Meet Our Members

Patricia (Pat) Schneider was born in 1930, in New Westminster, BC. She grew up mostly in South Burnaby, BC. Once she got married, she lived in North Delta. In 1975, she moved to Prince George for work. She was trained as a Psychiatric Nurse and worked at Essondale off and on while her children were growing up for about 15 years and decided she needed more education, so went back to the University of British Columbia and got her degree in Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences, majored in food science and worked at the Coast for a couple of years and then a job came available in Prince George, in Consumer Corporate Affairs and was manager for Northern BC and Yukon for about 4 years. Her husband came up and opened up jewelry and watch repair shop. After working for Consumer Corporate Affairs, she worked for Federal Business Development Bank counseling small businesses and then went to work for Investors Group and did financial planning. Pat retired in 1985. Pat has 3 children, one boy, and two girls. She also has 7 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren! Pat and her husband moved to Vernon in 1991 where they joined the Newcomers Club as they didn’t know anyone here and it was a great way to meet people Some other things Pat enjoyed doing were bowling, golfing, cross-country skiing, and traveling. Pat and her husband used to be Snow Birds and would go to Yuma, Arizona every year for about 5 or 6 months. She has been a member of the Schubert since 2015.

Pat loves coming to the Schubert centre for the exercise and really misses it as well as coming for coffee and socializing with everyone. Pat has been a member at Schubert for the past 20 years.

Clara Grootveld was born in 1924, in Wiarton, Ontario. She said that it was actually 12 miles North of Wiarton where she grew up. Clara said that there is a road called King’s Crescent which was named after her family as they had a few family members that all lived close to each other. Clara moved to Calgary in 1957 where she met her husband. Clara loves to dance and used to teach line dancing for many years. he worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company for 25 years and took early retirement, moving to Vernon in 1982. Anna has 2 daughters who both live on Vancouver Island, one in Cowichan Bay and the other at Mill Bay. She has 6 grandchildren and ……14 great-grandchildren!

Some of the hobbies Clara enjoyed were dancing, exercise classes, curling, cross country skiing, and both knitting and crocheting. Clara still enjoyed the dancing and exercises at the Schubert Centre before Covid 19. Clara says the secret to longevity is to Keep on Dancing!!! As well, she believes in having a positive mind and keeping it moving! Clara has been a member at Schubert Centre since 1990.

Florence Boring (you won’t forget my name….it’s boring, lol) was born in 1932 in Bonneyville, AB. Her family moved to Cherryville, BC when she was 9 years old. She is from a family of 7 girls and 1 boy! Florence married in 1951 and had 3 children. She remarried in 1973. Florence’s husband was a logger, so they moved all around. They moved to Dawson Creek and lived there for about 27 years. When her husband passed, Florence moved to Vernon as she has two sisters that live here. Florence did many things besides raising her family; she did logging from a young age and used to work at the Lavington Grocery Store where she used to walk 3 miles to her rental, day or night. She also worked in cafés as a cook and a server.

Florence also worked in a bakery and loves to bake pies! Some of Florence’s hobbies include knitting and crochet. She said that someone is always wearing slippers that she made and she still continues to knit and make slippers for the family. Florence has in total 32 grandchildren which includes 7 great, great-grandchildren in that total!!! Florence has been a member at the Schubert Centre since 2016.

Meet our Meals on Wheels Coordinator, Nancy Hadley. Nancy was born in 1953, in Calgary, AB. Nancy was raised in Calgary and moved to BC in July of 1978. Prior to moving to BC, Nancy worked as a Clerical in Calgary at the PUB (no not that PUB! Haha) the Public Utilities Board. When she came to BC, she went to work for Okanagan Tel and was their last new hire. After that, she went to BC Tel and work as an Operator. She absolutely loved that job! From being an Operator she moved over to the Repair Department and that is where she met her husband in around 1980. She then moved over to Customer Service in Kelowna and loved doing Customer Service but disliked the commute and came back to Vernon to Credit Services (the collections department), which definitely was not her favourite job but really had no choice as it was either do the commute to Kelowna or be in Vernon where she lived. She was with Telus until 2003 and then came to the Schubert Centre as a volunteer, first in Membership and also starting up the Meals on Wheels program in 2013. Nancy did both jobs as well as was on the Board of Directors and also used to lead the quilting group. Some of you may remember Nancy’s mom, Phyllis Beaumont, who was a volunteer as well, manning the Reception desk. Phyllis was a lady always on the go! As far as Nancy knows, she and her mom were the only mother/daughter volunteer team at the same time at the Schubert Centre. Nancy met her husband Murray in 1980 at a Telus retirement party. She didn’t actually meet him at the party itself, but the party had continued on at the Legion, where she actually met him. They were married on the May long weekend in 1990 in their own backyard. Some of Nancy’s hobbies include, quilting, handicrafts and doing Thai Chi at the Schubert Centre.

For the Love of Schubert, Nancy has been a member since 2003. She absolutely loves the activities offered here and the people. She says it keeps her engaged and out of mischief! As well as giving her purpose and she loves all her people.

Pat and Cors Verhage married on August 4, 1962, having been married for 59 years!! Pat was born in 1942, in Truro, Nova Scotia and lived there until she was 18 years old when she signed up for the Air Force. Cors was born on April 19, 1938, in Ryswick, Holland. He left Holland on a boat to Canada when he was 12 years old. Cors was Military Police and Pat was in the Air Force. They met in Toronto and Cors made Pat cry the first time he met her because he swore, and no one ever swore around her BUT they married after two weeks and didn’t tell her mother for 40 years later that they had only known each other for two weeks. Pat and Cors have 3 children and they adopted a child as well, but they have had many foster children over the years as well. Along with having their 4 children, they have 9 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren with another one due in July. Cors worked for 40 years with the highways department as a foreman in Cherryville/Lumby. Pat worked at the Lumby drugstore for 20 years. Pat and Cors use to go up to the Monashee’s, taking the kids fishing. They would also go to watch the Stock Car races where the kids would go and collect ‘stinky’ bottles which would provide the children with some spending money. Pat used to bake a lot of cookies, bread, and pastries as well as canning for the family. Pat and Cors are big community supporters. Some of their volunteer work included the Salvation Army for 12 years, and Cors volunteered at the Upper Room Mission for 10 years. And don’t forget! They are also Mr. & Mrs Clause and have done this for around 50 years, starting when their daughter went into Kindergarten. They continue to be the Claus’ but with the pandemic ongoing; last year was a little bit different. They would be the Claus’ for seniors homes, children in care, and Cors also help out at the Mall when the Mall Santa got sick. Now they are doing it just part-time, haha. (5 days a week!). They went to the Mall in their costumes and handed out candy canes to the children with the approval of the parents. But someone called Mall Security and Security told them they could be there for coffee, but they weren’t allowed to hand out the candy canes or the Mall could get shut down. So, they went home and changed. Then Cors got a call the next day and was Santa at a Photo Studio for the whole month of December 2020. The Verhage’s have done a fair bit of travelling in their time. They have been to Hawaii, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and the Dominion Republic. They also did a Panama Canal Cruise and Cors had the opportunity to meet the Mayor of Panama when he was touring the Ship. Both Cors and Pat have been members at the Schubert Centre since 1999.

Elinor Hinds was born in 1937 in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. Elinor grew up there until she was about 11 years old when her parents moved her and her two sisters and one brother to Penticton. Penticton is still ‘home’ for Elinor. Elinor said that when she was still living in Maple Creek, she used to ride a horse to a one-room country school that she attended. When Elinor was 18, she moved to Victoria and received her Teacher’s Certificate. She was the first member of her family to go to University and she received her Bachelor of Education after 34 years! What a great accomplishment!!!! Elinor has 3 boys who she raised in Surrey where she was teaching grades 3-6. She was asked to teach the computer to children and she got a hook on the computer where she plays computer games or looks up information. She would drive to work each day; however, Elinor didn’t start driving until she was 30, and then watch out!! Elinor has been blessed with six granddaughters, one step-granddaughter, and one great-granddaughter! What’s interesting to note is that Elinor still has diaries from 1914, 1936, and 1937 that her great-grandmother wrote in. She said her great grandmother would write in them every day, it may have been only one sentence but there was an entry for every day, so it is a whole store in the life of her great-grandma. What a wonderful keepsake. Elinor moved to Vernon in 2003 as she had family living in Summerland, Vernon, and Kamloops and she loves the Okanagan Valley. Elinor is on the Board of Directors for the Schubert Centre. As well, Elinor started the Quilting Club at the Schubert and is the Coordinator of the program. She is also the Coordinator for the Library and runs the Sing for your Life program. She had also worked the reception desk at one time. Elinor used to sew all her own clothes as well as doing knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, and of course quilting! She loves to read and play computer games.

For the Love of Schubert Elinor has been a member for 15 years and says that this is her home away from home. She volunteers at Schubert because she loves to give back and wants to help keep the Schubert Centre going. She loves the social environment and how Schubert makes her feel good about herself.

Gil Flasch was born in 1932. Frank Flasch was born on June 12, 1930. Gil was born at home in a small French town called Jackfish Lake, Saskatchewan. She grew up in a family of four boys and four girls. She lived in Jackfish Lake until she went to high school and then moved to North Battleford. Frank was also born at home, as many were in those days, in Wilke, Saskatchewan, a small town south of North Battleford. He grew up in Wilke in a family of five children, two boys, and three girls. Gil worked at Notre Dame Hospital in North Battleford. She worked as a Central Supply Nurse, ensuring there was plenty of supplies and sterilization of instruments. The sterilization of gauze and instruments was done by a large steamer-type machine. Gil said it was a bit scary at times, thinking that perhaps it was going to blow everything up! Frank did various jobs from working in gas stations, doing construction, and working in the Nickle mines in Ontario. Frank eventually went to Tech school in Calgary and received his Plumber/gas fitter ticket. However, when Frank would find work in another Province as a plumber, he would have to write an exam which was a requirement by that Province to allow him to work there.

Gil and Frank met in North Battleford in 1951 and married in 1953. They have been married 68 years this month! Being blessed with a family of three boys and two girls, as well as 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren! Frank had found work in St. Paul, Alberta and they lived there from 1954 to about 1957 when they moved back to North Battleford to be closer to family. They lived there until they moved to Vernon with their children in 1966 for work. Gil was a stay-at-home mom until 1972 when she went back to work as a Central Supply Nurse at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, doing the same job until her retirement in 1992. Frank retired in 1989 but went back to work part-time until 1992 when Gil retired. For the next 5 years, they would head south to Yuma, Arizona for 5 months out of the year until the health care costs just got to be too expensive and the Canadian dollars were not great at around $60 on the US dollar. In 1984 they had built a log cabin on Okanagan Lake with some friends and neighbors. That cabin is still being used to this day by the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Gil and Frank were able to get out there for visits as well until Covid-19 hit, which has curbed so many activities. They are just so pleased that the family is still using it constantly.

Some of the previous activities that Gil enjoyed doing were crafting, learning to quilt, and belonging to two quilting guilds. Gil still does some quilting but not as much as previously. She loves to bake, and family is everything and so important! Frank coached and was past president for Minor Hockey. He is also a Charter Member of the BX Firehall as a volunteer Fireman for 5 years.

For the Love of Schubert: Frank has been a member at the Schubert Centre since 2005 and loves the good company here. Gil has been a member since 2010 saying she was too young to join earlier!!! She enjoys meeting people and being able to drop in and play cards and have coffee. What she really loves about Schubert is meeting people and talking about their life and what they did and do is just so interesting to her.

Terry Luxton was born in 1947 in Shaunavon, SK. Terry left Shaunavon for the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon to acquire her teaching certificate. As soon as she finished the two-year program, she started to teach at St. Patrick’s School in Swift Current, SK. In those days you could start teaching before you received your degree. Terry married in 1968 and had two children, a son Gerry and a daughter Melody. She has also been blessed with nine grandchildren and three great-granddaughters. Terry followed her husband from Saskatchewan to Calgary and then eventually made their way to BC, living in Blue River and Avola. Terry taught anywhere from kindergarten to grade seven in Blue River. Terry eventually moved to Vernon in 1984 in a snow blizzard! Because work was hard to find, she worked at a MAC’s convenience store and became a manager there. From there she moved on to A & W in the Village Green Mall where she met Chuck Luxton, who was a security guard at the mall. A night out at the Legion was the night Terry realized that Chuck was her man and married him on February 13, 1988. On April 1, 1989, Terry began working at the Lifestyle Naturals Store at Village Green Mall and is still working there part-time to this day! When Terry semi-retired she decided to do some volunteering at the Schubert Centre. She could see that the coffee shop could use some help and she is now the Coordinator of the Coffee Shop. Terry said that her husband Chuck enjoyed every moment he spent at the Schubert Centre as well, pouring coffee! Some of Terry’s hobbies include reading, golfing, and she swims daily. Terry and Chuck were a very active couple, doing cross country skiing, hiking, biking, and snowshoeing. They were always together and their weekends were like mini-vacations. They also used to ride small 49cc motorcycles which gave them many happy memories riding throughout the countryside.

For the Love of Schubert: Terry has been a member of the Schubert Centre for five years, however, she has volunteered at the Schubert since 2012. Her nature is to help whenever possible and she could see the Schubert needed help. She volunteers as a way of satisfying her need to always be doing something and as a wonderful way to give back to the Community. Terry believes the Schubert is vital to the dynamics of Vernon, a place to gather, socialize and get a meal for a reasonable price. Without Schubert, she says some people may have difficulty locating a similar place to hang out with friends and make new ones.