Elmer's death

Bertha's husband Elmer died of a heart attack in his sleep in 1980, at the age of 76.

Their youngest son, John was 16 years old at the time.

Elmer had been suffering cancer and recurrent heart attacks for many months.

"The heart attack was the worst problem but he was so afraid of the cancer," says Bertha.

"He thought it was the worst thing that could happen to anybody.

"But it wasn't quick growing cancer so he lived for quite a while with it."

In his final years, Elmer's health deteriorated and Bertha sold up the shop to care for him full-time.

"Sold everything out of the shop and then sold the building so I wouldn't be tempted to open it again," she recalls.

Although she was prepared for Elmer's death, Bertha says it was a lot harder to cope with than she had expected.

"I didn't want to make any fuss, I didn't want to worry the boys.

They had their own families and their own homes to look after so I just pretended I was alright."

The year after Elmer's death, Bertha and her youngest son John moved to a house in Labrador.