Eugene Frederick Schreiner

We are saddened to announce that Eugene Frederick Schreiner passed away peacefully on October 23, 2026, at the age of 86. Gene or Geno, as he was known, was born on the family farm in St. James, SK, on June 18, 1940, to Frederick and Magdalene (Voelk) Schreiner. He attended the Norwegian Grove one-room schoolhouse, and it was his duty to start the furnace fire each day. After Grade 8 and the harvest, he moved to Saskatoon, where he lived with his sister Nona and her husband Walt in their new house. His sister Ida took him to Bateman’s Jewellers, where he apprenticed for four years. Gene was very proud to achieve 87% on his Watchmaker’s exam, despite not being able to borrow any of the study books and passed the practical exam where he had to hand make a ‘balance staff’. In 1969, he started Gene’s Watch Repair out of his house, then moved his business to a downtown office in 1980, retiring at the age of 55. He then focused on his renowned knife making business, Genie Knives. He was featured in knife making magazines, won recognition, made knives for awards and long service recognition for many years for the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, and had knives gifted to dignitaries.

After a 4-year engagement, he married Beatrice (Betty) Peterson in 1960, and they spent 46 years together until her passing. They lived their entire married lives in Saskatoon, raising 4 children: Eric, Gail, Mark and Cindy.

Gene greatly enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, going to garage sales with Eric and Vincent, going to Costco with Jim, weekend suppers with Mark and the dogs, playing cards with Gail, Bob and Debbie, and making his own sausage and smoked meat. Gene and family camped and fished every year for decades at Delaronde Lake, and he enjoyed having grandsons Kurt and Adam come along. In his later years, he enjoyed spending time with great-great grandson Vincent.

Gene was predeceased by his wife Betty; daughter Gail and grandson Kurt; he was also predeceased by parents Fred and Lena Schreiner; brothers Frank (Anne) and Allan; sisters Nona (Walter) Zameruk and Ida (Howard) Sahli; parents-in-law Stanley and Bernice Peterson; as well as brother-in-law Walter (Beverly) Peterson and sister-in-law Judy Uzelman.

He is survived by son Eric (Liz) and their family, Buck, Clint, Daryl, great-granddaughter Alyssa and great-great-grandson Vincent; son Mark and daughter Cindy (Ian) Creurer and grandson Adam. Gene is also survived by his brother-in-law Harvey Uzelman and sister-in-law Barbara Schreiner; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews from the Schreiner and Peterson families; and many friends.

Thank you to the many people who visited Gene in his home, the hospital and the care home. He always enjoyed visiting and sharing stories and laughs.