Mr. Oliver Szerze

Oliver Szerze was the second youngest of four siblings and born in 1920 in Biharnagybajom, Hungary. His father was a Master Chimney sweeper and his mother a housewife. At the age of 12, Oliver went to high school in Szekhalom for 4 years. Then he went to Nyiregyhaza to a technical trade school, where he became a precision machinist and locksmith. At the age of 20, he moved to Diosgyor, where he started his new life, working as a machinist, and met his wife Julianna from Lillafured.

They were married in 1942, had their first son Oliver in 1944, their second son Edward in 1948, and their daughter Judi in 1954.

On October 23rd 1956, the Hungarian revolution broke out. People were upset, unsettled, panicked, and many descended overseas to North America, to the land of freedom.

Our dad was an adventurer; this was an opportunity to create a better life for himself and his family. He descended in December 1956 with my oldest brother Oliver, and arrived in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, on February 2nd, 1957.

A new chapter in his life started. From St. John, New Brunswick, they traveled through Canada as far west as the train took them. The train stopped in Abbotsford, BC where people greeted them with joy and helped them to settle into their new environment and new home.

Our dad was very fortunate, because he was a machinist by trade and was able to get a job immediately in Mission at the Acme Machine Shop owned by Mr. Meszaros.

Six years had passed, and his lovely wife Julianna, son Edward and daughter Judi received their visa to join her husband and father in Canada. They were reunited as a family on July 11, 1962.

We lived in a very small one bedroom house on Simons Road in Mission. One day my dad, and his friend Julius Kasza and my brother Ed decided to make their own cement blocks so they could build a new house for us. Our new house was built, as he dreamed, then later built another house, but this time bigger and expanded to building a hog farm.

His most pleasant years were when he was able to look after his sows. Then came the time for him to retire and slow down, since physically he was unable to do things he used to do. In 1992 he had a quadruple bypass, then in 1997 two hip replacements and now finally his heart gave up life.

You’ve always been one of the most important people in our lives, and you still are. So, even though we may not spend as much time together as we once did, we want you to know that you’re always with us, right here in our hearts where you belong.

We love you Dad, you will always be in our memories.

Your Loving wife Juci

and Your Loving children, Oliver, Ede, and Judi

Oliver Szerze died on May 3, 2006. Arrangements under the direction of Woodlawn Mission Funeral Home in Mission, BC, 604.826.9548.