Just a Gal from Glidden: Rest In Peace, Lovely Leora

I lost a friend this past week.

Leora Schmidt passed away quietly in her sleep at the Maple Creek Long Term Care facility on February 28.

I met Leora back in 2018 when I started my job as Managing Editor for the Maple Creek News. To be truthful, it wasn’t an enjoyable first meeting. I had made the editorial decision to remove Leora’s column for a couple of weeks to make room for what I had considered “more important” news for the week. Leora called me up, and we had quite a lengthy conversation about the word of the Lord being the most important thing that I could have in the paper.

Now, I’m not sure if I was feeling pressure from a superior power or if I just wanted to make peace, but I agreed that I would continue to run the “The Living Word” column if space allowed.

As time went on, Leora stopped by the office to meet me in person, and we had a visit, and she asked if I could take a recent photo of her for the column as she “looked horrendous” (her words, not mine!)

I wouldn’t just receive columns from Leora; she would sometimes send me an email to see how I was doing or comment on a particular photo I had taken that she enjoyed. One thing that she did regularly was send me an inspirational quote. They always made me smile as I read them, knowing that she probably put a lot of thought into what she was sending.

After I announced that I was leaving Maple Creek to start my newspaper in Kindersley, Leora came to the office. She brought me a going away gift - a beautiful handcrafted wooden pencil holder that I keep on my desk to this day. I told Leora that I would keep in touch, and she graciously offered to keep sending me columns to spread The Living Word with readers in west central Saskatchewan.

Once I was settled in Kindersley, I received the following email from Leora:

Dear Kate,

I offer you something daily that you cannot see. I have a daily prayer list, and your name is on it. You said you weren’t very religious...That’s OK. God isn’t through with any of us yet. He has a plan for each of us whether we recognize it or not. Lots of times we operate blindly without recognizing that He is at work.

Frankly, from my observation of your departure from Maple Creek News, it would appear that that whole experience was to expel you to move--for whatever reasons that may not even be known now. Thankfully, you had the initiative and the know how and the courage to take a giant step. And it appears to be one that is appreciated by many and hopefully maintains and picks up momentum.

Now you know that I claim to be both religious and spiritual and find that’s what makes me flourish. So I’ll close with a verse that fits those who seek to be on a path that pleases God: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28. You may not acknowledge that you are on that path, but I believe you are heading there! The verse means that if we seek to be in God’s will that ALL things will ultimately turn out for good. The bad experiences push us away from ultimate failure and dangerous paths, and move us into more productive and satisfying ventures. At least that’s how this person interprets it after living many years claiming it as a truth!!!

All the best,
Leora

I enjoyed receiving emails from Leora, even if we would get into a discussion about a particular editorial cartoon!

Leora and I didn’t always agree on everything, but she never judged, still seeing the good in everyone. She wrote hundreds of columns; all neatly put in her binder. She had specific messages for different occasions. She called me a couple of weeks ago from the hospital and told me that she wasn’t doing well and she wanted to send me as many columns as she could before she went to meet her Saviour. Her daughter phoned me yesterday to tell me news of her passing. I am going to honour Leora’s wish and continue to run her columns when space allows. I know that she did have a following, and I will do my part in supplying “The Living Word.” I figure it can’t hurt. Rest In Peace, Lovely Leora. You were one of a kind.

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