EILEEN REINHELLER

EILEEN REINHELLER December 23, 1935 – December 21, 2024
Eileen Reinheller of Medicine Hat died on December 21, 2024 at the age of 88. Eileen was born on December 23, 1935 in her parents’ farmhouse near Golden Prairie, Saskatchewan.
Along with her parents Henry and Martha Fischer, Eileen was predeceased by big brother Ray Fischer and her son Lyle Reinheller. Eileen is survived by big brother Ben (late Carrie) Fischer. Eileen leaves to cherish her memory; son Lee (Corili Hepner) Reinheller, Della (Carmon) Dewald and Angie Maser. She is survived by seven grandchildren, Charr (Mike) Drever, Amber McArady, Justin (Alycia Budgell) Reinheller, Jennifer (Charles) Rocheleau, Kristy (Brendan) Hertz, Jessica (Joshua Ehman) Maser and Savanna Schneider; and ten great grandchildren Karleigh and Addison Drever, Miaya Boucher, Melody and Ben Rocheleau, Ivy Hertz, Alize and Bishop Stoa, Korbin and Kaine Ehman.
Eileen was an amazing story teller. Many of her stories were about the struggle of growing up and living on the farm getting by with very little. She often talked about her horse Trixie with her beautiful white face and black shiny coat. Trixie would stand on the back step of the house looking in waiting to ride her to school. Eileen also told us about her favorite white and fluffy kitten, Snowball.
Eileen played the guitar and pump organ that she learned to play-by-ear. She had a beautiful singing voice and in her youth loved singing in choirs and playing the organ for church and family events; she said in those days everyone gathered around and sang. She talked about how much she loved her big brothers singing like larks around the organ or playing red light green light for hours. As a young girl Eileen moved to Medicine Hat and lived with a girlfriend in Riverside getting a job at a factory sorting peas to help support her family. Eileen married Albert and they moved their little family to Medicine Hat in 1967. They loved dancing, camping, travelling to the States in their motorhome, their first big trip to Hawaii and making homemade sausage and noodles. She loved taking Lyle camping, drinking beer and juice and sitting around the campfire for hours. Later she loved taking the grandkids camping in granny’s van, teaching them how to talk to the trucker’s on the CB radio, showing them how to make campfires and cook pie irons and telling them stories late into the night.
Eileen did many things to support her family, in the early years she worked at dining rooms & restaurants eventually settling on driving a school bus for Totem Transportation for 25 years mostly driving for students attending George P. Vanier School, with some of those students fondly calling her “Reinheller Baby”; she then took up selling real estate for a number of years before retiring. She had many close friends and colleagues which she greatly valued. Eileen served on a number of Boards.
She loved curling when she was young and then watching every game on TV; she loved the Toronto Blue Jays and bantering over the game with Lyle. She loved visiting over the phone with her kids, family & friends and her dear cousins, she also loved the sunshine that shone in her condo every morning.
We loving called her granny and more than anything Eileen loved her family. She loved her children and the families they raised. She said I feel so lucky to have such a beautiful family to share my life with. Whether it was making pinwheel cookies in her kitchen, our really big Christmas parties, birthdays and all the family celebrations in between these were her most treasured moments. We will miss you granny. A private graveside service will be held at Hillside Cemetery. Memorial donations to Carmel Hospice (St. Joseph’s Home) Medicine Hat, AB (Condolences may be expressed by visiting our website at www.cooksouthland.com) Honoured to serve the family is
Cook Southland Funeral
Chapel Crematorium &
Reception Facility
901 – 13th Street S.W.
Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 4V4
Phone 403-527-6455
www.cooksouthland.com
“Locally owned & directed”