Obituary of Audrey Ethel Braden

The family of Audrey Braden of Ituna, beloved wife of Donald Braden sadly announce her passing on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Audrey was 80 years of age.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

Memorials in memory of Audrey may be made to the Ituna Pioneer Health Centre (Box 130, Ituna, SK S0A 1N0) as gifts of remembrance.

Audrey Ethel Braden was born on March 22, 1943 in Balcarres, SK to parents Philip and Enid (Eyre) Jankoski. Her initial years were spent joyfully running the rows of Philip and Enid’s general store in Tullymet as well as riding along in the fuel truck throughout the municipality. Audrey attended Tullyment School until Grade 8 then graduated from Ituna School.   After graduation she furthered her education at Grey Nun’s Nursing School in Regina.

She met her future husband, Donald Braden early on in her life via interactions with fuel deliveries and the family store and at many country dances.  They were married on Sept 1, 1962 and began their life together in Regina as Don began a career in industrial construction. While in Regina they welcomed three sons:  Curtis, Calvin and Claire.   They moved to Ituna in 1968 and welcomed their first daughter Carla and rounded out their family of “ 5 C’s” with their second daughter Camille in 1970.

In 1973, the couple swapped houses with Don’s parents and settled on the Braden Family Homestead ten miles south of Ituna, where they made their forever life together.  Audrey began work at the Ituna Pioneer Lodge as a nurse aid in 1975, the same year it opened, and continued that career until suffering a stroke in 2001. She made many lifelong friends during her 26 year career and fulfilled her ingrained need to help others with a gentle touch and sincere kindness. Outside of work Audrey loved her family without reserve. She so cherished family gatherings and was always the last to eat, ensuring her family was cared for before ever attending to herself.  She was the ultimate wife, mother, mother-in-law, gramma, aunty and friend, never passing judgement and always welcoming without hesitation.  Audrey was so looking forward to seeing her first Great Grandchild in the upcoming month and would have loved the opportunity to swaddle the little one up and hold it in her loving arms.

After 2001 Audrey’s health slowly declined, and she retired from the career she loved. She was content and made the best of those years. Don and Audrey enjoyed some travelling.  Casino trips to the US with friends, family trips to California, Arizona, Red Deer and many a trip to Denver, Colorado to see Carla and her family. Her hobbies were: supporting her family at whatever they were involved in, shopping, gambling, sports on TV, gameshows and of course her word search books that she spent hours working on.

After a fall at the end of October, Audrey had hip surgery and began her final journey. She did that as only Audrey could, without so much as a hint of complaint. Her courage was unparalleled and with grace she passed on January 10, 2024 at the age of 80 years with her husband Don at her side, in the place she so loved, the Ituna Pioneer Lodge.

She leaves to mourn her passing and to celebrate her life, her loving husband of 61 years, Donald;  three sons, two daughters and ten grandchildren: Curtis and Susan Braden, Samantha (Josh), Madison (Clayton);    Calvin and Debbie Braden, Taylor (Colton), Joel, Jesse;   Claire and Diane Braden, Bailey (Jace), Hannah;    Carla and Terry Mandziak, Holly (Max), Lauren;    Camille and Reid Lozinski, Tristen and special Shih tzu Rosie.   Brother Wayne Jankoski; sister-in-law Anne Jankoski as well as many special nieces and nephews.

She was pre-deceased by her mother, Enid in 1990; father, Philip in 2001; brother, Lawrence in 2019.