Obituary of Jean Checkel

(EDITH) JEAN CHECKEL

October 16, 1929 – March 9, 2026

Jean was born in Coronation, Alberta and died peacefully 96 years later in Hardisty.

She is survived by her loving family, children: Ken Checkel (Maria Rojo), David (Elisebeth) Checkel, Ron (Tracy) Checkel, and Chris (Sharon) Checkel; grandchildren: Josef Checkel, Juan Checkel, Blanca (Adam) Brodersen, Ernesto Checkel, Katherine (Rob) Boyd, Carol (Chris) Foy, Michael (Jasmyn) Checkel, Ryan Checkel, Pat Checkel (Caitlin Vliet), Tanya (Cody) Johnson, Justin Keays and Matthew Checkel; great-grandchildren: Lyra Brodersen, Willa and Ivor Boyd, Evan and Lina Foy, Marek and Quinn Checkel, Reese, Lakyn, Koven and Kyler Johnson. Along with her immediate family, she leaves many nieces, nephews and friends.

As the last member of her family’s generation, she grieved the loss of her parents, Egbert and Georgina Griffiths and her brothers and sisters: Charles, Ralph, James, Muriel and Anna. She survived the deaths of two sons, Robert and Stan and daughter-in-law Connie and her dear husband Mike. Jean cherished the memories of beloved brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law,

cousins, aunties, uncles and friends who passed before her.

Jean went to University of Alberta for teacher training, spending the rest of her life in the Coronation area.

After graduation, Jean became the sole teacher in the one-room school at Lake Thelma (about 20 miles SW of Coronation). One of her students, Bill Checkel, had an older brother, Mike, who kindly began giving him rides to school. Jean and Mike married on July 2, 1949, when Jean was just 19.

In spite of hardships and setbacks, Mike and Jean built a thriving ranch with 6 beautiful sons. We celebrate their stories of love, courage and resilience as they worked so hard to build us a good life and contribute to our community.

Jean was usually the smartest person in any room. A voracious reader with an amazing memory, she brought the latest technical agricultural practices to the ranch and to her gardens and orchard. These provided wonderful food for the family and even when the kids were grown and moved away, she always sent frozen and canned fruits and vegetables home with them. She won awards at the Coronation Fair every year with her huge onions and large ripe tomatoes as well as other fruits and vegetables. No one could beat her at Upwords or Scrabble unless she let them.

She was a stalwart member of the Federal Friendship Club, a means for local women to connect as well as organizing and catering for community events. She volunteered at the Coronation Assisted Living, where she later resided. Jean was always engaged in productive work. Babies and children received knitted and hand sewn clothes, quilts and blankets. In her later years, she began making toques for charity and provided refugees and others with over 800 hats.

Jean had many hobbies. Well before the days of internet assistance, she traced the lineage of her family back to 1716 in Lebanon, Connecticut, and typed it out on looseleaf paper. She was very organized and kept meticulous records of the cattle as well as births and deaths of relatives and friends. Her recipes were neatly filed. She kept scrapbooks of interesting local events.

Jean always had time for her family and we were loved beyond all measure. Children were encouraged to explore the natural world around them and she was always interested in what they found. Grandchildren were a precious gift and she delighted in their very presence: the smell of them, their tears and laughter, their accomplishments. As we became adults, she listened to us and supported us, offering outright advice only if we asked. Sometimes, upon reflection, we would realize that she had guided us in ways we hadn’t even seen at the time. She welcomed and loved all her daughters-in-law, and they were honoured to call her Mom.

Jean lived well, with strength, kindness and conviction.

A celebration of her life will be held when the tree’s leaf out, when the sun is high and the world rejoices at new life and possibilities as Jean would have done.