to study violin and pipe organ, but was needed at home at the time, so she used her musical talent elsewhere. She belonged to the Methodist Church, later in 1925 becoming the United Church of Canada. She sang in the Junior Choir at age ten, then at 13 in the Senior Choir. She sang duets with her mother who was also in the choir and played the piano in Sunday School.

She was a member of the C.G.I.T. (Canadian Girls in Training) and was a delegate representing the Sunday School in Truro for a week.

After a few years, she met Hugh H. Corkum and they got married. Their first child was a girl, Sandra and then son, Hugh. Her mother died when Sandra was two months old, so she had to stay home to look after her father, her sister, Linda, her baby and other children who were under her mother’s care.

She was a member of Rebekah Lodge, the Order of Eastern Star, since 1945, the W.C.T.U. (Women’s Christian Temperance Union) and The Young Peoples branch called the 4’s.
She was a charter member of the Women’s Curling Club from the very beginning and remained a member for over 30 years. She skated since she was five years old. At 12 years of age, she received a pair of skates for Christmas and used those until she was in her 70’s. She was a member of the Brittle Bones from the start until it disbanded.

Natalie, Hugh and family, joined the Presbyterian Church in 1940 where the children attended Sunday school. Natalie joined the choir and taught Sunday school for many years. She was a member of the Church Club (President for many years) Atlantic Mission Society and sang in the Chorale Choir from the beginning until Diane MacDonald retired. She volunteered at the Veterans Unit at the Hospital from 1987 – 2011.

Natalie enjoyed walking very much and in her early days walked to Bridgewater and Mahone Bay 3-4 times and also Blue Rocks. A garbage picker-upper on the early morning walks, sometimes filling at least one plastic grocery bag. At 14 years old, she rowed her punt from camp on Princes’ Inlet to Big Tancook Island. Later, with her children, she rowed many times to Mahone Bay for her groceries. When her children were growing up, she used to take them and the neighbourhood kids on the Jitney on trips to Mahone Bay.

Natalie enjoyed life, all of nature, the beauty of all seasons, loved mowing lawns and shovelling snow. God made everything so beautiful with his sunrises and sunsets.

Natalie is survived by her daughter, Sandra Veenstra, Parksville, Vancouver Island; son, Hugh, Lunenburg; grandchildren, Natalie (John), Margo (George), Daniel (Tammie) and Bill (Susan); great-grandchildren, Matthew, Lindsay, Joshua, Amy, Christopher (Holli), Natalia, Darion, Julia and Adella; great- great grandchildren, Peyton and Oakley as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband Hugh, son-in-law Bill; sister, Linda Smith; special cousins, Jeanette and Arthur as well as an infant brother.

Friends are invited to share memories of Natalie with her family during visitation on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Dana L. Sweeny Funeral Home, 11213, Hwy #3, Lunenburg. A service to celebrate Natalie’s life will be held on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Lunenburg, Rev. Dr. Laurence Mawhinney, officiating. Interment will follow in Hillcrest Cemetery, Lunenburg.

In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Lunenburg, Lunenburg Academy Foundation, or to SHAID Tree Animal Shelter would be appreciated by the family.

www.sweenyfuneral home.ca