Olga Elter Nagy (nee Schabkar)

Born in Gehack (now Lazec) Slovenia, a small village of ethnic Germans known as Gottschee, to Erich Schabkar and Elisabeth (nee. Schmuck). In 1944 as a result of the difficulties during WW2 lead the Gottschee people to be forcibly removed from their homelands and were deported to Styria Austria. Eventually Olga and her & 5 siblings, Amalia (Spannring b.32), Bertha (Wagner b.36) Maria (Barthofer b.40) Hermann (b.42) Robert (b.44) lived as refugees in the mining town Eisenerz, Austria where her youngest sister and Elisabeth (Schindelka b.47) was born. Despite the many hardships, growing up in the Austrian Alps was her great joy and she would often remark, this is where her heart still lives. At the age of 14 she attended cooking school in Vienna starting a long passion for cooking and baking. Using the scale she brought from Europe, Olga’s Christmas cookies where stuff of legend, starting months before delicious Bier Kipfel, Falsche Salami, Vanillia Krenzel, and delicate Jam filled short breads would fill containers in the cellar. Her birthday cakes where towers of deliciousness, for a time even selling her masterpieces to clients for wedding cakes, two days in the making, sculpting and finishing with buttercream and icing piped flowers. Birthdays and special celebrations were feasts filled with seasonal specialties and traditional European favourites created with love and precision.

She was a master seamstress by trade; there was nothing she couldn’t sew. In Austria sewing clothing and Dirndls became second nature, when she immigrated to Canada in 1958, Olga used her skills in many of Kitchener’s storied manufacturing companies – Arrow Shirt, Bauer Skates, Kaufmann Shoes, Krug Furniture, her hand skills where remarkable. Eventually leaving factory labour, working from home crafting leather bags and fine alterations for friends and family.

Sometime in 1959 at the Alpine Klub she meet her first husband Nickolas Elter and married shortly after at Holy Family Church in New Hamburg. They had three children Frank, Angela and Paul.

Olga passed away peacefully of cancer at Freeport Hospital on Friday, October 25th at the age of 87, surrounded by family. Predeceased by her husband Nikolas Elter (2011) and her brother Hermann. Her family members still in Austria mourn her passing, she will be missed by her children and grandchildren, their immediate families and Olga’s many friends at the Villa Concordia Senioren Haus. As per Olga’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Olga’s life will take place at the Concordia Club, 429 Ottawa St S, Kitchener on November 9th from Noon to 3:00pm. Lunch will be served.