Obituary of Lillian (Lil) Bozarth
December 19, 1932 – July 19, 2019
Lillian Bozarth (Snobl) was born on December 19, 1932 and passed away on July 19, 2019. She was the middle child born to Karolina and Joseph Snobl on the family homestead north of Sexsmith, with older sister Marie and younger brother, Joe.
Lillian attended North Sexsmith School where she would learn how to speak English, as Polish and Czechoslovkian were the languages spoken at home with her parents and siblings. Through her school years she became an accomplished artist, softball player and a sponge for knowledge, reading everything she could get her hands on. She graduated Grade 12 as Valedictorian from Sexsmith School.
She worked a short time in retail at Larson’s General Store in Sexsmith before a known neighbor, Gerald (Jock) Bozarth caught her eye and they were married on December 4, 1952.
Lil and Jock would homestead in Blueberry Mountain before purchasing their forever home farm north of Sexsmith in 1954. On the farm they raised a variety of cattle, grain, pigs, chickens and most importantly, six children. Growing children need to eat, and this would lead to Lil’s humungous garden that she took pride in planting every year. Lil blanched many vegetables and canned countless jars of fruit from her love of berry picking over the years, not to mention the dozens of buns she would bake in her mother’s wood stove. Friends and family were always welcome for a meal with Lil. “Eat” she would say!
Lil was an excellent cook, baker, berry picker, gardener, solitaire winner and crossword guru. She had magic fingers when it came to crocheting, which was self-taught. Many family, friends and neighbors received beautiful crocheted gifts throughout the years which she took great pride in giving.
Lil adored her grandchildren and always had time for them with many nights spent reading a bedtime story or a good card game. If she didn’t have a cake when you came to visit, it wasn’t long before there was one in the oven. Countless cups of cocoa, jugs of ice tea and milkshakes were made along with a bag or two of bugles, that Grandma referred to as ‘chicken toes’, when she would place them on the ends of her fingers. As her grandchildren grew older, she also enjoyed a cold pop or her two fingered drink of sherry with them.
After Jock’s passing in 1988, Lil renewed her driver’s license, joined the Royal Purple, took Bible Study, and got the travel bug. She and her daughter, Sheila, would travel to New York to visit her cousin that she had never met. Lil went on many senior bus and boat tours with old friends.
She had a great sense of humor and always enjoyed a colorful joke. You could ask her for advice, and she was never judgmental, always matter of fact and encouraging.
Lil was a kind, gentle and beautiful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be gratefully missed and never forgotten.
Mom was a God loving person of strong faith. She raised her family with much LOVE and CARE. She worked very hard, enjoyed life and was kind to everyone she met. We will all miss her very dearly, but she will be at peace and rest in her eternal home with our Dad.
Lil was predeceased by her husband, Jock and her younger brother, Joe.
Left to mourn are children: Shirley ( Lamoyne) Hogg, Jerry (Judy), Edith (Bill) Wolfe, Sheila (Wayne) Craipley, Floyd (Marilyn) and Maxine (Ed); sister Marie Peterson; seventeen grandchildren, thirty-three great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews and family friends.
A Memorial Service for Lil will be held on Monday, July 29th at Webster Community Hall at 1:00pm, followed by a luncheon. Interment to held privately, at a later date.
Care entrusted to Bear Creek funeral Home 780 830 7742 www.bearcreekfuneral.com
