Another Angel

This week Heaven gained another Angel. My Aunt Adina passed away peacefully on friday. She was 98 years old.  She has suffered from Dimentia for the last few years. But my best memories of her are the ones from when I was younger and lived on the same farm yard as her.

She lived her life outside. She was always feeding or caring for some sort of animal.  I remember when we had 2 pigs. She would let them roam on the yard, to my moms dismay sometimes because they would get into her garden.  To make sure they would get back to her if they wandered off the farm she had taken lipstick and wrote on their backs "Property of Adina Hildebrand". I am thinking my Aunt Louise wasn't thrilled about her lipstick being used in that way.  Adina wasn't a very tall lady, but those cows moved for her when she told them too. I remember watching her from my own stool as she would milk them and I was fascinated by the cream separator she used to skim the cream off.
Another time I myself and some cousins had gone into the chicken barn and took the eggs and then went up to the hayloft and used poor Mickey as target practise. Adina came out and we quickly closed the door but watched as she went into the chicken barn and let those chickens have it for not producing any eggs, all in German. She loved cats. When she would go to the barn from her house she would tap the side of the cat tin with a spoon and yell out " here Kitty Kitty" and in military precision they would line up behind her and follow her to the barn for feeding time.
Gardening was also something she loved to do, and it was always a big garden. There were also lots of flowers surrounding their house.

She was never married and never had children, but she took care of our family and other people.  Sometimes when my parents went away, my sister and I would stay at her house. I remember the pancakes she would make us, always quite small but very thick and fluffy. She also tried to get me to drink coffee, half cup coffee, other half cream. Then we would dunk the toasted buns in it.  I still don't drink coffee. She was a very good cook and baker. The 3 things I loved the most were her cabbage borscht, potato salad , and her orange chiffon cake. Oh the orange chiffon cake, man was that ever good!

Adina was a area correspondent for the Valley News for many years. She was a great journalist.

She used to work at the Co-op in town. She actually worked there before my Dad was manager there(if my memory is correct). Again I would go visit the store some times and I would sit on a stool and watch her put through peoples groceries. She was so friendly and efficient.

My Aunt Louise, Grandma Hildebrand, Aunt Adina

Many family would come to visit and in summer we would gather at the lilac trees between our house and Adina's house, and eat LOTS of great food

Grandma H, Adina, My Mom(holding me), Louise and my sister Tara in front

One of the many planters outside her house

A usual family picture in front of a vehicle

She drove a 1977( I think I got the year right) Dodge Aspen. Nothing fancy but I always thought it was cool car. Until one time I was in the front seat with Adina and the passenger door suddenly flew open. She didn't stop the car, she just pulled me over closer to her and kept going.


In the last few years she has resided in Sherbrook Nursing Home in Sasaktoon. I cannot say enough wonderful things about that facility, for the workers who work there and how they treat the residents and the family that comes to visit.

Adina looks pretty good for 96!

Another visit we brought this blanket for her

One of the family gatherings we had at Sherbrook. They have this great little side room, we would bring a light lunch and visit.

One of the last family gatherings we had with her.

Adina taught me the value of hard work. I don't ever remember hearing her complain. She just did. I remember her love of animals. She cared for others and always helped out where she could. I will miss her, but I know she is reunited with her siblings and her parents. As my Daughter said, "there is now another angel looking over us"