Evelyn Lovrod

Evelyn Lovrod passed away peacefully at the age of 88 in the wee small hours of Christmas morning, 2023, at City Hospital in Saskatoon. Evelyn is survived by her sister Lillian, brother-in-law Leif Lovrod and his wife, Arlene, her daughter, Marie, her son, Jim, her grand-daughter, Nerissa Dickson and her husband, Brent; great granddaughters, Sabrina and Brooklynn; grandsons Keiffer and Ian, great grandson, Hudson, her god-daughter Beth Borgal, and a host of nieces, nephews and grand and great grand nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents, Erling and Ingrid Buchholdt, her parents in law, Jacob and Kari Lovrod, her husband, Ole, her siblings, Marie, Ingrid, and Erling, and their spouses, Norman, Chester, Martin and Helen, her siblings in law, Harold and Margaret and her husband, Joe Banack, by Melvin Rott, her son-in-law, Robert Barry Francos, and her nephews Greg Banack, Ronnie, David and Gary Smith, Peter Buchholdt, and great niece, Karen Banack.

Evelyn Buchholdt was born in 1935 and attended school in Valhalla Center, Alberta, where her parents farmed for many years before retiring to Camrose, Alberta. She graduated from the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute and worked in Bethany Sunset Home, where her sister Ingrid and brother-in-law, Chester Branes shared long careers. Evelyn married Ole Martin Lovrod in June of 1959.

With the birth of her children, Evelyn became a full-time farming mother, and a family and community builder. She grew a large garden every year, preserved everything that wasn’t consumed fresh, picked wild berries, milked cows, was an active member of the Lutheran Ladies and lover of the natural world. She fed the birds, rescued calves in winter, and when there were Northern lights or steaking comets, deer, moose, or coyotes wandering by, or kittens to be found, she invited her children into the fun.

Evelyn was a woman of faith who trusted her Creator in joyful and troubled times. She came from a musical family and was still harmonizing with her surviving sister, Lillian, in September; even though she was slipping into aphasia toward the end, she hummed along as guests at her 88th birthday party on December 22nd sang with guitar for her. She was a fine cook, a baker, sewer, master of crochet and knitting, a lover of ice and floor curling, who often made gifts with her hands even though arthritis curled her fingers as she aged. Evelyn loved to ride the bike she kept in working order from the age of 16 right into retirement. She was an avid reader who loved to take photographs, play board games, assemble puzzles, to draw and colour; she always appreciated a good story. Evelyn had an honest heart, a loving sense of humour, and made friends easily, even when she and all available candidates were navigating dementia.

Memorial events will be held in Saskatoon and Alberta as follows:

Tuesday, January 2nd, 10 AM, Luther Heights Richmond Room, 1802 Alexandra Ave, Saskatoon; refreshments to follow.

Wednesday, January 3rd, 11 AM, Bawlf Lutheran Church, Hanson Street, internment and lunch to follow.

Donations in Evelyn’s memory can be made to the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute, Bawlf Lutheran Church, the Alzheimer’s Society, or Birds Canada.