It is with deep sadness that the Bains family informs of the passing of their matriarch Pritam Kaur Bains (1922-2016), who passed away at 4:20 PM on Saturday, May 7th.
Pritam Kaur Bains, whom we respectfully called Biji, was born in a modest farming family on April 20th, 1922 in the village of Jamsher Khera to Late Lashman Singh & Late Poona Kaur Shergill.
In 1939, at the age of 17 she married the son of a modest farming family from the village of Mahilpur, Malkiat Singh Bains. Malkiat Singh was an Agricultural Officer for the Government of India, and his government posting in cane development required him and Biji to be stationed in various cities in pre-partition Punjab.
Their sons Daljit Singh and Jagjit Singh were born in 1943 and 1947 respectively. After partition in 1947, the family transferred closer to Mahilpur in Banga. In 1952, Malkiat Singh was diagnosed with typhoid, and the family returned to Mahilpur where he would pass away 14 days later. Biji raised her sons in Mahilpur as a 30 year-old widow with her in-laws’ extended family.
Biji’s eldest son, Daljit Singh, left for England in 1961 and from there to Canada in 1974, where she would reunite with him a few years later, share her stories and enjoy the remainder of her life in Richmond, BC.
Biji’s younger son, Jagjit, returned to Mahilpur and passed away in 2009. Biji is survived by her son, Daljit Singh & his wife Gunwant Kaur Bains; granddaughter, Navroop Kaur & her husband Manish and their children, Meera & Om Bhatia; grandson, Paramvir & his wife Gurpreet and their children, Hasina & Dayavir Bains.
Biji, Pritam K. Bains’ funeral services details are included below:
Funeral Service
Date: Sunday, May 15th
Time: 2:00 PM
Place: Riverside Funeral Home
7410 Hopcott Rd, Delta, BC
Prayer Sevice
Date: Sunday, May 15th
Time: 3:30 PM
Place: Gurdwara Nanak Niwas
8600 No 5 Road, Richmond, BC
