Mom was born with the name Willow Ione, but those who really knew her, knew her as “Happy” or Ione. Born on April 5, 1941 at the Dempsey family farm, she was the fifth daughter of John and Kay Dempsey, 10 years later they were joined by a younger brother, completing their family of six. She cherished her memories of growing up surrounded by so much love – coining her nickname “Happy” by her cousin Bud, when she was just a baby.

One of her favorite childhood traditions, which she lovingly recreated for her own children and grandchildren, was packing picnic lunches in handkerchiefs, tying them to sticks, and venturing out for a walk. They would stroll to Ed’s yard, enjoy their picnic, and then walk back home.

Mom met the love of her life, Kenny Rink, at a dance at Danceland in Manitou Beach. They danced beautifully together, always gliding across the floor. Married on October 11, 1958, this year would have marked their 67th anniversary. A testament to the love they shared, they passed away exactly five months of each other; it is a comfort to know they’re together again.

They began their married life at the Rink family home place and later moved to their own farm, where they remained until retiring to Saskatoon. Across every phase of their lives, Happy centered her love and attention to her greatest joy: her family. Her home was a safe haven for all to gather—she would fill it to the brim with everyone’s favorite meals and desserts.

If you ask any of her children or grandchildren now, they can list Happy’s menu for you. Each year, it seemed to grow—in lockstep with her family. The abundance of food would make its way into individually crafted care packages for everyone to bring home. Ironically, her famous and coveted perogies never seemed to last to this stage—uncles and cousins would sneak them off each other’s plates between visits to the kitchen.

Beyond cooking and baking, Happy was a gifted creator. She learned to knit from her mother, Kay, and grew her passion of sewing through her many years. She lovingly created clothes for her children when they were young. In later years, she poured even more love into sewing her grandchildren and great-grandchildren custom creations: jackets, coveralls, housecoats, and the matching pajamas she would sew for her grandkids every year.

Her devotion to her family, especially the children, was evident in these custom projects and handmade crafts, which are remembered and treasured with love. Beyond what was seen, she also dedicated countless hours combining, trucking, cultivating, chores and keeping the farm running.

Happy and Kenny raised four children: Brad; Wes (Brenda); Della (Murray); and Rod. They were blessed with nine grandchildren: Garrett Rink, Everet (Megan Wetherill) Rink; Tyrel (Echo Fettes) Rink, Kendra (Kevin) Koerting, Chandra (Patrick) Tumu; Blaine (Jamie) Siroski, Courtney (Daylon) Korolchuk; and Daphne Rink. They also delighted in three great-grandchildren: Bryden and Kaysen Korolchuk; and Inara Rink.

To honour Mom’s memory, we ask that you extend the brightness she shared with everyone she encountered. If you feel the urge to give her a hug, give that hug to someone else; if you wish you could see her smile again, share your own smile with someone else—just as Happy would have done.

A funeral will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Telemiracle.