Diane Carlson

It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our wonderful mom, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and auntie; Diane Laura Carlson on March 20th, 2025 in Winnipegosis.

In her own words, Diane, “was born to Raymond and Grace (Gaudry) Bass in McCreary, Manitoba in the spring of 1952.  My parents lived in Waterhen, MB at the time, but, due to a fear of flooding that spring, my mom went to stay with her sister Juliette Kuyp in Kelwood, MB for my birth.  I grew up in Toutes Aides, MB.  I went to school at the Spence Lake School, a one room school.  Then onto Rorekton for high school.  Met my dear Darcy at my sister Doreen’s wedding and we were married 2 years later.”

Mom married Dad on October 25th, 1969 at the Notre Dame Roman Catholic Church in Toutes Aides, Manitoba.

They welcomed the birth of their first son, Kevin on September 3rd, 1971, Orin came along on March 19th, 1974, and Eric arrived on April 12th, 1977.  Our family was completed with the arrival of a beautiful daughter, Amanda on May 16th, 1979.

Mom and Dad lived and worked out of Thompson, Manitoba after first being married, before they built a home on the Drake River just across from Duck Bay. While being across there mom and dad took a hand at ranching for a while raising cattle and haying wild meadows.  As the time came for the boys to attend school, the family moved in with Grandpa Carlson in Good Harbour, MB.

The next move came in the fall of 1979 when they purchased a mobile home and had it set up at the site of the Campbellton School No. 1887 in the RM of Mountain halfway between Camperville and Winnipegosis. In 1999 the trailer was hooked up and towed to the north end of Lake Winnipegosis where they took up residence in Dawson Bay for another 20-year stint.  In 2019 our parents sold the trailer to Orin and Delores and moved into the Village of Winnipegosis at the south end of Lake Winnipegosis to retire into town.

Our mother was a pioneer in the commercial fishing industry being only the second woman to be granted a fishing license on Lake Winnipegosis some 40 years ago.  Upon our dad’s passing mom inherited his commercial fishing license on Pelican Lake.  She was also an expert gardener and enjoyed growing beautiful flowers around the house and amazing plants within the home.  She also took great joy in looking after the birds in her yards, as children we can remember her hauling bird seed all the way to the fish camps in Pelican Lake and on Thompson Island as well as chastising the squirrels that tried to get in on the free food.  She also kept the bird feeders full in Dawson Bay and Winnipegosis and enjoyed watching the hummingbirds flutter around her windows in search of the nectar she had placed for them.  In Winnipegosis, she even enjoyed the resident deer who dropped by her yard daily.

Mom always had a pot of coffee on and some sweet treats available for a visitor to drop in and enjoyed having company with her neighbour Anne and Jack popping by or a good visit with Auntie Lyn as well when Auntie Doreen would come into town.

Mom and Dad were amazing grandparents and great grandparents having Amanda, Logan and Jesse spending most summers in their home.  Later on they loved the visits with Roman and Connor as well Xzavier, Miya, and Mila and Skylar, Tristan and Ray-Sean.  Grandma loved that she was able to greet, hold and love the newest great grandson, Jared born just 11 days before her passing.  She made almost weekly visits into Dauphin to spend a few minutes with the grandchildren since Amanda moved her little family there.

Mom was an amazing cook and baker.  We fondly remember her baking homemade bread and cinnamon buns as well as pierogies and beet rolls.  As children, we remember her hosting a New Year’s Dinner every year and as we grew up and gained our own families, mom prepared and hosted Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners for the entire family and there was always enough left over for every son to take a tray home for the next day (or two).

One thing that all of her neighbours in Dawson Bay and Winnipegosis remember of mom is her joy taking the dogs for a walk.  Every morning and evening she could be seen walking her circuits with Razzie and recently Bear (who journeyed to his happy hunting grounds at the same time as mom).  She always enjoyed greeting people with a friendly smile and word.

Diane is survived by her sons, Kevin & Florence (Rose), Orin & Delores and Eric Carlson; grandchildren, Amanda Carlson, Logan Carlson, Charlene Dettanikkeaze. Glenda Bickel, John Flett, Roxy Flett, Winston Flett, and Jesse Carlson; great grandchildren, Xzavier, Miya, Mila and Jared, Roman and Connor, Skylar, Tristan and Ray-Sean and Aubrey; sisters Doreen Sliworsky and Dorothy (Tony) Maksymchuk; sister-in-law Lyn Marion; neices and nephews, Sheila Kostenchuk (Corwin) and Bonnie Maksymchuk.  Sharon (Wayne) Lytwyn, Barry (Sandy) Sliworsky and Larry (Amanda) Sliworsky ; William (Lori) Marion, Kim (Joel) Martens, Wayne (Eloria) Marion and Wanda Marion.; as well as numerous great nieces and nephews and 3 great great nieces and a 2 great great nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband Darcy on January 8th, 2021; daughter Amanda Gail Carlson September 25th, 1981; her father, Raymond Bass on January 1988; her mother Grace (Gaudry) Bass and her granddaughter Charmaine Lee Dettanikkeaze February 28th, 2009.

Donations in memory of Diane Carlson may be made to the Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in Winnipegosis or the Parkland Humane Society in Dauphin.

Prayers were offered on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at 7:00 pm from the Sneath-Strilchuk Family Care Centre in Dauphin, MB.

A Funeral Mass was held on Monday, April 7, 2025 at 11:00 am from the Winnipegosis Roman Catholic Church in Winnipegosis, MB.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Diane Carlson, please visit our floral store.