Agnes "Nan" (Steven) Forrest

Agnes (Nan) Forrest passed away peacefully on May 16th, 2021 at the Gilbert Plains Personal Care home at the age of 93.
Born in Hamilton, Scotland on January 5th, 1928, Nan was a happy, fun-loving person full of positive energy. She had a quick wit and a sharp tongue and was an excellent friend and family member, who was always willing to speak her mind in a fair and gentle way. Nan was an excellent cook, especially known for her soups and loved to play host for meals. She always had a smile for people whether she was beating you at cards or bingo. She loved to sing and dance and hug any person (especially male) in sight.
Nan was born a twin and had many twin adventures in her early days. Her and her sister used to play “the switch” on some early male suitors but Nan settled on a beau early in life and married William Whitelaw on September 9th, 1950 at the age of 22. Nan had several jobs in Scotland but one of her most memorable was as a Buyer for a light engineering company. Nan had two sons, Brian Thomas Whitelaw and Campbell Steven Whitelaw. Campbell tragically predeceased her in 1988.
Nan’s first marriage ended but the love of her life, Alexander Forrest (Alex) was yet to come. Married again (and this time for life) Alex was a fun-loving and gentle soul that matched Nan beautifully. They married on November 23, 1985 and began their plans to immigrate to Canada. After initially being denied, they kept pleading their case and with the help of Bette, they finally moved to Grandview in 1988. They did move back to the UK for a few years but then finally settled and stayed in Grandview in April 1995. Life in Grandview was ideal, they enjoyed spending their time gardening, visiting and making wonderful friends with the friendly Grandview community members. In 1999, Agnes Forrest proudly received her Canadian citizenship.
In a sponsorship letter addressed to the federal government, Bette wrote about the connection that her and her twin, Nan, have always had as identical twins. Here are a few excerpts written by Bette:
- When I broke my leg in Winnipeg, she broke hers on the same day in Scotland.
- When her children were born, I felt the pain.
- When she had a number of teeth pulled and fainted, I fainted also.
- We have phoned one another on numerous occasions to ask the other one what was wrong.
After Alex passed away in 1996, Nan and Bette both sold their homes, and each rented their own apartments in the Grandview Manor. Here they became attached to their Manor Family and spent majority of each day together. They always had their TV guides in hand to watch all their favourite shows together. It was not too long after Bette moved into the care home that Nan showed signs of needing to follow. They were always meant to be side by side.
Nan has left to mourn her son Brian Thomas Whitelaw. She was predeceased by her husband Alexander Forrest, son Campbell Whitelaw, and sister Elizabeth (Bette) Feheregyhazi. She has also left to mourn her niece and nephews Sara Novalkowski, Toni (Leah) Feheregyhazi and Steven Feheregyhazi. Aunt Nan will be cherished forever by her great-nieces and great-nephews Becky (Bryan) Flundra, Danny Novalkowski, Jason Feheregyhazi and Lilianna Feheregyhazi. She was so happy to be a part of her great-great niece’s young life, Brynn Flundra. Even in her 90’s Aunt Nan was always in a playful mood when Brynn came to visit.
As an active member of the Grandview United Church, a blessing and burial will occur next week. Due to the current provincial regulations, the service is restricted to only 10 attendees. The family would like to thank both the Gilbert Plains and Grandview Care Home staff for their care of Aunt Nan through this last journey and adventure of her life. Dear staff of the care homes - your dedication to care and service to others is remarkable and does not go unnoticed. 
The family would also like to give our sincere thanks to all the friends and family that have reached out to support us during this difficult time. WE LOVE YOU AUNT NAN. REST IN PEACE WITH THE LOVED ONES THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE YOU. 

 A Private Graveside Service was held on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 11:00 am from Grandview Memorial Gardens in Grandview, MB with Rev. Karen Kuzek officiating. 
 

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