December 3, 1936 - April 7, 2022
Frances Mae Rankin (nee Boettger) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, passed away quietly and
peacefully surrounded by her children on April 7, 2022 at the age of 85 years.
Frances was born west of Sundre Alberta on December 3, 1936 to David and Velma Boettger. Her family later moved to Sunberry Valley (west of Sundre). After school, Frances worked in Olds, Alberta where she met her husband, Robert (Bob) Rankin. They married in 1957 and spent the first few years in Sundre with Bob working in the busy oilfield. Two children, Coleen and Robert Clayton were born while they lived there. They decided to move first to Vernon, B.C. and then finally to Rocky Mountain House where their son, Lorne, was born.
Bob and Frances enjoyed bowling, curling, fishing and camping and introduced their children to water and ice skating activities early in their childhoods. In 1964 they moved to Yellowknife, N.W.T. where Frances worked as a bookkeeper for a trucking company and Bob as an Assistant Manager at The Hudson's Bay. Later on Frances worked at the law firm of Searle, Sigler & Richard as their bookkeeper, then later with the Co-op Association while Bob held a nearly 15 year career working in various roles for the federal government and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
In the summertime, they spent many weekend hours on their boat fishing on Great Slave Lake and Yellowknife River. For several years during the winter, the family traveled by car down the Mackenzie Highway to Jasper, Alberta, for a ski holiday. Later on, Bob and Frances enjoyed their time in the warmer
climates during the cold winter months by flying to Hawaii for vacation. All three children graduated high school in Yellowknife before moving to Alberta and Manitoba to pursue their careers and further education.
In 1981 Bob and Frances moved to Calgary, Alberta where Bob worked briefly for Panarctic Oils before starting his own consulting company in 1985. Frances began a bookkeeping role with a non-profit society where she stayed for many years. While in Calgary, many a Sunday morning was spent at their kitchen table drinking coffee and working on their respective crossword puzzles from local and national newspapers. During their retirement, one of their favorite
pastimes was loading up their boat and taking it out on Little Bow Lake and Lake Minnewanka, although the fishing paled in comparison to the catches they regularly brought home from Great Slave Lake.
After the passing of her husband Bob in Calgary in 1998 she lived briefly in Sundre and enjoyed visiting and golfing with her sister Phyllis who was also recently widowed. Frances welcomed her granddaughter, Sadie, to the family in 2006 and soon was on her way to Winnipeg to be near her son, his wife and daughter. Her remaining retirement years were spent enjoying her life while living independently and spending time with family.
Frances will be forever remembered by her children Coleen (Tom) Marenich, Robert Clayton (Raegan) Rankin, and her grandchild Sadie, as well as by numerous other family members and friends.
Frances was predeceased by her son Lorne in 1990 and her husband Bob in 1998. If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made directly in Frances' name to a charity of your choice. Frances will be forever loved and surely never forgotten.
