Elaine Janigan
Elaine Marion Janigan (née Dittberner) of Ponoka, AB, died Friday, June 13, 2014 in hospital in Red Deer, AB, at the age of 85 of complications from an infection. Born in Ponoka October 9, 1928 to Mildred Jessie Dittberner (née Pendleton) and Harold (Harry) Edmond Dittberner, Elaine was a descendant of an Alberta homesteading family. She had a younger brother, Gordon. As a child, Elaine spent precious time with her loving grandfather and grandmother, Edward Ryan and Theresa Dittberner (née Holifer) on their farm on Coyote Hill, just outside of town. She also loved growing up with her dear cousin Bernice Erikson, daughter of Mabel (née Shapland) and Clarence Pendleton, whom she considered her best friend. Elaine was a popular girl at Ponoka High School, known for her kindness, beauty, and style. She fondly retold how she was voted “best figure”. After earning a certificate in typing from Hollingshead Business College in 1949, Elaine moved to Toronto. She rode the Greyhound bus with a girlfriend and embraced the glamour of Toronto life. While working for an eccentric Bay Street stockbroker, Elaine saw her jazz heroes perform live, and often fondly recalled amazing stories about seeing Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holliday, and Stan Getz perform in Toronto in the 1950s. When Elaine met Malcolm their love of jazz brought them together and led to marriage in 1959. They had five beloved children: Peter, Kara, Laura (died at 11 months old), Jane, and Marisa. Elaine’s children were the joy of her life; she always put them first. After the end of her marriage, Elaine met Alan Situla and spent 25 happy years together living first in Vancouver, and then in Ponoka, where they cared for her mother, Mildred. Elaine will be remembered for her caring, generous nature, sense of humour, and her curiosity about, and love for, people. She was a free spirit, whose kindness and thoughtfulness were boundless. Condolences to Elaine’s family may be sent to www.womboldfuneralhomes.com. Memorial donations are gratefully accepted to any charity of your choice. A memorial service for Elaine will be held in Ponoka in the fall.
Arrangements Entrusted To Ponoka Funeral Home
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