Jenny Brattland (nee Buvik)

We said goodbye to our beloved 99 year old Mom and Grandma on January 27, 2026 in Banff. It is the end of an era for our family and we will miss her very much.

Jenny was born November 18th, 1926 at Utskarpen, Norway, the youngest of three children. She grew up in a small fishing and farming community on a fjord near the Arctic Circle. Jenny attended a two-room school until it was closed during her teenage years under Nazi occupation. After the war, she worked hard to get an education and became a nurse in Trondheim and then a midwife in Oslo. In 1957, Jenny immigrated to Calgary, Canada to reunite with her sweetheart, Torolf (Tor), who grew up on the same fjord.

Jenny and Tor lived in Revelstoke and Banff and were happily married for 47 years until Tor passed away in September 2004. Together, they built a good life in Canada for themselves and their two daughters. After retirement, Jenny and Tor travelled and explored across the country to all three coasts in their campervan. They were active in the Banff Seniors Society. They loved caring for and spending time with their grandkids. Jenny felt fortunate to see her grandchildren grow up, go to university, find jobs, and thrive. She was so proud of them!

Jenny’s strength of character was an inspiration for her family, friends, and caregivers. She was resilient, tough, wise and kind. Jenny lived in the present and approached life with a positive attitude and a sense of fun. She liked games, especially cribbage, which she played many times a week and often won. A “yippee” from Jenny when she got a good hand would make her crib partner smile. She enjoyed creative activities like sewing for her family and knitting beautiful Norwegian sweaters. Jenny shared many Norwegian food traditions: heart shaped waffles, attractively-decorated plates of Christmas cookies, fresh picked berry jam, and many ways to prepare fish. Jenny loved to be outside in the sunshine. She biked around town, hiked, cross-country skied and fished until chronic back pain curtailed her activity.

Jenny was fiercely independent and lived in her home until a week before she passed away. We are thankful for the incredible support she received from her Home Care family, the paramedics, the nurses and doctors at Mineral Springs Hospital and her longtime family doctor, Dr. Steve Shigeishi.

Jenny is survived by her daughters, Anita Brattland (Mark Gibbard) from Canmore, Lisa Brattland (John Mawdsley) from Calgary; grandchildren Clio and Jake Mawdsley, Lars and Evan Gibbard, and their partners; plus many relatives in Norway.

Following her wishes, there will be no memorial service. To remember Jenny, please play a game of crib with a friend or share a “Jenny” happy hour – have a cup of tea, a cookie or a chocolate, and a bowl of Lay’s Classic potato chips, her favourite.