ELSIE ANNE SHERMAN
We are profoundly saddened to announce the passing of our mother, grandmother and great grandmother, our Omma, Elsie Anne Sherman aka “El”. She was our rock, our pillar of strength and a true model of caring, compassion and kindness. Born Elsie Anne Witzke in 1933 and raised and educated in the Vega area of Alberta, El was old school where hard work, family and friends were the most important things in life and these values became her only real “hobbies”. Into her late teens she met this good looking dude named Charles aka Chuck. Sparks and kids followed and sometime around 1954-1955 the farm raised “hippie chick” and her two boys Shawn and Sheldon moved to Kelowna BC while Chuck remained working in Alberta on seismograph crews and would join them in the months to follow.
In 1963 El and family moved to Winfield (Lake Country) to a 30 acre property complete with a beater old shack and with much hard work established a working vineyard and comfortable rustic home for the family where the current sun burned subdivision now exists. Sherman Drive, the main road of this subdivision, is El and Chuck’s lasting legacy to their homestead property. They then moved to Seaton Rd. where El and family established Mountain Valley Ranch, a successful working apple orchard, cold storage, juicing and fresh fruit independent business. Upon retirement in 2004, El and Chuck moved to the Sandstone gated community in Kelowna to try and enjoy their life time of hard work, but even then rest and relaxation never entered her vocabulary. Dad passed away in July of 2005 leaving “mom” with yet another challenge in her life to overcome, she was single for the first time in some 50 years. Again she soldiered on until now, with leukemia at age 80, she faced her next and final challenge which she could not beat and after a short but feisty fight she has reluctantly left us all on May 25, 2014. She is set free and she goes to a far greater rest than she has ever known. She will be forever missed by sons Shawn and Sheldon (Helen), grand children Lance, Brad (Angie) Chalyn, Ondrea (Stefan) and Cherise (Jeremy) and 6 great grand children Cailee, Brett, Alexa, Tayber, Torrin and Rylee. She also leaves behind 2 sisters Ida and Lee, very special nephew Barry (Connie) and niece Denise (Hardy), sister in law Dorothy and nephews Rob (Brenda), Kevin (Rita), Mike and Bobby and Jimmie. As well, Mom takes her leave of her besties Judy and Margaret and the countless people whose lives she has forever touched. We will all meet thousands of people in our lifetimes and a very few will forever remain at the forefront of our thoughts, she is one of them. Her caring, compassion, kindness and lifetime of giving to others in so many ways, highlights her journey through her life and sets her apart from all others. A celebration of Els’ life will be held on Saturday June 28, 2014 at First Memorial Funeral Services @ 1211 Sutherland Ave. in Kelowna from 1 – 3 pm. She would be very embarrassed to have all the attention but we are not giving her an option here so all those family, friends and acquaintances who would care to share your memories and stories of our Omma, please come join us as we honour her. In lieu of flowers please feel free to donate to the SPCA for her love of animals. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mem.com and search her name under stories.
Arrangements entrusted to First Memorial Funeral Services, Kelowna, BC ph:250-762-2299.