Obituary of Nadine Grovet

Amber Nadine Grovet (Nadine) was born in 1926 in Florida, USA, oldest child to Julius and Julliette Galbraith, but almost didn’t survive the first few days of her life. Nadine’s mother suffered eclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy complication, and Nadine was born prematurely, weighing approximately 2 pounds. Without access to infant warmers and other high-tech gear, Nadine was kept alive by being warmed in a low temperature-set oven. Not only did she survive, but she also thrived first in Florida, then moving to Wisconsin, where she was followed by two sisters, Kaye and Gail, who grew up doing farms chores including milking cows.

The family had a strong faith in God and attended the Seventh-day Adventist church. Nadine’s mother was especially passionate about the difference a committed Christian faith could make in their lives, and those around them. As a child Nadine determined to follow Jesus in everything she did.

After graduating from High School Nadine considered her options. Her father believed that young women could be teachers, nurses or secretaries.  After some thought Nadine chose nursing. Nursing was far different in those days – the young women studied nursing all day and then worked long unpaid shifts as student nurses all evening.  Nadine took her basic RN training at the New England Sanitorium and Hospital, Boston, graduating as the Nifty Class of 50. Following that she nursed and taught nursing at Glendale, California. She later took her Minor in Biology and her Major in Nursing Education at Walla Walla Seventh-day College.

After a failed romantic relationship, Nadine came to Alberta with one of her nursing friends, Norma Grovet. A year or so earlier Norma had brought another friend home for a visit, that friend fell in love with Norma’s older brother, Lief, eventually marrying. Apparently, Norma was an excellent matchmaker, because there was a repeat when Nadine met another older brother, Bernard Grovet. Bernard, who was farming on the Grovet homestead farm near Galahad, AB, with his parents, Ole and Hannah Grovet, was soon swept off his feet. The pair married in Walla Walla, Washington in 1957. They returned to Galahad where Nadine promptly went to work as an RN, first working in Killam Hospital, then in Galahad, briefly going to the US to work as Director of Nursing back in Walla Walla (covering for her friend, Norma, who was off on maternity leave). Nadine worked as a nurse for over 40 years, many of that time being in Galahad, at the Catholic Hospital. Keep in mind that through much of her early career the majority of women worked at home, an honorable profession, but only a small part of Nadine’s busy life.  She worked on the floor as an Acute Care nurse, then worked many years as Director of Nursing. When she retired from Director of Nursing she returned to floor nursing, this time working nights in Galahad Long Term Care.

Nadine, a slightly older newly wed at the age of 30, was busy with work and caring for the small home besides her in laws on the family farm, but she also didn’t waste any time in having children. Douglas Eric was born in 1959, Kevin Bernard born 1961 and Robert Lyndon in 1963. If Nadine was disappointed in not having any girls she didn’t show it – but soon was busy with typical boys things, mud puddles, soft ball, hockey and snowmobiles.

In 1966 Nadine’s younger sister, Gail, her husband, Bert, and their two children, Jeff and Greg       came for a visit to the family farm. When Gail and Bert left a week later, they left the two boys behind. Nadine and Bernard cared for those boys for several years. This left them with five boys between the ages of three and seven, and they were living in a tiny home smaller than many people’s garage. As you can imagine, there were some good times and fun, and there were some difficult times as everyone adjusted to the situation. Eventually Gail and Bert divorced, and Gail then returned for the boys.

Nadine was not impressed by fancy homes, elegant clothes or expensive things. Instead, she loved God with all her heart and tried to serve Him in everything she did. She was always active with the Sedgewick Seventh-day Adventist church, filling a wide variety of roles including being the first woman Elder in Alberta. Her attitude was “Always do the best you can in everything you do, as though serving Jesus himself directly” whether cleaning the bathrooms at the church or teaching Sabbath School classes.

Nadine also had a love of music, playing the piano for church, or when Bernard played the violin. She also sang alto with the Walter Jahns Choir for years, enjoying the chance to sing parts as taught to her by her mother years earlier.

When Hannah Grovet passed away the family moved into the bigger house in the yard, where they helped care for Ole, who was at that time in his 80s. It was a busy time for Nadine, gardening, keeping house, and caring for 3 busy boys. Fortunately, the home was only 1 ½ miles from Galahad because during the winter of 1974 that trip was made several times by snowmobile as the road to town was blocked by snow. Nadine worked some double shifts February and March 1974 for nurses who couldn’t get to work because of blocked roads.

When all three of her sons were adults, married and moved out, Bernard and Nadine opened their home to another boy, Scotty, who lived with them for several years before returning to live with his father. Following that she became the grandmother to nine grandchildren. Doug and Heather had two girls, Danelle and Kaitlin, Kevin and Dodie also had two girls, Camille and Amber, and Robert and Sherilyn had five boys, Jason, Todd, Tyler, Bradley and Brayden. All the children enjoyed time with Grandma – making bread with her, frying bread dough, picking beans and being caught in the “grandma trap” by her sturdy arms. At this time Nadine has nine great-grandchildren as well.

Nadine was famous for making the best popcorn in the world (sprinkled with veggie-salt), for her love of music, camping, the colour pink, her family, and most of all, her love of Jesus. She was careful to never put things over the importance of people, and especially over the importance of God. She did her best to live the Golden Rule. In her 80s she was diagnosed with early dementia. She told us all “I hope that I will always be the type of person that appreciates my caregivers”. With the death of Bernard in 2008 she continued to live on the family farm for a few more years, with Doug and Heather nearby in the same yard. As her balance got worse, and her driving worse yet, she regretfully moved to the Forestburg Manor, then eventually Galahad Long Term Care (where she had worked all those many years) and then to her final home at Hardisty Extended Care. She often spoke of her longing to see Bernard again with the resurrection, and even more, to see the face of Jesus, the one that she had chose to follow all those years ago as a child.

In the last few years Nadine’s dementia progressed, but even in the last years she could sing countless hymns by memory if someone played the piano. And nothing would make her happier if she could “have a word of prayer” with her family.

We are all sad to lose someone so devoted to her faith and her family, but we have no doubt that one day we will see Nadine again, when her hair won’t be gray, her knees won’t be sore, her balance and memory are flawless, and she can run and keep up with Bernard and the grandchildren.

A memorial service will take place on Thursday, February 5^th, 2026 at the Sedgewick Seventh-day Adventist church at 2:00 pm.

A time of fellowship and refreshments will follow the service.

Memorial donations in Nadine’s memory can be made to ADRA (Adventist Development Relief Agency) or to the charity of the donor’s choice.