Obituary of Elvera (Elli) Kinnon-Ramsay

RAMSAY, Elvera (Elli) Theresa (nee Laturnus)
August 20, 1937 – Odessa, Ukraine
February 6, 2022 - Calgary, Alberta

Elvera (Elli) Theresa Kinnon-Ramsay passed away on Sunday, February 6, 2022 after a months long battle with cancer. Our mom was born August 7, 1937 in Odessa, Ukraine. The second youngest of ten siblings she emigrated to Canada in 1945 at eight years of age and settled in Mankota and Swift Current Saskatchewan with her family. 

Although she was born in Ukraine, her family was of German heritage and she spoke German fluently.  Mom moved to Calgary in 1970 with the four of us, Rob, Diana, Tony, and Jennifer, but she kept close ties to Saskatchewan, her family, and her German heritage throughout her life. Throughout our childhood mom would pack us in the car for the drive to Speedy Creek and we spent many Christmas’s, Easter’s and summer holidays with our mom’s sisters and brothers and with our cousins.  Mom and her family would gather around a table, and, it seemed, all at the same time would sing, laugh, eat, drink, play Pontiex rummy, brag about their children, and “discuss” politics.  It was always a lot of fun. 

In 1978, she met Jerry Ramsay who became the love of her life, her husband, and stepfather to her children until Jerry passed away in March of 2021.   In 1978 our mom also suffered the loss of our sister Diana.  As can be expected with the death of a child she suffered greatly but it was a blessing that Jerry had come into her life at that time and help her through the loss of DiDi.

In the 1970’s, as a single mother of four, mom, worked two part time jobs while she went to Mount Royal College and successfully attained her Social Work Diploma with Honours. She went on to work for the Alberta Government Social Services department for many years until she took early retirement to enjoy her life with Jerry at home and at cabins in Sylvan Lake, Flathead Lake, and Qualicum Bay. Our parents’ favourite thing to do was to spend time with their children at home or at the lake. They called it triple magic.  Mom also felt blessed to have and live in the same city as her grandchildren, Jessica, Jordan, Tyler, Sean, Scott, and Amy. At the time of her death she also got to love her great grandchildren Isabelle, Dax, Ethan, and Walker. 

Our mom was a tireless worker. Besides Social Work she was an avid collector of antiques and for several years opened her own antique business in downtown Calgary, called Mozart’s, where she served coffee and sold and traded antiques and collectibles that she would procure through her endless love of garage sales and small boutiques across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and B.C.

She was famous for buying unique valuable items at bargain basement prices. One story is when she bought the entire Bowness Park Merry go round carousel (Circa 1930’s) and then proceeded to sell each carousel horse for more then she paid for the entire carousel. She loved assessing, negotiating, buying, selling, giving away and endlessly re-arranging her collectibles. Heaven will never look the same again. 

We are so fortunate to have been raised by our mom. She showed us that adversity can be overcome. She taught us the importance of family.  She gave us love. 

We love you mom and will miss you deeply. Thank you for everything.