Violet Susan Zalay

Violet Susan Zalay was born to Frank and Susan Stolz in Fulda, Saskatchewan on July 1st, 1925.

In 1931 the family made the move from Fulda to Barthel, Saskatchewan. Violet started at the Horsehead School later that year and attended Grades 1 through 8 there.

Violet met John Zalay in 1949 while she was working at Ed Brandt’s café in St. Walburg. In 1950 they were married and lived at the family farm where they grain farmed, raised cattle and also pigs.

Violet loved her birds and raised chickens, turkeys, ducks, along with geese. Violet’s chickens produced so many eggs that she became known as The Egg Lady due to egg sales to family, friends and neighbours. Violet also had a green thumb and always raised a bountiful garden.

In addition to her responsibilities on the farm she also spent some time working at The Hometown Motor Inn where she was Vi the bar lady. She was an amazing bartender and responsibly helped many young folks have their first legal adult beverage, including at least one grandson.

Violet and John had two sons, Wayne and Roy. Both boys took a turn working on the farm. Roy worked on the farm with Violet and John until he passed away in 1997. After this tragic event they left the farm, moving into St. Walburg. Wayne moved onto the farm and continued to farm until he passed away in 2012. Shortly after this, John and Vi moved into Lakeland Manor where they were able to enjoy the company of other seniors, many of them lifelong friends.

Violet and John loved to fish, all kinds of ways. It didn’t matter if it was fishing in their little aluminum boat, ice fishing on bare ice, fishing on their grand kid’s big pontoon boat or dropping a line down the ice hole in their grand kid’s camper turned ice shack, they loved it all.

Violet was a great cook and if you managed to leave her table hungry then you just weren’t trying hard enough. Whether it was a farm raised pork roast with mashed potatoes, gravy and kernel corn, sandwiches made with homemade bread, wrapped in wax paper, packed in a good cardboard box with glass jars of coffee wrapped in newspaper and delivered to the field for a harvest lunch, or after a night of cards, a midnight lunch made of canned ham, freshly baked homemade buns, dill pickles and cheese, it was always delicious. 

Violet was predeceased by her husband John; her parents Frank and Susan; her sons Wayne and Roy; great grandchild Kevin Manship; sister Irma Cody; brothers Irvin, Leonard, Sylvester & Laverne; Parents-in-law Sam and Oxkenia Zalay; sisters-in-law Eva, Rose, Mary and Isabel; brothers-in-law Henry and William.

Violet is survived by grandsons Michael (Jamie) Stolz, Kevin (Kathy) Stolz; granddaughter Michelle (Sheldon) Manship; great grandchildren Payton, Robert (Pasha), Hagen, Clem & Owen; sister Doreen Sharrott; and sister-in-law Anne Klimuk; brother-in-law Grant Glessing. Violet is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, other family and many friends.

The family would like to thank the St. Walburg Lakeland Lodge for the care provided to Violet.

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