Journalist remembered for her heart

Southern Manitoba has lost a dedicated and talented journalist as Lori Penner, 59, died on June 25.

Formerly a reporter and editor of The Red River Valley Echo and the South Central Post, Penner contributed as a freelancer to multiple publications including The Carillon.

She is perhaps best known for her weekly column, Don’t Mind the Mess, where she shared her life and thoughts with thousands of readers weekly. It’s estimated she wrote over 1,500 of those columns.

Penner’s death came after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke on June 20.

Her daughter Holly Gilson, one of six siblings, made the announcement on Facebook.

“On Wednesday night, with her children and her partner surrounding her, we filled the room with song as she took her last peaceful breaths in this world,” she said.

Gibson told The Carillon her mother was a bright shining light who always believed the best was yet to come.

“She was perpetually hopeful, and completely unafraid of showing vulnerability or struggle,” she said. “She believed that the hard parts of life were just as important as the simple ones, and that even the darkest days could end with a bright, beautiful sunset.”

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family who describes themselves as “heartbroken and unprepared for the costs that come with saying goodbye.”

As of Tuesday morning, close to $14,000 had been raised. All donations will go directly toward funeral costs and helping ensure her children are all present to honour her together.

In the GoFundMe description, Gilson shared her mom’s deep love of storytelling.

“She poured her heart into every article she wrote, believing that even the quietest corners of a small town held stories worth telling,” she wrote. “Her worlds captured the spirit of the people around her, and she had a way of making the ordinary feel extraordinary. Her legacy lives on not just in what she wrote, but in the way she listened, noticed and cared.”

In her June 19 column titled “Waffles, white sauce, and what really matters,” Penner shared how she made the time to have a sleepover with her grandchildren, putting aside tasks that were on her to-do list.

She revealed her philosophy by taking advantage of these moments.

“We spend so much of our lives working hard, chasing deadlines, keeping the house in order, paying the bills,” she said. “We tell ourselves that we’ll have more time later. Later, when we retire. Later, when things calm down.”

“Time is sneaky like that,” she added. “It slips through our fingers while we’re busy being responsible. And just when we finally feel ready to slow down and be present, the people we want to spend it with are off chasing their own lives.”

She understood that moments with her grandchildren were precious.

“Because one day they’ll remember these sleepovers. The waffles. The white sauce. The laughter. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll remember that their grandma always made time. Even when she was tired.”

Penner leaves to mourn six children, four grandchildren and her partner.

To support the family, go to www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-lori-penner.