Elsie Gracher
November 3, 1928 - January 13, 2017
Elsie, was born in Kurasch Rowno, Poland on November 3, 1928 and passed away on January 13, 2017 at the age of 88. She was the sixth of eight children. She had four brothers and three sisters. Elsie and her family farmed for many years until World War 2 broke out and they were forced to leave their home and farm, due to the developments in World War 2. After the war, she immigrated to Canada on October 9, 1951. After arriving in Edmonton, Alberta she met Franz Gracher and they were married on July 9, 1955 in Edmonton. They raised three sons, Dieter, Harry and Garry.
Elsie and Franz lived a busy life with their three sons who were involved in music, sports, Saturday German School and regular Public School. Unfortunately on September 27, 1970, at the age of 42, Franz passed away, and he was sorely missed by all of his family.
Elsie had a fourteen year long career working as a Child Care Attendant at the Alberta Vocational Center and she really enjoyed her work. She had a passion for working with children and they loved her immensely. Elsie loved to entertain visitors and garden in the beautiful yard she so meticulously maintained during her retirement years.
Elsie was much loved by her late husband, Franz, of 15 years, and her three sons, Dieter, Harry & Garry, her daughter’s in-law, Judy, Jayne, and Cindy, her six grandchildren Braydon, Jered, Elliott, Sara, Michael, Stefan and her two great grandchildren Aiden and Taylor, as well as her surviving brother Adolf Hill, her sisters Ida Benkendorf and Otti Sonnenburg. Elsie leaves many other family members and dear friends who will miss her dearly.
Please accept my deepest sympathy on the loss of your dear Mom and my apology for not contacting your sooner. We just discovered this today and knew something was up when her walks had not been shovelled these past few weeks. I don’t think the snow was ever allowed to touch her sidewalks! My daughter, Hillary and son,Ted have lived next door to your mom for the last few years and I was fortunate enough to meet your mom while we were renovating their house. She was the most amazing and hardworking women I have met in a long time. She took such pride in her house and her beautiful yard. She shared many memories of her life with me over coffee and cookies and for that I am truly grateful. She reminded me of how fortunate our generation is to our ancestors who chose to come to Canada. The sacrifices they made, the atrocities they left behind so their children and grandchildren could reap the benefits of growing up in a free country. Your mom like so many of that generation demonstrated to us the strength and love of family. My life is richer from the little time I spent with your mom and I will treasure the stories she shared with me. She will be missed by the Tourneur neighbours. May you take comfort at your next family gathering as you look around your table and see all that she gave to you and your children. Mary (Davis) Tourneur
On behalf of all of our family, I, Dieter Gracher,wish to thank you Mary for your condolences and kind words. Our mother and grandmother Elsie, is truly missed and we are forever grateful that we were part of her life and that she was a huge part of our lives. Elsie had a “ Never Give Up” attitude and we all learned to strive for that. Her legacy will remain with us all and her love was unconditional, she was an inspiration to all of us. May you and your family be blessed and we thank you for remembering Elsie. Best Regards Dieter Gracher
Dieter;
I was saddened to learn of your moms passing.
Moms are very special people, irreplaceable really, and i know she held her children very close to her heart.
Take care of yourself.
Zonia
I am saddened to hear the passing of Elsie, Please accept my condolences. I had the pleasure of living next door to Elsie for the past 4 years. She was such a sweet, caring and incredible lady with a smile on her face no matter what she was doing. I will truly miss seeing her shoveling her walks, trimming tress or fixing things around her immaculate yard. Thank you for being the best neighbor anyone could ask for.
Hillary Tourneur
As her family, we are all extremely grateful that our dear mother and grandmother Elsie, had such caring and compassionate neighbors as yourself. Elsie often mentioned the many kind acts that you and your family did for her and how comforting and safe she felt having you next door. Thank you for that. We will all miss the many tremendous and tasty dinners and cakes that she would make when we came to visit her. She cared and loved us deeply and lived to be in service to others. She entertained and genuinely cared for all her friends and family and she loved doing so. Elsie truly was a “World Class Chef” and when she cooked, she was absolutely in her element and all her meals and deserts were exceptional. Her family, home and yard were her pride and joy and she worked tirelessly to earn and achieve what she did… for all of that we are all extremely proud of her. Her grand children have many fond memories of summer holiday visits where she, together with her grand children, would teach them how to make “Oma’s Jam” with plums, rhubarb and apples. Elsie would label the containers and add each child’s name, then freeze it, so they could take the Jam home and share it with their respective families. The grand children loved visiting their Oma Gracher( without their parents) and that was a treasured memory for them all. She would always encourage them and tell them how much she love them and how very proud she was of them. We all greatly miss her but will continue to celebrate her life and the times we had together. With love and gratitude, we thank you Hillary for your condolences and for contributing to Elsie’s life. She enjoyed life and loved God and was able to smile and help many others …. her enthusiasm of living was contagious and so were her hugs. Best Regards Dieter Gracher