Patricia Mary Schmidt

Pat passed away at the age of 91 on May 16, 2022. She was born in Keyworth, England and spent her childhood there. She immigrated to Olds, Alberta with her parents in 1949 at the age of 18. She hadn’t wanted to leave England and was promised a return fare if she still felt the same in a year’s time. However shortly after arriving she met Art and the rest as they say is history. They were married in November of 1950. In England she had worked in the bookkeeping department of Boots the Chemist. On arrival in Canada, she worked for a time at Olds Agricultural College in charge of food supplies and later at a doctor’s office.

After marriage Pat and Art lived and worked on his parent’s farm and had some dairy cows of their own. They then moved to Calgary where she worked as a seamstress at Hatchwear and then at Calgary Tent and Awning. Here she learned skills that led to her being much in demand later as a farmer’s wife able to mend swather canvas. After 2 years they moved to Rosalind where Art had begun as a grain buyer for United Grain Growers (UGG). Two years in Rosalind and four years in Alliance were followed by a move to Peace River.

Peace River was to remain their home until retirement in 2001. Art continued to work for UGG until 1975. In 1962 they purchased a ½ section of homestead farmland to which they eventually added another 3 quarters. They farmed this land for 40 years and never had a crop failure. After selling the farm in 2001 they moved to Granum where they lived until Art passed away in 2007. Pat then moved into The Lodge at Valley Ridge in Calgary where she spent 10 happy years. When her daughter Joanne left Calgary, Pat followed her firstly to Leduc and then Edmonton. A fall and broken hip in early 2021 led to her admission to the Good Samaritan Stony Plain Care Centre.

Pat was active in the Order of Royal Purple for over 40 years and in other community endeavours. She was a talented artist who sketched all her life and took up painting while at Valley Ridge. She was kind and warm hearted, genuinely interested in others and knew how to have fun.

Pat was the last of her generation in both her and Art’s families. She was also predeceased by a stillborn son and a grandson, James. She is survived by her daughters, Joanne (Ray) and June (Albin), grandchildren Dale (Malyrah), Clarice (Lucas), Ryan and Kris (Colin) and great grandchildren Alexandrea and Benson and many nieces and nephews and their families.

When we were growing up Mom always had a pocketful of ‘magination to rub on our cuts and scrapes. She will be missed by her family and friends. It will take more than ‘magination to fill the empty spot in our hearts.

If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Cancer Society or to the Good Samaritan Stony Plain Care Centre. Mom often bemoaned how many people she knew who succumbed to cancer and had been diagnosed too late or for whom there was inadequate treatment available. The Good Samaritan provided her with excellent loving care both before her last illness and through her final days.