Obituary of Barbara Ellen Groves

Barbara Ellen (McIntyre) Groves was born on February 26th, 1944 in Brandon, Manitoba. The eldest child of Fred and Myrtle McIntyre of Mortlach, Saskatchewan. The family spent some time in White Fox, Saskatchewan while Barb’s father was employed at a grain elevator. From there the family moved to Prince George, British Columbia, where the family lived at the airport. When Barb was 12 years old, the McIntyre’s moved again, this time to Burnaby, British Columbia where her parents bought a house and Barb and her brothers grew up. It was during her time in Burnaby that Barb got involved with her schools marching band and performed and traveled to places like Montreal and Disneyland with the band. She played the flute and also won awards for her singing as well. After graduating from high school, Barb worked as a waitress for a short time before applying to become a flight attendant with PWA or Pacific Western Airlines. It was her work with PWA that would eventually bring her to Edmonton, Alberta, where she met Keith Kenneth McMahon who became her husband and father to Barb’s eldest child, Colleen. Barb and Keith moved from Edmonton to Delta, British Columbia after Keith received a promotion with PWA. It was while Barb was still expecting her daughter, when her husband was tragically killed in an airplane crash just outside of the Edmonton International Airport. Barb then later moved to Calgary, Alberta, where she remarried and her second child Steven was born in 1976. In 1979 the family moved to Red Deer, Barb was divorced from her second husband, and decided to go back to school to get her nursing degree. So while being a single mom to two children, Barb went back to school full time and three years later obtained her nursing degree and started her second career as a Registered Nurse. While working in the Red Deer Hospital Barb got reacquainted with an old friend, Harold Groves. It wasn’t long before they were dating, and in May of 1985, Harold proposed and the family was moving again, this time to Stettler. Barb started her nursing career in Stettler working with Home Care, and casual in the operating room at the Stettler Hospital, then later obtained a full time position in the Emergency Room, while still doing casual in the operating room. Many people remember her best from the ER, for her kindness, compassion, and outstanding bedside manner. She and Harold were married on New Year’s Eve 1987. Barb retired from nursing in 1991, and she and Harold decided to get into the cattle business, they purchased four bred Murray Grey heifers and Har-Bar Ranch was born. Barb and Harold grew the herd to about forty head and enjoyed showing their cattle at various events around Alberta, including Edmonton Farm Fair, The Calgary Stampede and The Westerner in Red Deer. Barb and Harold enjoyed their time as cattle ranchers, Barb treated the cattle as though they were all her pets, and it was reflected in the way the cattle treated her. In August of 2004, tragedy struck again when Harold was taken by a massive heart attack, widowing Barb for the second time in her life. She got through it, sold the farm and moved into town, into a house just down the street from her son Steve, his wife Candace and her grandchildren. During this time she loved being Gramie, going to her knitting meetings with The Heartland Machine Knitters, and joined a seniors curling team as well. She enjoyed planting flowers in her flower beds, and getting together with her neighbors. In December of 2014, Barb discovered a lump in her neck, and so began her courageous battle with cancer. She underwent treatment at the Cross Cancer Institute, while staying with her daughter Colleen and son-in-law, Albert. After eight weeks of treatment, the tumor was gone, and Barb returned home, but the cancer was still there and she spent the next three years battling it. In October of 2017, Barb was told that the treatments were no longer working; her focus was then shifted to living life the best she could. Barb spent many days and evenings looking after her grandkids even though she was tired, she never once declined the request. She was dedicated to enjoy Christmas time with her family and set small goals to keep her going. New Year’s came and went, along with her son’s birthday, Barbs next goal was her own birthday on February 26th. Unfortunately, Barb passed away peacefully with her children at her side on February 5th, 2018, at the age of 73 years. Barb was predeceased by her first husband Keith Kenneth McMahon, father Fred McIntyre, mother Myrtle McIntyre, brother Jim McIntyre, husband Harold Groves and son in law Albert St. Blancat. Barb will be sadly missed and leaves to treasure her memory, her children, Colleen St. Blancat (nee McMahon) of Edmonton, Steve (Candace) Maruk of Stettler, grandsons Gage and Nash Maruk of Stettler, brother Ron McIntyre of Kelowna, niece Marsha McIntyre of Kelowna, as well as various cousins and many, many good friends. Donations in memory of Barb are gratefully accepted to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, S.T.A.R.S. or a charity of your choice.