Obituary of Jim Griebel

James Joseph Griebel

“Jim”

1947 ~ 2024

James Joseph Griebel (Jim) arrived March 1, 1947, as the first child of Reiny and Virginia Griebel (nee:  Ries) at the original Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital in Castor, Alberta.  He grew up working and playing on the family farm south of Castor with his six siblings:  Bob, Margaret, Richard, Philip, Elizabeth and Rosemary.

At the age of 17 Jim made the decision to stay close and farm with his father.  He bought a farm from his Uncle Sam and Aunt Annie Ries and dearly loved being on and working with the land.  His new place also became a social hub and party house.

Jim was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when he was 27 years old. Soon after his brother Richard came back from travelling the world and began farming with him, which became a multi-year partnership. In February 1980, Jim met Kathy Stahr at a Greek restaurant in Calgary, and they were married on October 17, 1980.  Within two years, Kathy dove right into the farming operation and made milking cows her main past-time.  Jim and Kathy’s daughter Sarah was born in Stettler on November 18, 1983, and became the joy and love of his life.

Jim was an avid reader and part of local organizations such as Toastmasters and the Castor Elks. Over the years he travelled to South and Central America, the UK, South Dakota for family reunions and out to Nova Scotia.

He continued to work and adjust to having MS with grace, never complaining, and continuing to have a good chuckle along the way. He was continuously resourceful in navigating the MS, tossling  his walker up on the tractor and using a golf cart as if it was a truck. Kathy was his main caregiver until 2013 when he moved into Castor Extended Care, where he continued to read and write and tease.

Jim contributed censored and uncensored stories to the Long-Term Care Gazette. In 2022 he was overjoyed to learn that he had a granddaughter on the way. He was proud of his daughter and granddaughter, Elora. Jim was kind and gentle, a wicked tease with a fabulous sense of humour and a ridiculously hard worker who lived to fix machinery. He will be dearly missed by both family and friends.

Jim is lovingly remembered by his wife Katherine; daughter Sarah (Andrew Aitken); granddaughter Elora (Pete) Aitken; brothers Robert (Sandy Easterbrook), Phillip (Lorraine Bryan); sisters Margaret, Elizabeth (Lydden Polley) and Rosemary (Richard Harvey); sister-in-law Kathy Charpentier; aunts Rita Renschler and Shirley Ries; along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins other relatives and dear friends.  Jim was predeceased by his parents Reiny and Virginia Griebel; brother Richard Griebel and nephew Chris Griebel.

Funeral Mass

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 11:00A.M.

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Castor, Alberta

Memorial donations in memory of Jim may be made to Our Lady of The Rosary Hospital ~ Palliative Care, P.O. Box 329, Castor, Alberta T0C 0X0.