Freda Greer

Freda Greer of Plaster Rock, formerly of Two Brooks, passed away peacefully at the Tobique Valley Manor on July 24, 2014.

Born in Bathurst, NB on December 8, 1919, she was the daughter of the late Amos and Priscilla (Melanson) Doucette. She leaves behind her daughters Patricia Perry of Miramichi, Janet Williams (Bill) of Two Brooks; her sons Galen Greer (Nancy) of Victoria, BC, Stephen Greer (Lori) of Odell; her sisters Marion Goodine of Plaster Rock, Patricia Foster of Windham, ME; brothers Hubert "Gabe" Doucette (Lily), Frank Doucette, Robert Doucette (Judy) all from Plaster Rock, Andrew Doucette (Bella) of Bathurst; five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents; her husband Frederick Greer; her children Barbara and Kevin Greer; her sister Dorothy Senechal; brothers Eloi and Gordon Doucette.

Freda was a loving wife and mother, a doting grandmother and great-grandmother who cherished family. Throughout the 65 years she lived in her home in Two Brooks, Freda demonstrated her love to family and friends by cooking meals on a regular basis for large gatherings. She was known far and wide for her delicious meals of wild salmon, trout and game, home-made bread, pies, desserts and preserves. She also cooked for road crews, farm hands, and sport fishers and hunters that lodged at the house in Two Brooks or the Tobique Salmon Club.

Freda loved to play cards including forty-fives, rap, rummoli and canasta. Many highly competitive card games were played around the kitchen table at home. She was a fierce adversary at the Monday night card games at the Sisson Brook Hall and many games of forty-fives were played during her stay at Tobique Valley Manor. She also delighted in playing bingo.

Freda had a wonderfully dry sense of humor, was extremely quick-witted and enjoyed a good joke. She also liked to sing, dance and read. In later years, while living in the Manor, she especially enjoyed her son-in-law Bill’s singing.

While living on the homestead, one of Freda’s favorite summer pastimes was picking wild strawberries. She spent hours on the hill back of the house picking thousands of the little berries to make her fabulous wild strawberry preserves. Freda also enjoyed knitting. She knit blankets for all of her grand children and children and socks and mitts for her family.

As many women of her time, she saw changes of technologies such as doing laundry with a scrubbing board and tub to a wringer washer, kerosene lights to electric, and transitioning cooking on a wood stove to an electric stove. She embraced new technologies and marveled at how people kept in contact through social media.

The family appreciates the love and care provided to her by the staff and volunteers of the Tobique Valley Manor. Freda will certainly be missed.

Respecting Freda's wishes, there will be no visitation. A commemorative Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, August 31, 2014 at 10:30 am at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Father Gilbert Doddatto celebrating. The graveside committal will take place at the adjoining cemetery at 11:30 am with luncheons to follow at noon. Relatives and friends are welcomed to any of these events to share condolences and memories.

For those who wish, memorial donations to the Tobique Valley Manor or to a charity of your choice would be appreciated by the family.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Brunswick Funeral Home, Perth-Andover and Plaster Rock.