Antonia (Tona) Greene passed away peacefully after a lengthy battle with dementia and cancer on February 26, 2009 in the Swan Valley Lodge at the age of 88 years.
Tona was born on May 24, 1920 and raised in Wroxton, SK. She attended Geddes School (near Wroxton). In order to assist her sister Anne during Annie’s difficult pregnancy of her first born, Tona moved to Walcott in 1940. During this time, she met Bill, while working as a cook at the Smithers hospital. On June 10, 1942, Tona married William Henry Greene at the St. Steven Anglican Church, at Quick, B.C. Tona and Bill then lived at the family owned dairy farm (Meadowbrook Farms) near Smithers. Upon the sale of the farm in 1960, Tona and Bill then moved two miles down the road, where they lived until 1967. Due to Bill’s health, they moved that year to Canyon, in the Creston Valley, to be near their daughter Marie. Tona was widowed in 1970. In 1982, Tona moved from Canyon into the town of Creston. The onset of dementia forced her to move into the Nickkel Place Residence in 2003, until 2005 when she moved into her final residence, the Swan Valley Lodge.
Tona was an active member of WI (Quick & Lister), the Arthritic Society, and she also found time to take part in activities such as soft ball and bowling. She had a strong passion for animals, excelled in vegetable and flower gardening, and was always known for her home cooking. Tona was a kind and generous person who found time to raise a family of four, garden, make preserves, as well as provide a home for the Meadowbrook Farm hired hands. She was also a self taught musician playing the mouth organ and the ukulele, and enjoyed accompanying her husband Bill providing seasonal entertainment to visiting relatives. Later in life she also took violin lessons.
After the passing of Bill in 1970, Tona provided for herself by caring for elderly women in her home and later, worked in the Pioneer Villa as head cook where she made her mark with all of the residents who resided there.
Tona was predeceased by her husband William Henry Greene, brothers John Bahrey and William Bahrey, and sisters Caroline Ratzay, Anne Pall, and Rose Harasen. She will be lovingly remembered by her brothers Joe and Steven Bahrey, sisters Mary Romaniuk and Ellen Stock, children Marie and husband Dick Douma, Shirley and husband Allan Tofsrud, Lorna and husband Ted Anchor, and Barry and wife Helen Johnston, grandchildren Darren and wife Brook Comfort, Darcy and wife Debby Jackson, Lance and wife Heidi Anderson, Mark and wife Janice Lowe, Monte and Dwayne Honeyman, Jason Mitchell, and Caitlan Greene, great grandchildren Aiden Douma, twins Emma and Ethan Tofsrud, Evan and Gavin Douma, Natalie Tofsrud, Cadien, Chayann and Taden Honeyman, and Jayda and Charlie Mitchell.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to all of the staff at the Swan Valley Lodge for their kind and special compassionate care.
Friends wishing to make a memorial contribution in Tona’s name may do so to the Arthritic Society of BC, #200 - 1645 West 7th Ave., Vancouver, B.C., V6J 1S4 or to the BC Cancer Foundation for Southern Interior, 399 Royal Ave., Kelowna, B.C., V1Y 5L3.