Magdalena Konrad

The Life Story of Oma

From humble beginnings, Oma was born on August 16, 1927 in the town of Zemun, Yugoslavia.  Her early years were spent with family and working on a farm.  She met Ota (Bernard) on that farm.  They both survived World War II and were married on October 16, 1948.  Her only child, Erna was born on April 6, 1949.  

They made a difficult decision to leave post war Europe in search of a better life in Canada.  Ota embarked first, to find work, in early 1953.  Oma and 4-year-old Erna followed in October that year.  All made a successful Atlantic crossing by boat.  Reunited in Halifax, with little money and limited English they began a new life in Canada.  

They settled in Toronto and Oma became a Canadian citizen in 1959.  She always had strong ties to her European heritage, and travelled back 3 times over her life to visit her mother, father, brother (Adam), sister-in-law (Helga), and friends who remained in Europe.  

In Canada, Oma was a housewife and cleaned houses part time during her working years.  She picked up English best she could, and enjoyed time with friends, family and neighbours.  She loved gardening.  Most of her backyard was dedicated to a large vegetable and herb garden, a mix of apple, pear, peach, and apricot trees, red current bushes, and a flower garden.  She always prepared home cooked meals from scratch using fresh ingredients from her garden.  She also enjoyed baking cakes and cookies using traditional recipes passed down from her mother and grandmother.  

Oma was blessed with good genes.  She lived a long, healthy life reaching the age of 96.  She was the longest living member of our family. With no major illnesses, or diseases she was able to live independently, in her own home, her entire life.  Family and independence were most important to her and that likely contributed to her longevity.  

Everyone who met or had known her said she was a sweet, kind and loving lady.  A truly remarkable life.  She died of natural causes on April 17, 2024.  Oma will be greatly missed.