Mae Frances Stevens, age 90 years, left this world peacefully after a brief illness.  She was ready to go, and, thanks to great faith, secure in her future.

Mom was born in Pleasantville, on October 2, 1928, the youngest child of Willis and Nellie Corkum.   When Mom was just 9 years of age, her father was lost at sea and life changed forever. Although it was never easy the family persevered and Mom enjoyed all the benefits of growing up along the beautiful Lahave River. 

After finishing her schooling, she moved to Bridgewater where she worked, first in Ernst’s Jewellery Store and then in Mary’s Dress Shop.  She had many fond memories from this time and often commented on how good her employers were to her and how much she enjoyed that period of her life.

Mae met her future husband Randy, at a skating party, they were married in Pleasantville in June of 1950 and spent their honeymoon touring the barnyards of the Annapolis Valley. Even that didn’t prepare her for what must have been a bit of a culture shock moving from the bright lights of Bridgewater to the end of Second Peninsula.  However, she took it all in stride, dug her heels in and became a farmer’s wife.

Mom was one of the first women on the Peninsula to have her drivers licence, which was a great help to Dad. He often sent her all over the County for equipment parts or farm supplies. She was also the unofficial chauffeur for the ladies of the Point as she would take them to Town for groceries or to have their hair done.  Mom well remembered one spring day, in the early 1950’s, of being mired up to the axels in mud, with a carload of ladies bound for Town and waiting for someone with a tractor to come along to their rescue.

Cynthia was born in 1955 and Mom combined motherhood with working alongside Dad planting cabbage, driving the tractor to haul hay, gardening, and keeping house. Many times, she would work right alongside everyone else in the field and then, at lunchtime, come into the house and make a meal before going back out to work.

Over the years she must have fed hundreds of people, from hired hands, family, friends, and some of those complete strangers Dad would take fishing. Having a daughter Mom thought she might have some help in the house, but alas, Cynthia turned out to be an outdoor girl and was happiest working with Dad. When a second daughter came along in 1959 Mom thought she had it made, she tried her best, but we were both happiest when we were outdoors.  

They worked hard but there was also quite a lot of fun. Mom loved going out in the boat with family especially taking picnics, first out to Long Island and then later to Rake Island. She wasn’t that keen a fisherwoman but if a line happened to drop in the water on the way home she’d gamely make fried mackerel and lettuce with sweet cream for supper.

We all enjoyed our trips across on the LaHave River ferry to visit family. It was always exciting when Nannie Corkum would arrive to spend Christmas or our Aunts, Uncles and cousins would arrive for Sunday afternoon visits.

For several years, Mom and Dad, along with their good friends, Marion and Elvin Falkenham, had a canteen at the Fisheries Exhibition and Fishermen’s Reunion. Marion and Mom would make lobster sandwiches and jelly filled doughnuts to sell along with milk and they would all work manning the booth.

Mom and Dad were founding members of this Assembly and supported the work of spreading the gospel. Mom taught Sunday School, was a member of the W. M and enjoyed the fellowship of the congregation. She always had great faith and even through this past summer, when she was so ill, she looked to Jesus as her ever present strength in time of need.

They enjoyed attending fairs and exhibitions and Parkdale-Maplewood, the New Ross Fair Lawrencetown Exhibition and The Atlantic Winter Fair were among the favorites.

 Mom always made our birthdays special with imaginative cakes and our favorite meals and her holiday dinners and Christmas Eve lobster feeds were memorable and delicious.

She was a faithful collector for several local charities and covered the lower end of the Peninsula each year.

When Mom turned 60 she got her groove on, studied for her motor cycle licence and bought a bright yellow moped.  She could be seen burning up and down the road, her moped buzzing like an angry bee.  Dad also had a moped which he used to round up cattle in his later years and Mom and Cynthia often took off in tandem to race  to Dublin Shore to visit Aunt Bernice and Uncle Anson.

Mom was quite artistic and very creative. She took art lessons in the 1960’s, enjoyed crocheting afghans, knitting mittens, hats and quilting.  One year she designed and quilted a half dozen beautiful Christmas placemats using spinnaker cloth scraps from the Sail loft.  She collected vintage handkerchiefs, jewellery and she was quite a snazzy dresser. Mom enjoyed writing poetry, and, on every birthday, there was special poem for Daniel.

Mom spent a lot of happy hours both in her flower gardens  and  vegetable patch. One year she and her pal, Ronald Publicover, redesigned the rock garden, which turned out beautifully. They took hours sourcing and hauling rocks and, although I won’t go into any details, my truck needed a set of new shocks by the time the project was finished.  

And then, something wonderful happened that changed Mom’s life forever - Daniel Randolph Archibald Walters was born on November 3rd, 1993 and she became a Gram.  Daniel spent a lot of time on the farm and he and Gram had such wonderful adventures.  Easter egg hunts, tractor rides, looking for sea glass, walks to the beach, swimming, boat rides, the list of fun stuff they did was endless.  She was never happier than when Daniel came to visit, and she loved him unconditionally, always and forever.

As time went by Mom became less willing to venture far. She enjoyed going down to the shore and would often put her chair right into the water. This all ended one fine day when a large crab latched onto her toe. After that she was content to sit on the Boathouse deck, enjoying the sun and reading. Mom also relished swinging on the sunny back verandah looking down over the cove often in the company of one of us or Brenda. Mom and her bestie, Geraldine, spent many evenings over the years visiting, sharing opinions, laughing and giggling. Even though you were many years apart in age you were kindred spirits and she enjoyed your company immensely. Brenda, Dawn and Ronald, your many visits over the past couple of years cheered Mom no end.

 She loved the ocean and in the early years she spent a lot of time walking around the shore and later walking on the beach was a favorite pastime. Mom continued to enjoy reading and there was always a jigsaw puzzle and crossword on the go. Cynthia usually dropped by before going to or coming home from work to fit a few pieces or fill in a few spaces. When it got late, and I couldn’t find Tony I just looked across to the sun porch and if the light was on they were hunkered down over the puzzle.

During the last 6 months, as her illness progressed, she went through some trying times but the visits from Pastor Rod Bezanson, Pastor Steve Hiltz, Pastor James Haughn, Althea Rhodenizer and Tania Fogarty helped to ease her mind. We thank the wonderful carers from Lunenburg County Home Support, they were a blessing to Mom and to us. The visits, cards, gifts of food and company from our loving family, friends and neighbours on Second Peninsula helped to get us through a very challenging summer and we thank you all.

Mom knew when she’d had enough and she longed to be free and be with her Saviour. She made her decision and she was ever so happy to leave this world. Our heads tell us it was the right time but our hearts tell us that she will be missed, now and always.