Shirley Elizabeth Hjalte

Shirley Elizabeth (Minchin) Hjalte

It is with sad hearts that the family of Shirley Hjalte, announce her passing in Calgary, Alberta on Saturday, December 30, 2017 at the age of 77 years. She was born February 25, 1940 to parents Alexander and Katherine Minchin of Superb, SK. Shirley took her first six years of school at Nichol School not far from their farm and when it closed she finished her last years at Major, graduating in 1958. She married Albert Hjalte of the Court district later on that year. They spent their first year living at his family’s home while they set up their yard just north of Fusilier, SK. They purchased and moved the old section house from Fusilier, adding onto it and renovating before moving in. Together they raised their five boys on the farm. Shirley was a very busy mother having had their boys in a span of seven years. In the mid 70s, Shirley decided to go back to school and attended the nursing college at Kelsey in Saskatoon during the week and came home on weekends. Albert with the help of the older boys kept the home fires burning as she used to say. After receiving her nursing assistant certificate Shirley worked first in Kerrobert at Buena Vista for a time and then in 1978 started working at Consort Hospital. Over the next years she upgraded her nursing assistant certificate, again through Kelsey and became a Licensed Practical Nurse. Shirley worked in Consort for a long time, and then later worked in Kindersley, Unity and Kerrobert again. She and Albert enjoyed travelling, history and time spent with family. They welcomed 11 grandchildren together and enjoyed them very much. Having had only boys, when the granddaughters came they were dressed to the nines with pretty frilly dresses every Christmas.  After Albert’s passing in 2004, Shirley moved into Kindersley, still working at the time. She moved to Hanna in 2007, as it was more central between all of the kids. Shirley worked at the nursing home in Hanna while there. In 2009, she moved on again to a senior’s condo in Nanton, where she resided until her passing. Although she didn’t officially work while in Nanton, she still spent her time helping and taking care of others in her nurturing way. Shirley spent her retirement years doing what she loved. She became a great grandmother and absolutely loved it. She enjoyed reading and word searches, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy every day and talking to friends and family.  Shirley loved watching the Roughriders play and was quite often found wearing her jersey or helmet while looking for either her sons or grandsons in the stands at the games. In the last few years she had found a group of people she quite liked travelling with and she went on bus tours down to the states and over much of western Canada.

Shirley will be forever remembered by her sons, Carl (Toni), Dan (Lorraine), Clinton (Christina) and Brian Hjalte; her brother Bruce Minchin; grandchildren Leah (Neil) Grey, Jamie (Genavieve), Jodie (Jerid) Waselick, Brianne, Alex (Pauline), Sandy (Micheal) Kollman, Mike, Johanna, Oscar, Annika & Sarah Hjalte. And great grandchildren Morgan, Noah, Madeleine, Kennedy, Paisley & Charlee. 

Shirley was predeceased by her husband, Albert; son, Ernest; parents Alex and Katherine Minchin; sisters, Pat and Ruth; brothers Lorne, Eldon, Bill, Elmer, and Earl.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, January 12, 2018 at 1pm (SK time) at the Major Centennial Hall, with Marg Mack officiating. The burial will follow the service at the Fusilier Cemetery. A lunch will be served at the hall following the family’s return. 

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