Olive Kathleen Olsufka

Olive Kathleen Robinson was born October 7, 1948, in Neepawa, to her parents George and Phyllis Robinson.  She was the younger sister to her brother Harry.  Olive attended school at the Glendale School and then went on to Neepawa School.  Olive worked at Neepawa Income Tax for several years, before she stayed full time on the family farm. Olive joined the 4H program as member and then later became a leader once her girls were involved.

Olive met Don while he was working for Neepawa Coop delivering fuel, it seemed that maybe it was at this time that Don was developing a real taste for coffee.  But not just any coffee, the best coffee it seems, was from the Royal Café.  Now Olive also developed a liking for coffee, the same coffee at the Royal Café!!  A friend of Olive’s said that the two of them were known, more than occasionally, to skip out of school, and head to the café, where Don would happen to be sipping on a cup of coffee.  Well, I don’t know if there was something special about that coffee, but it was a happy ending, as they got married on June 15, 1968.  They were happily married for 47 years.

December 2019, Olive made the hard decision and moved into Neepawa. Coming from a farm with wide open space to grow many flower beds and a large garden was a hard transition.  She loved her new house, and her back yard, maybe not so much.  She had a few towering trees that stole the sunlight that her flowers and vegetables needed.  Roots were every where, so she had a couple of raised flower beds made. Her back yard was a work in progress. 

You would find Olive out walking her beloved dogs, usually through the cemetery.  Anyone she met along her walk she would take the time and visit. 

Olive joined the Neepawa Drop-in center once she moved to Neepawa, she played floor curling and shuffle. Floor curling is a little different from natural ice where she curled for many years at Arden rink.

In 2001, Olive joined the Neepawa Legion Ladies Auxiliary and was still a member at her time of passing.  In those years she was their auditor, treasurer, caterer committee, funeral lunches, she was known as the  gravy lady for legion suppers.  It has been said that she should bottle up that gravy and sell it in the stores!  She was always willing to help however she could, and not just at the legion. Her friends knew that she was just a call away for help.

Olive loved her grandchildren, you would find her watching them curl, play baseball, basketball, although she was not a fan of the loud noise during a zone banner playoff game against Neepawa!  She was a big supporter of the 4H program, you would find her ring side at show day on the hottest day of the summer, listening to MANY speeches at any level, and serving supper for the interclub buyer’s supper. She would be watching Sveinna show her cattle at Ag Ex or online on her out of province shows.   The saying, you can take the farm girl out of the country, but can’t take the country out of her was true, very often especially during bull sales and Tuesday auction mart sale, if you called, you would always hear DLMS in the background and would keep Shelley up to date with the auction mart and who bought the high selling bull at sales.

Olive passed away suddenly March 7, 2026, at her home.

Olive was predeceased by her husband, Don; parents, George and Phyllis; sister in laws Joy and Jean.

She is survived by her children Sheila, her partner Wendal Usick and their two daughters Faith and Hope.  Shelley, her husband Randy Bjarnarson and their children Broddi (partner Shay), Tristinn and Sveinna; her brother Harry (Joyce) and children Bob (Wife Linda) and Jana(Husband Trevor) and many  nephews and nieces. And her niece Holly.

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