Louise (Schlamp) Waldbauer passed away peacefully at St. Paul Lutheran Home, Melville, Saskatchewan, on March 17, 2017 after a lengthy illness. She was 79 years of age.

Louise was born in Josefsberg, Poland on February 9, 1938 to Julius and Adele (Mohr) Schlamp. She was baptized at the Evangelical Reform Church in Josefsberg, Poland.

After years of turmoil in Germany during the war years, the Schlamp family relocated to Canada with the assistance of the extended Schlamp family in Grenfell. The family arrived in Quebec in 1949, and from there, they travelled by train to Grenfell. Louise attended school in Grenfell, first having to learn the English language. She was confirmed at St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church just north of Grenfell in 1953. Louise was active in her community, which included singing in choirs and being involved with her church. After school, Louise moved to Regina. There she lived with friends and worked at SaskTel until she married Charles Waldbauer on May 30, 1958 at St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church.

Charles and Louise farmed together near Neudorf, initially as a mixed farming operation and then in the later years, as a grain farm. Shortly after celebrating their 40th anniversary in 1998, Charles passed away. On the farm, Louise was a hardworking farm wife. She raised chickens and ducks and always had a huge garden so she could can and freeze food for her family and supply fresh chickens and produce to all her children and others. She worked tirelessly on her yard.

Louise was blessed with five children, eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren at the time of her passing. Louise dedicated her life to her family. She was a devoted and selfless mother and grandmother, often doing without so her children and grandchildren could be comfortable. She was constantly taking children to ball, hockey, music recitals, lessons and the list goes on. Louise was an excellent cook, making special efforts to make each and everyone’s favourite for family meals, and of course there were pails and pails of her homemade perogies and cabbage rolls available for all. You never left Louise’s house hungry or without a care package.

Louise’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the light of her life. There was nothing she enjoyed more than attending all their events, being actively involved in everything they did, holding them, playing with them or babysitting them. They were such a source of pride to her, and she was sure to collect every picture or article from the papers where they appeared. Louise was always busy mixing up multiple batches of homemade play dough. She was a master at letting each and every grandchild THINK that they won every game of cards and Candyland, and of course, there was always a good supply of treats on hand.

Louise also enjoyed her extended family. She loved the Christmas celebrations with her parents and siblings in Grenfell, or the weddings, reunions or other visits. She was always one of the people who had to eat during the third shift because of the large extended family. It was noisy and busy, but she loved every moment of it.

When Louise moved to Neudorf, she continued to enjoy gardening, and she took pride in her beautiful flowerbeds. She also loved baking, cooking, entertaining, knitting and reading. She especially loved her shopping trips, late-night card games and dinners out with her friends. Louise was an active church member, often volunteering her time.

Due to her untimely illness in October, 2011, Louise had to leave her home to reside in St. Paul Lutheran Home, where she resided at the time of her death.

Louise was predeceased by her husband, Charles Waldbauer; her parents, Julius and Adele (Mohr) Schlamp; her parents-in-law, Herman and Caroline Waldbauer; her sister, Gertrude Geres; her brother-in-law, Kenneth Hack; Charles’s brother, sister and her husband, Philip Waldbauer and Emma (Henry) Young and Charles’s special cousin, Julius (Otillia) Stubel and Helen Stubel. Louise will be lovingly remembered by: her children Robert (Lavona), Carmen (Wade) Gattinger, Garnet (Dawn), Garth (Tracey), Helga Irwin (Roger Plemel); her grandchildren, Chad (Amanda) Waldbauer, Alison Waldbauer, Jillian (Sean) Appleton, Hunter Gattinger, Brianne Waldbauer, Jordan Waldbauer, Kendal Waldbauer, Holly Waldbauer, Elyse Waldbauer, Brett Irwin and Cade Irwin; her great-grandchildren, Terex Waldbauer, Ava Waldbauer and Amelia Appleton. Louise also leaves to mourn her passing her loving family: sisters Inge (Les) Hack and Ursula Hack; brother Richard (Gwen) Schlamp and her brother-in-law, Jerry Geres. Also left to mourn are Charles’s sister-in-law, Evelyn Waldbauer and Charles’s brother, Gordon Waldbauer, as well as her godchildren and numerous nephews, nieces and extended family and friends.