Olga Spitzer

Olga Spitzer, 94, of Streeter, ND died at her home on May 17, 2024. 

She was born on her family farm outside of Streeter on December 24, 1929 to Fred and Pauline  (Graf) Schumaker.  Olga was the oldest of 7 children and would tell stories of helping care for her siblings and helping on the family farm.  She spoke of the time her sister, Ellentina was born during a snow storm, at the family farm, and she was left to care for her newborn sister while her father went to town to get help.  Olga attended school at a country school near the family farm.  She attended school through the 8th grade and after that, left school to help on the farm.  

Olga married Alvin Spitzer on April 17, 1949, and they moved to a farm a few miles west of Salt Lake where they would operate a dairy farm and raise their children.  They would operate the dairy farm for 25 years and would later to switch to crop land and raising cattle.  She could often be found outside tending to the yard and garden.  She was known for the pickles she made and her family made sure they were distributed equally.  On Saturday nights, the farmwork stopped and Alvin and Olga would head to town where they would meet up with friends for a heated game of pinochle.  Olga was active in Homemakers with the surrounding farmwives.  They were also active members of their church, where Olga was very involved with the Women’s Guild.  Alvin and Olga were very active grandparents, and their grandchildren could often be found on the farm with them.   Alvin and Olga were married 45 years, and after Alvin’s passing, she moved in to town where she continued to stay busy with various activities.  She drove the school bus for 20 plus years for Gackle/Streeter school, and would later go on to manage the Streeter Cafe where she could be found serving various German dishes, and “Dough Day” was a highly anticipated event every Thursday.   She retired in 2010.  

Olga remained active in the community and was often seen driving around town on her golf cart and most likely had a great grandchild with her.  She gave more than one driving lesson to her many grandchildren.  She very much looked forward to Sunday afternoon visits from family for laughs and a good meal!  She was very patient and often kept her thoughts and opinions to herself.  She was a woman of very few words, so when she did choose to voice her thoughts, everyone stopped to listen. While her bones were old, her spirit was young, getting a joke in wherever she could.  She will be greatly missed and a piece will be missing for everyone who was fortunate enough to know her.

She is survived by her beloved cat, Kitty Whiskers,  children, Larry (JoAnn), Sharon, Wanda, and daughter-in-law, Joyce, grandchildren, Chad (Elaine), Bridgette, Brandy (Rosseli), Brittany (Bryce), and Brooke (Ryan), great grandchildren Cole, Abbigail (Aidan), Isabelle (Adam), Summer, Ikenna, Valentino and Simon, Rocco, Raleigh, Kade, Kinley, and Kylynn, great-great grandchildren, DeLilah and Zoey, and Webb family, sister, Donna and brother Arnie (Beverly), brother-in-law, Duane, and several nieces and nephews, and special friends Trent and Peggy. 

She is preceded in death by her husband, Alvin, children, Stanley and Carol, grandson Zachariah, sisters, Hilda (Jim), Ellentina (Henry), Deloris (Alfred), and DeElda, son-in-law Simon, and daughter-in-law Sandra.