Teacher. Entrepreneur. Mother. Spark plug.

Born Jan. 29, 1923, in Kipling, Sask.; died March 19, 2021, in Vancouver, of complications related to pneumonia; aged 98

It has been said that hard work is simply a manifestation of love. Julie Braaten showed her love and devotion to her family through a life of hard work. She was born on a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan. Her mother had emigrated from Brittany, France, and was in her 20s when she was widowed with five young children – Julie’s older siblings. She eventually married a local man, and Julie became the eldest of four more children in a family of 11.

Life on the farm in the 1930s was hard. When Julie Farrell finished high school, she left for the bright lights of Regina to enroll in what was known as “Normal School,” a teacher training program.

In Abbey, Sask., she taught 35 students from Grades 1 to 10. Here, she also met Emerson Braaten, a much-admired local son who had recently returned from Germany. Emerson was in the Canadian Army (Royal Regina Rifles) and had remained in Europe to occupy Germany after the allies prevailed. Julie did not really understand what the fuss was about, but in the end, she succumbed to his charms and they were together from that moment until his death in 1998. They married at the beautiful Bessborough Hotel in Saskatoon and soon moved to Regina to begin a life together.

Julie and Emerson had four children Murray, Sheila, Norma and Lyle. Julie was a working mom – she opened an ice cream shop and then two wellknown Regina coffee shops known as the Carnival Drive-Ins.

Her children played a role in her businesses, whether it was serving customers or washing dishes. She imparted a strong work ethic, although her main teaching point was always the importance of education. Long hours away at work meant her family also had to pitch in at home. Older children helped younger siblings and meals were often brought home from the family restaurant. Hamburgers and milkshakes for dinner – not so bad! In addition to the restaurants, Julie taught sewing classes at her fabric shop, Stretch & Sew, in the evenings. At that time, retail stores could not open in the evenings or on Sundays, so she would often get into trouble for selling fabric while teaching in those off-hours. Luckily, a neighbour would let the family know when not to answer the door on evenings when the police tried to serve notices of violation. Julie was unfazed, however, and carried on even if she had to pay the occasional fine.

Julie loved Saskatchewan and its friendly people. In 1978, Emerson wanted to leave the long winters of Saskatchewan for the idyllic orchard-filled Okanagan valley. The move was controversial and put to a family vote – Julie was outvoted (4-2) and the family moved to Kelowna, B.C. In her later years, she would long for the sunny winter days of Saskatchewan. When this occurred, her family looked up the temperature in Regina to convince her that the move was not such a bad idea after all.

Julie became a successful realtor in Kelowna and worked into her 70s, while also enjoying the company of her seven grandchildren. She was also a tenacious fundraiser – commonly referred to as the Spark Plug – and enjoyed helping the Okanagan Hospice Society, among other organizations.

Julie would often remark that “if you are cooking for six, you might as well cook for 20!” It was part of her outgoing personality. This occasionally caused tension in the family as she would “forget” to mention social commitments or drop-in visits that became dinners for large crowds. But it was all part of her plan to bring people together. Julie remains well known for creating a community of friends that she called her extended family.