Elaine Freda Roberts was born February 4, 1939, in Winnipeg, MB, to Frank and Katchen Roberts. They lived on a farm near Lakeland, MB. As the youngest of six children, she was both cute and cherished. (Her eldest sibling, Elsie, was 21 years older than she. As a young child, her three oldest siblings were gone from home, all in the war.) So mom was a gift to her family late in her parents’ life – her dad was 48 and her mom was 45 when she was born. In one of her memoirs, she wrote that, “Because I was like an only child [my dad] did extra things with me.” After finishing grade 8, mom moved into Winnipeg, MB to attend Daniel McIntyre Collegiate for high school. One of her favourite sports was baseball and she received a softball scholarship to attend Abilene Christian College after high school, but didn’t pursue it. She later said she always regretted not taking it. It was during this time in high school that mom was baptized into Christ, in 1956. She described her mom as having a very strong faith in God and always taking her to Sunday school and Vacation Bible School in the summer. In 1962 Elaine met a man named Phil Vance at the Carman Lectures in Manitoba. The next year they were married, and together they had four boys. Kevin was born in Carberry, MB in 1965, and shortly after that they moved to BC. Then in 1968 Mark was born, in Calgary, AB. Grant was also born there in 1970, and then Cory in 1971. Times were tough in the early years. There wasn’t a lot of money and our family moved often, living in a different house approximately every year for the first 14 or so years of their marriage. Wherever they moved, they participated in the life of a local church. Elaine always had a dream to work at Western Christian College so that her kids could attend there. In 1979, her dream came true. She first worked as a dorm director, then in various roles as a custodian, bookkeeper, or whatever was needed, in order to help put her kids through Western. They even moved to Dauphin, MB for one year with the school, so that Cory could finish his last year there. When Cory graduated in 1990, they moved to Red Deer, AB. So although she gave birth to four four boys, she raised hundreds of girls. Many of the girls in the dorm called her mom, and later said that she made a big difference in their lives. In 1993, Phil and Elaine separated. This was the start of a 16 year period where she was single. Not to be deterred, she set out on a new adventure. She moved to Regina to manage a business and bought a house. Within a couple of years she bought the Beltone Hearing franchise and developed it into a thriving business, winning several national awards. No longer was she just a hearing aid practitioner, she was also a business owner, human resource manager, accountant, and marketing director. This story is typical of Elaine’s hard work, capabilities, courage and sense of adventure. In this she was much like her own dad, who at the age of 16 moved from England to Canada without knowing a soul – only that he had a job in Manitoba. Elaine was very smart and was business savvy as well. In 2009, her life suddenly took a new turn. There was a spring in her step, a new twinkle in her eye. Romance had come knocking. Near Valentine’s that year, she got a call from Manitoba. Lloyd Jacobs wondered if he could come and see her. And the rest was history. In August that year they were married, and enjoyed eight beautiful years together. Elaine had a great sense of humour. There was almost always a mischievous look in her eye. She was also resilient and determined in the face of obstacles. Elaine did not let adversity or hardships slow her down. Rather she embraced challenges and looked for ways to find the best outcome from them. Her family was also very important to her. She was always a faithful and loyal wife, a devoted mother to her four boys. As a young mom she worked hard in her home, and later in the marketplace, to provide what we needed for life. As a grandmother, she was sure to send birthday cards and Christmas gifts. And took many trips to visit her grandkids, attend their sports games and graduations, and shower love on them. It saddened her a lot that she wasn’t able to attend all of her grandkids’ graduations this spring, and she really wanted to attend Kelly’s wedding in December. Most importantly, her faith in God was the centre of her life. When asked to describe “real success”, she said: “It is being what God wants me to be and letting others know how He can help them if they will let Him.” In 2014, Elaine was diagnosed with cancer, and struggled with that for the last few years. She passed away peacefully September 22, 2017, in Weyburn, SK, at the age of 78 years, with her husband, Lloyd at her side. Appropriately, an Elvis Presley song was playing in the background, “Love Me Tender, Love Me True”. Elaine was predeceased by her parents, Frank and Katchen Roberts; first husband, Philip Vance; brother, Howard (Judy) Roberts, sisters, Elsie (Howard) Kneeshaw and Kay (Earl) Grier; sisters-in-law, Audrey Roberts and Marjorie Roberts. Elaine will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Lloyd Jacobs of Weyburn; son, Kevin (Lisa) Vance of Regina, son, Mark Vance of Vancouver, BC, son, Grant (Dymphna) Vance of Calgary, AB, son, Cory (Jennifer) Vance of Calgary; brothers, John Roberts of Saskatoon, and Bert Roberts of Weyburn; 26 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends; Lloyd’s children: LaWanda (Dana) Schneider of Saskatoon, Lyndon (Glenda) Jacobs of Moosomin, and LaDean (Luc) Huyghebaert of Hargrave, MB. The Service of Remembrance for Elaine was held Saturday, September 30, at the Church of Christ, Weyburn, with John Smith officiating. Interment will take place at a later date at Manson Cemetery, Manson, MB. Donations in memory of Elaine may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society of to the Weyburn Church of Christ. Condolences may be left at: www.fletcherfuneralchapel.com. Arrangements entrusted to
Fletcher Funeral Chapel, Weyburn, Saskatchewan, 306-842-5432.
