Alvina Sailer

Alvina was born on June 12, 1927, in Gnadenfeld, Ukraine, the third of five children born to Karl and Martha Schuh (nee Abel). The family lived a simple but happy farming life, until her father, Karl, and older brother, Heinrich, were separated from the family. Alvina’s Mother, Martha, was left to work the land and support her remaining two children, Alvina and Ewald. The evacuation of ethnic Germans from the Black Sea region of Ukraine to Germany occurred in 1944. Because many of the men had been removed from their families, and for their own safety, the remaining people in the rural villages felt that they had to make the trek to their original homeland that many of their families’ ancestors had left in the early 1800s. So many people faced challenges along the way – mountainous terrain, cold weather, deaths, hunger, and poor health.

In the late 1940s, Alvina met the man who would be her life’s love and marital partner for over 62 years – Edward Sailer. They lived in Germany until 1953, when they decided to make another “trek” of sorts to Canada. To gain entry into Canada, they had been sponsored to work on a sugar beet farm in the Lethbridge, Alberta, area. They soon moved to Calgary – their home on Holly Street was a welcoming refuge for over 50 years hosting many friends, family, and visitors from near and far.

Alvina and Edward had two children: Hilde in Germany and Alfred after they had come to Canada. The family continued to grow with the addition of Hilde’s husband, Michael G. Clovechok, and Alfred’s wife, Kenna Windle; Oma’s four grandchildren: Shannon Clovechok (Kenneth Eslinger) and Michael E. Clovechok (Ashley Clovechok), and Mackenzie Sailer (Kathleen Symons) and Patrick Sailer (Hailey Sailer) followed; as did Uroma’s five great-grandchildren: Wesley, Mason, and Brooks Clovechok, and Wyatt and Otis Sailer.

Alvina was predeceased by her husband Edward, parents Karl and Martha; brothers Heinrich, and Johann and Karl (both died in infancy). Mourning her passing are her children, grandchildren; and great-grandchildren (mentioned above); and her brother Ewald Schuh (Irma Fuhrmann and Irma’s daughter Linda); many dear relatives in Canada and Germany; and a close circle of friends whose lives she touched and enriched.

The family wishes to express special thank you to Dr. Agnes Thompson (Alvina’s doctor for many years), Dr. Matthew Kerslake and locum doctors, health care professionals, staff, and volunteers who compassionately cared for and guided Alvina through her final months in Rosedale Hospice.

A Funeral Service will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel, 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Monday, November 2, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. with Interment at Queen’s Park Cemetery.

The service will be live streamed for those who wish to attend virtually, please click on the link in the service area below the obituary.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Diabetes Canada or the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

This obituary has been authorized by the family for posting on Foster’s Garden Chapel Funeral Home’s website. As such, it is protected against any reproduction or redistribution without prior consent from the family.