Alyce was born, at home, in Carlyle, Saskatchewan on August 15, 1927. She passed away at the Moose Mountain Lodge in Carlyle on January 17, 2017. She was the second youngest of eleven children born to Adolf and Olga Eckert.
She was pre-deceased by her parents, her husband Russell Stockton, her daughter Jill Bonnetta, brothers Art, Bill, Ben and Albert Eckert, sisters Lydia Litke, Elsie McJannet, Alma McEwan, Erna Harrop, Lena Lewis and Tudy Wesneski.
She is survived by her son Walter and his wife Margaret, son Leighton and his wife Sandy, grandchildren Chris and his wife Ailsa Birnie, Jon, Brittany and her partner Kurtis Stevenson, Joshua, Rebecca, Samantha, Paige (Bonnetta) Boudreau and her husband Eric, Drew Bonnetta, and great grandchildren Choice, Fischer and Sawyer Stevenson; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, friends and relatives.
Alyce grew up in Carlyle where she attended both elementary and high school. Her first job was working at the Canada Cafe, as a waitress, to earn money to buy textbooks for Grade 12. The summer after Grade 12 she worked in the Hotel Beach Store at Carlyle Lake and following that worked at G.W. Stockton’s General Store. In later years she could be found working at Wilson’s and Lawrek’s Specialty Shops. Most importantly, in 1948 she started working at Stockton’s Electric.
In 1951, as she would tell you, she married the boss, Russell Stockton, and together they had three children: Jill, Walter and Leighton.
She championed her community, volunteering for C.G.I.T, both Carlyle History Books, the Canada and Saskatchewan Centennial Celebrations, Homecoming ’71, numerous fundraisers and was a founding member of the Dickens’ Festival. She was also a long time contributor to the Carlyle Observer.
Family was most important to Alyce. She was a loving and nurturing wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Although she was the second youngest of her siblings, she became the matriarch of her greater family, holding a special place in the hearts of many of her nieces and nephews. She embraced her close friends as family and was “Grandma” or “Auntie Alyce” to many of them.
For over 60 years she lived in her little house, in the big yard, and her wish was to remain at home as long as possible. This was accomplished through the support of her loving community and her “Earth Angels” with whom she’d been blessed.
She spent her final days in respite at the Moose Mountain Lodge, in Carlyle, where she was welcomed by a warm and caring staff, while still being able to receive comfort from her friends and family, She passed, peacefully, on January 17, 2017 surrounded by her “Earth Angels”.
