Alvina was born on June 14, 1927 in Wright Township, MI, the daughter of Fred and Rose Schoenborn. To attend high school she left the family farm and moved to Grand Rapids staying with various relatives. She was the first person in her family to graduate from high school. In 1948, Alvina, her sister Rosemary, cousin Pauline Dietrich and a friend moved to California to escape the harsh Michigan winters. They all settled in Sacramento, where Alvina met and married John Ormsby Jr. in 1949.
An accomplished pianist from an early age, she played the organ at St. Joseph Church in Wright, Michigan. Later after moving to Sacramento, she was the organist at St. Peter’s Catholic Church where in 1955, she and her husband John became one of the first members of the church. In the 1960s they joined St. Mary’s Catholic Church where she was a beloved parishioner. She instilled a love of classical music in her children.
Alvina was also an avid gardener. With an ultimate “green thumb”, her garden included prized bromeliads, roses, camellias, vegetables and fruit trees. Her extended family loved receiving boxes of her oranges, Meyer lemons and limes every December. You could often find her sitting in the family room watching hummingbirds hovering on her Mexican sage while playing solitaire.
With her young family she enjoyed many camping trips, including climbing to the top of Mount Lassen, children in tow. There were many cross country trips to Colorado, Michigan, Washington DC and Alaska. Upon her husband’s retirement, she enjoyed traveling to Germany, Japan and South Korea. She loved playing board and word games with her children and grandchildren. In later years, she and John enjoyed taking the bus to Lake Tahoe, making many friends with their fellow passengers.
Alvina was an avid fan of the Sacramento Kings. She and John attended many games and later never missed watching them on television.
Alvina is survived by John W. Ormsby, Jr., her loving husband of 72 years, children Sharon Oster, Sandra Wheeler (Tony), John W. Ormsby III (Marci), Ron Ormsby (Kathy) and Joe Ormsby (Gillian), grandsons Andy and Tony Oster, Whit, Charles and Nick Wheeler, Ronald Ormsby, Jr., Garrett and Jack Ormsby, Darren Betz, David and Dustin Lemire, great-grandchildren Vincent and Vanessa Wheeler, Deejah Betz, Shawn Robinson, Camden and Remi Lemire.
She is also survived by her sister Rosemary Jorgensen, sisters-in-law Betty Schoenborn, Louella Sexsmith, Jeanne Ormsby, Leslie Ormsby, several cousins and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister Esther Ryder and brothers Fred and Ron Schoenborn.
A Rosary is scheduled for 6:00 pm on Tuesday February 1 at Nicoletti, Culjis & Herberger Funeral Home at 5401 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, CA. The family welcomes friends beforehand beginning at 5:00 pm. Burial services will be private.
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