BURSTJuly 27, 1933 – April 10, 2026
Our family would like to announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandma, and GG, Eva, on April 10, 2026, at Bulkley Lodge, after a battle with Lewy body dementia.
Mom was born on the family farm in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, on July 27, 1933. She was the oldest of 14 children born to Felix and Emelda Lehoux.
Life on the farm was very busy and taught Mom the value of hard work and the rewards that came from it. When she was 20, she boarded a train with a girlfriend who was going to visit her boyfriend in Prince George. That is where Mom met the love of her life, Frank Rippel. They dated for a brief 10 months before returning to Meadow Lake to be married on May 4, 1954.
Mom began married life cooking in camps for the crew that Dad worked with. As the family grew to include five children, Mom stayed home to raise them while Dad worked to provide, sometimes being away for six weeks at a time. Mom taught kindergarten in our basement and worked at a flower shop. Summers often found the family joining Dad, camping in places like Pine Pass and Savona, and even spending a short time living in Sooke, renting a house right on the beach—an adventure we all remember fondly.
In 1972, the family moved to Houston, where Dad eventually started his own logging business and Mom did the books. Mom later opened her own business, Eve’s Flowers, which became very successful. After selling the shop, her next venture was Paradise Sports. She also served as an alderperson on the Houston council and was an active member of the Booster Club.
Mom and Dad were always on the go, whether traveling to Hawaii or Las Vegas, or heading out on fishing trips aboard their boat, Blue Yonder. Mom never wasted anything—we all remember her keeping a book on the boat called Edible Incredible, ready to look up how to cook whatever was caught. She also enjoyed stained glass and knitting, but her greatest passion was making patchwork quilts. Every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild has a quilt made by her—whether a full-size bed quilt or a lap quilt for the campfire, each one is deeply cherished.
Mom and Dad retired in 1993 and set up a trailer on Doug and Lori’s farm in Telkwa. This marked the beginning of another chapter, creating burl bowls, canes, walking sticks, crib boards, and end tables. They sold their handcrafted treasures from their workshop and while traveling in their fifth wheel to the Yukon with lifelong friends George and Freda. Their beautiful creations can be found across Canada, in the United States, and even in Europe. We are all blessed to have these pieces in our homes.
Mom is survived by her sons Ron, Les (Ken), and Garland (Val), and daughters Bev (Gary) Woodbeck and Lori (Doug) Brook; nine grandchildren: Gaya (Thomas) Robinson, David Rippel, Jason (Noemi) Woodbeck, Robbyn (Sheldon) Emberely, Rob Brook, Randy (Kim) Brook, Brittany (Zach) Davies, Nicole (Tony) Frech, and Jordan Rippel; and 14 great-grandchildren: Ben and Jillian Rippel; Lucas Woodbeck; Tyler and Riley Emberely; Abby Brook; Mikenna, Eli, and Ethan Brook; Oliver and Blair Davies; Celleste and Gerald Frech; and Everett Rippel. She is also survived by her sisters Yvonne, Florence, and Jean, and her brothers George, Joe, Ray, Peter, and Frank.
Mom passed away exactly six months to the day after her beloved husband of 71 years, Frank. She was predeceased by her parents, Felix (1978) and Emelda (2007); her sister Anna; her brothers Paul, Robert, Albert, and Dennis; and her infant granddaughter, Jennifer Rippel.
Many thanks to the staff at Bulkley Lodge, where Mom had resided since January 2025. Prior to that, Mom and Dad lived at The Meadows Assisted Living Complex in Smithers. We are grateful to the staff there for their care and support, which helped Mom and Dad remain together.
No service by request. Condolences may be offered at www.schraderfuneralhome.ca.