Obituary of George Rolheiser

George J. Rolheiser was born on October 19^th, 1939.  He was the sixth child in a family of sixteen. 

George grew up on the farm at St. Donatus, in the Cactus Lake District.  He attended Panama School and with no opportunity for him to further his education he joined the workforce at an early age.  Some of his jobs included working for farmers, hauling gravel and most notably driving a school bus. George and his brother Fred took over the family farm after their parents passed away and they farmed together for close to 50 years before retiring to Macklin, Saskatchewan.

He was a pillar of the St. Donatus church community, helping in every way.  His deep and rich faith extended far beyond the hills of Cactus Lake.  George was an active and devoted member of Lay Formation for 20 years, a leader on the Diocesan Youth Retreat Team and a member of the Knights of Columbus. The friendships he forged lasted his lifetime.  

George enjoyed sports, playing on the local fastball team and rec hockey team. He enjoyed a good card game, especially Crib and Buck and had a very competitive spirit.  He held a special place in the lives of his nieces and nephews entertaining them with countless stories, money handshakes, farm walks, mountain hikes, music trivia and endless jokes.  As one of his nieces said the day he passed, “Countless hearts broke a little today. He was 1 in 8 billion and the world is poorer because he left us.” 

George passed away peacefully at the Provost Health Centre on January 29, 2023 at the age of 83 years.

Left to cherish his memory are his brothers, Fr. Wendelin OMI, Ken (Linda), Fr. Ron OMI, and Pius (Patty); his sisters, Maureen, Bea (Cliff), Patti, Luci (Che); sister-in-law, Anne; and brothers-in-law, Mark Stang (Rita), and Angus.  He is also loved and will be dearly missed by 54 nephews and nieces and their families, and countless friends.

Welcoming George into heaven is his parents, George and Mathilda; his sisters, Leona (David) Sieben, Isabel Stang, Sr. Helen OSU, and Agnes; his brothers, Edwin, Fred and Denis (Elizabeth); in-laws, Mick Hertz and Arthur Stang; nephew, David Sieben Jr; niece, Audrey Sieben and great nephew, Dylan Beyak.

Our loving brother was a man rich in faith, family and friends.  His hugs and his humour will be missed by all.

A Vigil Service will be held on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Father Ron Rolheiser and Father Wendelin Rolheiser will officiate. Both services will take place at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Macklin, Saskatchewan. For those travelling from Alberta, please allow for one hour time change.

For those unable to attend in person, a live stream of George’s funeral will be available through the Gregory’s Funeral Home Inc. website.