Florence Eileen (Roper) Luhtala was born October 21, 1940 to Aili Emelia and Charles Ernest Roper in Whitewood, Saskatchewan. Her siblings were brother Henry, sister Doreen and half-sisters Edna and Deloris (Heinz).

Florence’s early years were spent on the farm. She had a white horse named Mabel that she rode to round up the cows for milking. She worked hard on the farm even as a youngster. Florence cleaned the Deerwood School for money and earned a bicycle. She grew up very poor and even ate the orange peels out of the wastepaper basket at school and remembered she enjoyed them very much! Florence attended schools at Deerwood, Winnipeg and Whitewood, quitting school in grade 11 when she was required to take part in public speaking because she was sure she just could not do it! Florence worked in Vancouver at a 15-cent store in the pet department and at Safeway as a cashier. When she returned home, she worked in Wapella as a waitress.

On November 1, 1958, Florence married Archie Walfrid Luhtala; he was the love of her life. Mostly she worked hard as a homemaker and farmer, but from 1960 -1968, Archie and Florence ran “Archie’s Grocery”, a general store in Tantallon, Saskatchewan. In 1968, they took a barbering course in Regina; she was a talented hairdresser.

There were many accomplishments over the years, but Florence was most proud of her children: Stewart Walfred, 1959, Linda Yvonne, 1960 and Ralph Walter, 1962. The family moved in 1970 to the Antti Kangas farm, and many happy years were spent there. Florence served on the LCW at St. John’s and also as Sunday School and VBS instructor; she loved children. She volunteered on the museum board and the care home auxiliary, the New Finland Historical Society creating our local history books, as well as for years doing hair at the Whitewood Nursing Home. She also helped out the horseshoe club. Florence packed care packages and school supplies and sewed dresses to ship overseas to displaced people with WE CARE, a division of Canadian Lutheran World Relief. She supported Operation Christmas Child and packed shoeboxes for children in need. She made quilts for her family, and she fed a lot of people because she really liked to feed people! Florence had a lot of friends because she truly cared about people. Her hobbies were gardening, golfing, bird watching, art and music. Florence was a gifted artist and served many years as church organist, although she found it stressful. She also sang with the Pleasant Company, a Whitewood group that entertained at nursing homes and local events.

Florence was predeceased by her parents Aili and Charles Roper, her brother Henry, sister Edna Mercer and also her precious son Ralph in 1980. She leaves to mourn her passing: her husband of 58 years, Archie, her daughter, Linda (Dwight) of Esterhazy and her son, Stewart (Marie) of Stony Plain, AB; Linda’s children, Christian (Shallen) Erhardt of Glendon, AB, Shallen’s son Jaden, and their children Kieran and Kylan; Nicholas (Reba) Erhardt of Lloydminster, SK; Sarah (Troy) Gaehring of Didsbury, AB and children Dylan and Brooklynn; Flora Dancsok of Rocanville and her boyfriend A.J. Regular; her sister Doreen Palmer of North Vancouver, BC and her family; sister-in-law Marianne Roper (Henry’s wife) and her family of North Vancouver, BC; her sister Deloris (John) Kweens of Churchbridge, SK and family; and brother-in-law James (Betty) Mercer of Regina, SK and family; as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews and special family friends, for she truly was “a friend to all” and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.