Nettie Schultz

Mrs. Nettie Schultz (nee Harder), beloved wife of Raymond (Ray) Schultz, of Lethbridge, entered into eternal rest on Thursday, May 26, 2022 at home with family by her side, at 84 years. 

She is survived by her loving husband, Ray, her children, Cathy (Irv), Quentin, Candace (Larry), Cory (Kim) and Con (Maria), 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren, brothers in law, Danny Schultz (Crystal), Melvin Schultz (Delphine), Henry Dormer, and numerous nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her parents and her four siblings. 

Nettie was born April 14, 1938 at Rosenfeld, Manitoba into a Christian Mennonite family.  She was the fourth child of Anne & Diedrich Harder.  Her family moved to Winnipeg where she attended school and began her early years of employment. Early in her life she made the decision to follow the Lord Jesus as her Savior and was actively involved in her church and youth group.  In July 1954 at a church camp meeting, she met Ray, the love of her life. Since Ray was from another province, a letter writing courtship began through the postal service.  Ray eventually moved to Winnipeg where he proposed on her 18th birthday. They were married November 10, 1956.  They spent the first several months of marriage in Winnipeg, followed by a brief time at Alberta Bible Institute in Camrose Alberta, and a short time in Saskatchewan with Ray's parents, on the farm where Ray had grown up. They then moved to Flin Flon, Manitoba where Ray worked at Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Co. for a couple of years.  While there, Cathy was born (1958) and a year later, they moved back to Churchbridge, Saskatchewan and took up farming near Ray's parents.  The family increased with Quentin (1959), Candace (1961), Cory (1963) and Con (1965).  During this time, Nettie's life was full.  Together with Ray, she was very involved in her church with music, teaching Sunday school, being a youth leader, church camps, raising children, growing a large garden and farming.  She also became secretary for the local Rural Telephone Company, a role she retained for a number of years.  Following several years farming, Ray and Nettie sold the farm and moved into Churchbridge with their young family where they purchased and operated the McLeod's hardware store.  Nettie took on the office administrative work as well as clerking. 

In 1975, the family relocated to Lethbridge where Nettie took her formal secretarial training and then found employment with Canbra Foods where she was employed for 18 years.  She took early retirement in 1997.   

Nettie enjoyed many activities – some of which were walking, swimming, biking, gardening, camping, reading and cooking.  Her faith was very important to her and in all things strove to daily walk with the Lord. 

As her children married and left home, the grandchildren started arriving.  Nettie took great pleasure in each of them, making sure she always made their favorite recipes when they visited and loved searching garage sales to make sure she had age-appropriate things in her home to entertain them. 

In 1998, Ray and Nettie took the trip of their lifetime to Zambia, Africa on a church mission trip. She was delighted in the many experiences they had and sites they visited during this trip. 

Early in 1999, Nettie experienced an aneurysm causing a stroke which left her in a wheelchair and requiring full time care.  Following her stroke, Ray, along with the assistance of home care, cared for her in their home throughout these past years. Nettie chose to work diligently on exercising and maintaining a positive attitude despite her physical restrictions.  Nettie continued to enjoy the trips they were able to take to visit family, friends and relatives.  She especially enjoyed the great grandchildren as they came along and was always pleased to give wheelchair rides on her lap or let one of them wheel her around.  She always enjoyed dice and card games with anyone who had time to play and definitely a worthy opponent. 

The family would like to express a special thank you to all of Nettie's personal caregivers for their kind and compassionate care for Nettie over the years.  

 In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Cancer Society which touched Nettie personally or a Church Camp of your choice. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. at Lethbridge Mennonite Church, 4303 – 3rd Avenue South, Lethbridge. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nettie Schultz, please visit our floral store.