Eileen OLSON

OLSON, Eileen Hazel (nee Coates)
October 8, 1927 – March 12, 2017
After a twenty-year battle with Alzheimer's Disease, her family is very sad to announce the passing of Eileen Hazel Olson on March 12, 2017 at the age of 89 years. She is survived by her children Kathy (Ed) Jackson, Ken (Karen) Olson, Karen (Kevin) Olson, Ellen (Brent) Henderson; her grandchildren Jennifer (Finn) Borchgrevink, Graham Olson, Chris Jackson, Candace (John) Schneider, Tyler Maloney, Jay Maloney; her great-granddaughters Una Borchgrevink, Lena and Clara Schneider; her sister Joan (Harold) Bell and her brother Tim (Isabel) Coates; sisters-in-law Nancy Coates, Marcia Holtby, Dot Olson, Thelma Craver and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Earle Olson and her brothers Max, Walter and Doug Coates, her sisters Helen Baker and Laura Smith and her parents John and Hazel Coates. Eileen was born and raised on a farm near Leask, SK. She was the fourth of eight children. As a child, she was smart in school and excelled in sports. On the farm, she learned an excellent work ethic which she carried throughout her life. After High School, she went to Business College in Saskatoon and then went to work for London Life. It was during this time she started dating a very handsome, dashing young man named Earle Olson, the love of her life, whom she married in 1950. Together they raised four children on a half acre in Montgomery Place, Saskatoon. There they grew a huge garden and sold vegetables and gladiolas. Eileen won many awards from the Horticultural Society and Gladiolas Society's Annual Shows. They also built a greenhouse and sold bedding plants every spring. Eileen was a master gardener and worked very hard to make extra money for her family. Their yard was always magnificent. She continued her education taking French and Accounting courses which allowed her to work for a Chartered Accountant for many years. Eileen was active in the Montgomery community with the United Church Women and was a leader with CGIT. She also volunteered with the sports clubs her kids were involved in – track and field and speed swimming. Eileen was also an excellent seamstress and sewed many of her children's and her own clothes. After the kids were grown they eventually retired to Shawnigan Lake, BC on Vancouver Island where they lived for 17 years having many adventures and travelling all over. When it was evident that Eileen had developed Alzheimer's, Earle decided to move them close to family in Edmonton. Here they spent the next eleven years together with Earle and four different live-in caregivers to help with Eileen and family as back-up. When Earle passed away in 2013, Eileen moved in to the Allen Gray Continuing Care Centre where she has been a resident for the last four years. Living with Alzheimer's for so long has been a very difficult and tragic experience for Eileen and all of her family. We are sad but also relieved for her to be released from this awful disease. We want her to be remembered for the beautiful, kind, loving, vibrant woman and wonderful Mom she was before the disease took hold. We want to remember her when she was happiest, surrounded by her family!! The family would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the staff of Allen Gray for their loving kindness to Mom and the excellent care they provided for her. A cremation has taken place and a celebration of lw-1her life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on April 12, 2017 at Hainstock's Funeral Home, 9810 – 34 Ave. NW, Edmonton. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer Society, 20 Eglinton Ave. W, 16th Floor, Toronto, ON, M4R 1K8 or the Gray House Guild, 5005 – 28 Ave. Edmonton, AB T6L 7G1.
Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family via the website www.hainstockedmonton.com.