Freda Rose Batlowski

Freda Rose Batlowski (nee Ellis) was born on June 17, 1942, in McLeod, Alberta. Parents Harvey and Violet Ellis and “little Freda” as she was affectionately known (her aunt was big Freda) relocated to the family farm in Miami, Manitoba and subsequently to Winnipeg.

Freda passed away peacefully with family by her side on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, at the Palliative Care Unit, Assiniboine Centre, Brandon, after a brief illness.

Freda contracted polio at age 11 and was hospitalized. This virus mostly affected her throat, which in her later years severely restricted her ability to swallow solid food, and to a lesser extent her mobility.

Freda attended various schools in her youth including Miami School, Earl Grey, Churchill, and Tec Voc High School in Winnipeg. Her pastimes included learning and teaching tap dancing and baton and participating in a wide variety of sports throughout junior high and high school. She met her partner in love, life, and business, Wally, in her teens, and they subsequently married in 1964 and had 2 girls, Cheryl and Charlene. Freda worked as a secretary/bookkeeper at legal, accounting, and jewelry establishments in Winnipeg and Alberta, at Super Thrifty Warehouse in Brandon and supported Wally with many community engagement activities while he served as Pharmacist with Shoppers Drug Mart in Winnipeg, Brandon, and with the Canadian Military in Cold Lake and Calgary where Freda was a member of the CWL (Catholic Women’s League).

Freda was an active community member and volunteer, serving as Past President of the Kinette Club of Brandon, delivering meals on wheels, canvassing for various organizations, and bookkeeping for Relay for Life events. She was a Mary Kay Consultant and devoted caregiver to her first grandson and to Wally for many years when he developed Dementia. She also spent many hours editing and typing essays and papers for her kids and has instilled in her kids and grandkids the spirit of hard work, perseverance and resilience. Freda enjoyed bowling and clogging/tap dancing and was a small animal lover, having a cat, poodle, dachshunds, budgies, and turtles over the years.

Freda is predeceased by her parents, Harvey and Violet Ellis (nee Huehn), her husband Walter, and most recently, her sister Ardith Farand (nee Ellis) with whom Freda, Cheryl, and her partner Ken had the pleasure of visiting last summer in Calgary.

Freda is survived by her daughters Cheryl Batlowski (partner Ken Stelmack), Charlene Kiszczak (husband Paul), grandchildren Devan, Bryce and Sydney Brown, Justin and Camryn Kiszczak, as well as her brother John Ellis, sister in law Carol Ellis, nephews Kyllan and Trenton Ellis, brother in law Eugene Farand, nieces Carla Farand Brennan (husband Ken), Nicole Cruickshank-Farand (husband Todd) and other extended family members.

A memorial service with family and close friends will be held at a later date, where both Freda and Wally’s cremains will be interred at Brandon cemetery.

The family wishes to thank close family friends Yvonne and Greg Skura, Roman and Carol Ann Odwazny for their longstanding friendships, Rotary Villas staff, especially Bonnie and JC, PMH Brandon Homecare and Seniors Mental Health Services, Dr. Sandra White, St. Boniface Hospital ICMS Nursing staff Christine, Michaela, Sidra, and Melissa, ENT and 7A South Staff, Companion Staff with Homecare Solutions for Everyone in Winnipeg, the staff of the BRHC Palliative Care Unit including Dr. Nazir, Dr. Barron, Dr. Bello and the Palliative Care Nurses and Health Care Aides who provided exceptional care and compassion during mom’s final days, most notably Nurses Jennifer, Devon, Charlotte, and Kenedee.

Expressions of condolences may be left on the Memories website. Donations may be made to BRHC Palliative Care Unit and/or Hospice fund or a charity of your choice.