May 25, 1929 — Dec. 19, 2025
Beatrice Ivadelle Schmidt, Delle to all who knew her well, died peacefully in her sleep on Friday, Dec. 19. She was born on a farm in southern Saskatchewan on May 25, 1929. Her formative years were growing up during the great depression and it instilled in her the importance of community and compassion. She was a fierce defender of fairness, social justice and universality.
In 1956 Delle and Joe moved to southern Alberta to teach, a passion for both of them, and they never really left. After taking overseas postings in both Europe and Africa, they always returned to their home in Fort Macleod and became part of the fabric of the community. Some of the organizations Delle was involved with over the years include the 4-H light horse club; River Valley Park; Allied Arts Council; and the United Church, just to name a few. Both the West Castle ski community and the Beauvais Lake Cottage Association benefitted from her volunteer and organizational skills. Delle curled, skied, ran, cycled, hiked, rode horses and swam; but she rarely walked anywhere! She was a force to be reckoned with and never did anything slowly much to the chagrin of Lorelei and Ellie. Being fiercely competitive neither of her daughters would play cards with her. Lucky for them, she played bridge with “others,” often at the lake, as well as hosting her book club there.
There weren’t many things Delle wasn’t willing to try or learn. During her teaching career she took a year sabbatical to get her bachelor of arts, majoring in Native American Studies at the U of L. She learned the Blackfoot language and then proceeded to only speak Blackfoot in her home, much to the frustration of her teenagers who just wanted answers to their questions. She also took classes in calligraphy, water colours and sketching just to round things out. She wasn’t fond of sewing but made costumes on short notice and was a master knitter. Cooking was her Achilles heel, she hated it, and so her family learned to cook or starve.
Delle loved kids, especially rascally teenagers, but would absolutely not tolerate disrespectful conduct. Because of this, her classroom was often busy after the bell with the chatter of ideas for their futures, hopes and dreams. Delle believed strongly in the youth of the world and exemplified this by encouraging them to believe they could accomplish anything they wanted to.
Delle’s favourite place in the world was the family cabin at Beauvais Lake. It was an informal gathering place for friends and family. The door was always open and everybody was welcome and expected to pitch in and help with the latest project. As her years advanced and her health declined, she was still able to participate in whatever was happening “at the lake.” Her last years at Pioneer Lodge were a gift for her and her family. That door was also always open and welcoming; the staff and other residents were part of her and our new extended family.
Delle will be dearly missed by her extended family and friends too numerous to mention. In spring her immediate family will have a celebration of her very full life with the Fort Macleod community that she loved.