Obituary of George Walter Sneath

George Walter Sneath was born at home on the farm five miles northeast of Spondin, Alberta. He attended school at Gooseberry Lake and at Spondin along with his older sister and two younger brothers. He helped on the family farm, quickly learning to operate full-sized machinery by the age of seven. His first “off the farm job” was pasteurizing milk at the Hanna Creamery. Violet Kelm also worked at the creamery, and they began dating in 1956. They were married on February 27, 1960, in Hanna, Alberta. Walter and Vi lived in Hanna for just over a year before moving to their farm two miles north and one mile east of Spondin in 1961. They were blessed with four children: Susan Dianne (1960), Barry Dean (1962), Connie Lynn (1963), and Dale Walter (1964). The family moved to their farm ten miles northeast of Hanna in 1972 so the kids could become involved in more in-town activities. Our dad was a jack-of-all-trades and could fix and build anything including the new house he finished in 1982. Walter held a variety of jobs (school bus driver, assembling farm machinery, custodian at the J.C. Charyk Hanna School) throughout his lifetime to subsidize his farming habit. Walter and Vi retired from the farm into Hanna in May 2020. They enjoyed yearly camping trips in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and several States with relatives and friends. The family enjoyed playing sports together, particularly baseball. Countless lively, competitive games of Rook were played, discussed, and disputed, sometimes months and years later. Dad’s hobbies included collecting souvenir pins and belt buckles. Throughout the years, Walter and Vi traveled in their motorhome to attend music jamborees and cowboy poetry events.

Survived by his loving wife of almost 64 years, Vi Sneath, daughter Susan Dewald, granddaughter Kerianne Sieppert, great-grandsons, Sebastien Franz, Sullivan Sieppert, Slade Sieppert, grandson Spencer Agnew (Kristy Badger), son Barry (Sheri) Sneath, grandson Nicholas Sneath, great-grandson Hunter Sneath, granddaughter Ashley (Mark) Silvius, great-granddaughter Abigail Silvius, and great-grandson Maximus Silvius, granddaughters Courtnee Riou and Megan Riou (Jesse Earley), daughter Connie (Dave) Baines, grandsons Bronson Busch (Amanda Neufeld) and Brandon Busch (Kaitlin Baerwald) and great-grandsons, Benjamin Busch and Noah Busch, great-grandson Gage Mayes, sister Edith Anderson, brother Richard (Eva) Sneath, brother Ronald Sneath, numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews. 

Predeceased by his parents, George Wilson Sneath and Hilda (Motz, Sneath) McKee and stepfather David McKee, father-in-law Gottfred Kelm and mother-in-law Alma Kelm, brother-in-law Lawrence Anderson, and sister-in-law Mary Dean Sneath and his son Dale Sneath.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Bethel Evangelical Missionary Church, Hanna, AB, on Saturday March 2, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. A luncheon will follow the interment at the Senior Circle.

If desired, donations in memory of Walter can be made to a charity of your choice.

Hanna Funeral Services Ltd. has been entrusted with the care and arrangements, 403-854-5956, www.hannafuneral.ca.