Marie Olson of Rimbey, Alberta, 96 years young, passed away peacefully at the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre on Tuesday, May 21, 2019. She was very special - and her light will forever be missed.
Marie was born on March 8, 1923 at Bluffton, into the family of George and Eliza Donnelly. When she was 14 years old, she left home to finish her high school education at St. Joseph's Convent, a catholic boarding school in Red Deer. Marie attended the Convent for three years. After her graduation, she became a teacher and taught one year at the Dakota School near Crestomere, then one year at the Rutherford School east of Tees. Marie married Richard Olson (or Dick Olson to all who knew him) on December 23, 1944 in Prince George, B.C. Dick was an enlisted man and his company was stationed in Prince George for six months. At that time, Marie worked as a cashier at the Bank of Montreal. At the end of W.W.II, Marie and Dick settled down in the town of Rimbey. They owned Dick's Garage, a mechanic shop, and raised a family of 14 children on a farm south of Rimbey. Marie excelled at caring for sick or injured children, bookkeeping, managing monster gardens, organizing to-do lists for each child after school, and cooking huge meals for her family and friends. Marie and Dick travelled and camped extensively throughout Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, and the southwest United States for 15 years. Marie found great pleasure in her involvement with the Catholic Women's League, the Symond's Ladies Club, Amnesty International, as a tutor for the Canadian Literacy Guild, a treasurer for St. Margaret's Catholic Church, and a member of the Rimbey Drop-In Centre. She also had a passion for watching baseball games, reading, playing Scrabble, jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku, and completing the Weekender crossword puzzle from the Saturday edition of the Edmonton Journal each week. The last eight months of Marie's life were spent in the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre. Even through this trying time, she displayed a tremendous faith in God, a smile for all who visited her, and a thankfulness and respect for her many caregivers. Marie was a treasure who will be missed by all the souls she has touched through her travels in this life.
The Olson Family extends a special thank you to Dr. deBruyn and the many caregivers of the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre, in Acute Care and Extended Care, who helped to make our "little mother's" final hospital stay a comfortable one.
Marie will be lovingly remembered by her family: Maurice and Linda, Len and Wendy, Duane, Leanne and Ken, Sharon and Warren, Denyse, Rick and Carla, Valerie and Dennis, Greg and Carol, Melanie and Bert, Laurie and Brian, David and Teresa, Mary, Bonnie and Hawkeye, Elaine, and J.P; as well as her 89 cherished grandchildren and great grandchildren; her sister, Leona and Jim; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and her many special friends. She was predeceased by her parents, George and Eliza; her beloved husband, Richard; her sons, Brian and Gary; her brothers: Francis, Nelson, Joe, David, and Gilbert; and her sister, Fidelas.
Relatives and friends were invited to a Prayer Vigil which was held at St. Margaret's Catholic Church, Rimbey on Thursday, May 30, 2019 at 7 pm. with the Reverend Father Dan Gurnick presiding.
Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Margaret's Catholic Church, Rimbey on Friday, May 31, 2019 at 1 pm. with the Reverend Father Les Drewicki, Celebrant. Interment followed in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Bluffton. If friends desire, memorial tributes in Marie's Memory may be made directly to the Rimbey Health Services Donations Program, c/o Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre, Box 440, Rimbey, Alberta T0C 2J0 (www.rimbeyhealthdonations.com); or to St. Margaret's Catholic Church, Box 8, Rimbey, Alberta T0C 2J0. Condolence messages may be forwarded to the family by visiting: www.ofc-ltd.ca
Service and Burial Arrangements for the Late Marie Olson entrusted to the care of Oberhammer, Rimbey, Alberta.
Oberhammer Funeral Chapels Ltd.