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Olga Grenkow

Olga Grenkow
September 17, 1922 – March 15, 2021 

With wonderful memories and warmest thoughts, we tearfully announce the death of Olga Grenkow at the age of 98.

 

Olga was born in Winnipeg on September 17, 1922 to Dmytro and Katherine Slobodzian.  She passed away on March 15, 2021 at home with family by her side.  She was predeceased by her husband Joseph, son Donald, brother Walter and sister Anne.  Left to cherish her memory are her son Ken (Helen), daughter-in-law Carol, daughter Lorraine (Raymond), grandchildren Alanda (Curtis), Kurtis (Nicole), Rachel, Rebekah, Jayson (Samantha) and Charisse, and three great-grandchildren Seraphine, Ava and Kage, and sister-in-law Ann.

Olga grew up on a mixed farm on the northern edge of Winnipeg.  She learned at an early age the value of hard work as she toiled with her parents and siblings after the depression to have enough to live on.  Walter and Olga could often be seen with horse and buggy selling milk and garden produce in their neighborhood.  The family had a spiritual interest.  The children would often walk miles to the church they attended, but there were things that she saw that troubled her.  She saw how the members who were financially better off were treated differently from those who were poor.  She related how her family was asked to vacate the pew they were in because they hadn’t paid enough to sit there.  Nevertheless, she continued faithfully.

Eventually she met Joseph from a nearby dairy and they started courting.  Joe’s family had recently been called on by a pioneer Nick Skilparek, and were having Bible discussions on a regular basis.  Joe enjoyed the discussions and invited Olga to join in.  She knew they weren’t Catholic so she was very reluctant.    She agreed only if she wasn’t made to participate.  The topic that evening was “the Lord’s prayer”.  She learned first of all that God had a name and it was Jehovah.   She also learned that the Kingdom she prayed for was something real that would bring God’s will “to the earth as in heaven”.  She could not believe that in all the years of going to church no priest had ever explained this.  She often commented on how clear the Bible truths became to her from that time forward.

Joe and Olga were married in 1943 and continued their study of the Bible as a couple.    They were baptized together as Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1945.  Farm life was very busy, but they always put the spiritual interests of their family first.  They attended Christian meetings and spent time sharing the truths they learned as often as they could.  Olga had a regular routine of sharing in the ministry most often two mornings per week and then on weekends as a family.

Joe and Olga were very hospitable, having different ones from the congregation over often.  They were more than happy to pick different ones up for the meetings or service or drive different ones home.  Many times, before seat-belt legislation, there would be up to ten people packed into their car for the trips home.

Olga loved gardening.  Her love of flowers showed in their front yard.  She especially loved sharing the produce from her garden with any willing to take some.  She was also an accomplished seamstress making all the dress clothes for both her and Lorraine and later sewing for her daughters-in-law and granddaughters.

As time went on and they became empty nesters their home was always open to anyone who needed a place to stay especially during the years of large district conventions.  Sometimes they had couples staying with them for four weeks or more during pre-convention work.  Olga was always happy to have anyone stay as long as they wanted or needed to.  For a number of years there were circuit overseers who parked their trailers on their yard while they were assigned to serve in Winnipeg.

They also did some traveling over the years which was always with groups of witnesses mostly to spiritual events.  They traveled to the large New York conventions in 1953 and 1958 and to smaller conventions over the years.  One highlight they spoke fondly of was a tour they took to Israel.  They couldn’t stop talking about how the Bible events took on so much more meaning after seeing the places they read about.

Family was always very important to Joe and Olga.  They loved family dinners and spending time with their grandchildren as they came along.  As is the case with most farm wives she enjoyed cooking and loved nothing better than making perogies and cabbage rolls which she was famous for.   She loved having the grandchildren over, often times over night.  For many years Joe made a skating rink for the grandchildren and Olga made a lot of chili and hot chocolate for them and their friends.   It was fun for everyone.

Congregation skating/broomball parties were an annual event in those years with their house being the centre of activities.

 

Life changed when Joe died of cancer in 1992 and the families all moved into the city.

Olga lived with Ray and Lorraine from 1995 on.    Her focus never changed.  She was always determined to share Bible truths with any who would listen and over the years helped many dedicate their lives to serving Jehovah.  As her strength wained and she couldn’t go from door to door anymore we had to remind her time and again that Jehovah remembers what you have done, not what you can’t do. She was part of a volunteer group that visited a local nursing home and had weekly discussions with residents who were witnesses as well as interested ones.  She went regularly until the pandemic put an end to all group events in March 2020.   The meetings over Zoom were really a blessing to her.  She would not have been able to attend meetings for the last several months.  She was always thrilled to see all the brothers and sisters on her TV.  With different family watching with her, she never missed a meeting.  The last Sunday meeting she watched was the day before she died.

 

Due to the pandemic a virtual Zoom memorial service will be held on April 24 at 2PM

Manitoba time.  If you wish to attend the memorial the Zoom Meeting ID is 942 8279 2119    Passcode:  Olga.   We hope to see you there.

4 thoughts on “Olga Grenkow”

  1. My deepest condolences to all of Aunty Olga’s family. She was always gentle, pleasant and kind. I remember staying out on the farm I’m the summer (in my Tomboy days riding bareback to the fields with Uncle Joe and Barry and the not u) asi ackb gnookL !ndtserndnd coming back at the end of the day to a wonderful dinner. What special memories. Aunty Olga wa one of my mom’s best friends ( they spoke on the phone in Ukrainian so that we could not understand). Looking back they were very sweet nonetheless.

    A very special lady!

    ❤️ Love to all,
    Pat (Simpovich) Major

  2. Olga was such a Loving, Caring, Strong, woman. I have such wonderful memories of her. My sincere condolences to the Grenkow and Slobodzian Families.

  3. DEBORAH MAHONEY

    My dearest Lorraine, Ray and family. I just learned of my sister’s passing away. Olga was always the dearest, most cheerful person in a group. Always positive, her presence was always uplifting. We all feel the loss……. for now, but we know she had her eyes always focused on the prize. Love to you all. Deborah Mahoney

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