Obituary of Olga Natty Schmidt

February 18, 1936 – Gronlid, Saskatchewan

December 26, 2022 – Calgary, Alberta

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our loving mother and grandmother. Olga was born, christened in the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church, and raised on a farm in the village of Gronlid, Saskatchewan with her family: her father, mother, brother and five sisters.

At age 15, Olga left school in Gronlid moving to the city of Saskatoon, SK in search of bigger opportunities. In Saskatoon she shared an apartment with her cousin and worked as a nurse's aide in the Saskatoon General Hospital. In 1954 Olga married her beloved husband of fifty-nine years, Alexander Adolf Schmidt (who predeceased her in 2014), and as a wife and homemaker raised a family of four children.

In 1970, Olga, and her family left Saskatoon to move to The Pas, MN for her husband's career as Project Superintendent, later in 1971 moving to High River, AB and finally in 1972 to Calgary, AB where Olga and her family settled and lived for the past 50 years.

Olga will be fondly and forever remembered by her four children, Garry, Douglas, Danny, Barbara; grandchild Kane; siblings, Mary Cameron, Kay Dube, Stella Fench, Mike (Judy) Ilnisky, Sylvia (Allan) Paynter, and Helen Dutchkit; and numerous nieces and nephews. Olga’s father Peter Ilniski and mother, Annie also predeceased her, as well as another brother at a young age passed before Olga was born.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Canadian Red Cross, 3140 14 Ave NE Unit 7, Calgary, AB T2A 6J4, Telephone: (403) 273.4426; https://www.redcross.ca/ or S.T.A.R.S. (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society), Box 570, 1441 Aviation Park N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 8M7 Telephone: (403) 295-1811, www.stars.ca.

In living memory of Olga Schmidt, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, Ab t2x 3j3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.