Albert E. Schlereth

Albert E. Schlereth, age 87, lived a remarkable life. He was a resident of Lappe for 58 glorious years and passed away in the early hours of June 30, 2018 at Roseview manor.

Albert was born December 16, 1930 in Germany and was a teenager (15) when the war ended. The events he witnessed and endured shaped his outlook on life and affected the decisions he would make about his future. He began dreaming of a place with wilderness, opportunity and freedom so when the war came to an end he escaped East Germany, leaving his family behind to achieve that dream in his adopted country of Canada.

He was always so proud to call himself a Canadian.

Albert married Irmgard in 1956 and together they immigrated to Canada in 1957. They settled in Regina and a short 6 months later welcomed their son, Michael. They decided to head east in 1958 with their few possessions loaded on an old truck and put down roots in Lappe, on the outskirts of Thunder Bay (Port Arthur) because it reminded them of home with the vast forests and plentiful lakes. There they had a small farm and Albert worked in the bush camps. In 1960, their second child, Ingrid, was born. After years of working the camps, Irmgard and Albert were ecstatic when he landed a job at Can Car (1966) as a welder and he worked there until his retirement in 1992. Albert was an avid hunter and trapper and was his very happiest when he could spend time walking through his land and be surrounded by nature. He always had amazing stories to tell when he returned. He would tell us of almost stepping on a sleeping bear or walking home in the dark and being surrounded by a pack of wolves. The bush was always where he felt the most peace and it was his real home.

Albert lost the love of his life, Irmgard, in 1977. It was a huge loss for him. After some difficult years he met Helju Watson. The two of them had the good fortune of spending many years together which included highlights of dancing most Thursday nights at the 55 Plus Centre and going on many wonderful vacations. 
Albert is predeceased by his wife (Irmgard) as well as his parents (Margareta /Johannes), his brother (Ludwig) and Helju's son (Kevin). In Canada he leaves behind his son Michael (Lorraine), daughter Ingrid Montenarh and his four grandchildren Kayla and Adam and twins Hendrik and Dillon. He also leaves behind Helju and her daughters Trish and Daun and their families, his nephew Tom in Kelowna and his sisters (Elsbeth /Uta) and their extended families in Germany. 
The family wishes to offer a special “Thank You” to the wonderful staff at Roseview Manor nursing home where Albert spent the last nine months of his life. They, especially his favourite nurse Michelle "Blondie", made him feel loved and pampered, prompting him to comment “they make you feel like you didn’t come here to die”. High praise from a man of few words. 

Albert will be remembered for his amazing ability to fix and build anything; his love of nature; his land that he loved; his playfully devious sense of humour that he never lost; and the beautiful folk songs he played on his harmonica right to his very last days.

Due to the present day remote locations of close family members, a celebration of life will be held at a later date. If you wish to attend, please call Ingrid at 807-767-2157 and leave your name and contact information so we can get in touch with you with the details once they are finalized.