Obituary of Elizabeth Alice Schofer

Elizabeth Alice Schofer (Betty) was born April 18, 1927 in Vegreville, Alberta; she was the youngest of six children. She grew up on the family farm at Hairy Hill, which is 14 miles north of Vegreville. She helped on the family farm and enjoyed her early years growing up there. She moved to Calgary in 1946 and had a job at the Betty Shop as a fur finisher, (making fur coats). She later took a job with Hudson’s Bay Company doing the same type of work with fur. Betty met Len in Calgary in 1947, at a boarding house where Betty lived and Len was visiting a friend. Len offered to dry the dishes that she had washed. They struck up a friendship, began dating and got married on October 14, 1948 in Vegreville and they were married more than 67 years. They lived in Calgary for the next 11 years and had three sons: Ron, Rick and John. They both worked hard during their life in Calgary, but their dream was to go farming. Their dream became a reality in 1959, at which time they purchased a farm and moved their family to Byemoor. They raised their three rambunctious boys on the farm just north of Byemoor, where Betty raised a large garden and helped Len with the farming, milking cows, raising chickens, geese, ducks, pigs and cows. Betty was a very avid seamstress and made many clothes for the children. There were the ups and downs that come with farming, but overall it was a good life. Betty was also involved in the Byemoor Community and helped at community functions and was a member of the Home Circle Club. Len and Betty semi-retired in Byemoor in the late 1980s but lived on the farm and continued to help John and Carolin farm. It was during these years that they had some free time which allowed them to be able to travel. They took ten bus trips, seven cruises, seven trips to Hawaii and a month tour to Europe. They were also able to spend 22 years winter vacationing in Apache Junction, Arizona. They moved from Byemoor to Stettler in 1993 and enjoyed full retirement. Betty was happy that she could still tend to a large garden in her back yard in Stettler. They enjoyed spending time with the grandchildren, time at the lake, doing volunteer work (meals on wheels) and played sports and winter games. Betty was also well known for her excellent skills at Ukrainian cooking and always incorporated traditional dishes into Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving celebrations. Betty is survived by her loving family: husband Len Schofer of Stettler; sons: Ron (Noweata) Schofer of Kimberley, Rick (Bernie) Schofer of Stettler, John (Carolin) Schofer of Byemoor; grandchildren: Sarah Schofer of Calgary, Michael Schofer of Stettler, Jennel (Robin) Walsh of Stettler, Lenard (Rebecca) Schofer of Byemoor and Randy Schofer (Kory Bremer) of Byemoor; great grandchildren: Gabriella and Lucas Walsh and Addison and Maverick Schofer; other family members and many dear friends. A funeral service for the late Betty Schofer was held on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at St. George’s Anglican Church, Stettler, Alberta with Reverend Carolyn Langford officiating. Those present enjoyed a “walk down memory lane” video tribute prepared by granddaughter Jennel Walsh. Betty’s grandchildren and son John presented loving tributes in memory of their grandmother and mother. Musician Barbara-Lynn Goodwin shared her gift of music as she played for the congregational hymns. Honorary pallbearers were granddaughters Sarah Schofer and Jennel Walsh as grandsons: Michael Schofer, Lenard Schofer and Randy Schofer and sons: Ron Schofer, Rick Schofer and John Schofer served as active pallbearers as they laid their loved one to rest in the Lake View Cemetery, Stettler, Alberta. Following the interment a time of fellowship with a luncheon prepared and served by Eilleen Bullard and staff was held in the St. George’s Anglican Church Lower Hall. Donations in memory of Betty are gratefully accepted to the Alberta Heart and Stroke Foundation c/o Stettler Funeral Home & Crematorium.