Obituary of Laura Cruickshank

Laura Cruickshank passed away at Kingsway Lodge, St Marys, on Saturday, 2 Nov 2024 in her 102^nd year.

The daughter of Bertha (Schmidt) and Nelson Plant, she was born and grew up on a small farm near Listowel, Ontario, with five brothers and four sisters. Life was not always easy. She lived through the Depression years – she often said, “We didn’t have much but we never went hungry” – and during WW II she worked in London, Ontario. She was even a member of a volunteer bren gun crew among her London wartime activities.

In 1942 she gave birth to a son, Richard, whom she cared for dearly. Facing the world as a single mother, she worked hard to provide him with the best upbringing possible. In 1951, she moved to St Marys to work at the newly opened Memorial Hospital, and she remained in St. Marys for the rest of her long life. During the past two decades, generous assistance from the people at the St Marys Friendship Centre and the remarkable Marylynne Anderson allowed her to remain in her own home.

Her final year was at Kingsway Lodge where she received exceptional care from all the staff. Her final instructions were that there be no funeral but that everyone celebrate her century in their own way, and do so happily.

She leaves behind her son, Dr Richard Plant, and niece Carolyn Plant whose many visits always cheered Laura.

Donations could be made to the

St Marys Friendship Centre
317 James St. S.,
P.O. Box 998, St. Marys, ON, N4X 1B6