David Henry Schmierbach passed away quietly at Chilliwack General Hospital, in the early morning of Sunday, September 25, 2005. David was born in 1941 in Graceville, Minnesota. He grew up in the Dakota’s where he had, at the age of twelve, a one acre garden and no rototiller. After graduating from High School, he joined the U.S. Army as a Paratrooper, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After leaving the service, Sargent Schmierbach graduated from North Dakota State University with a M.A. Degree and taught school in Alaska. Opposed to the U.S. policy regarding Vietnam, David and his family emigrated to Canada in 1970, a move he never regretted for one second. After working at Save- on- Foods, he was hired by School District # 33. David was a teacher at Chilliwack Junior and Sardis Senior Secondary schools. He was active in the Chilliwack Teachers Association. He was one of the original organizers and vendors of the Chilliwack Farmer’s Market. David also owned and operated Dacha Barinka- a mail order seed and plant company. His plants, trees, flowers and shrubs are now growing on every continent on our planet with the exception of Antarctica. David’s hobbies were cooking, preserving foods and watching British Mysteries on TV.
David is survived by his wife, Glenda; sons, Christopher and Butch, and grandsons Jared and Aaron; his sisters, Ruth, Norma, Mary, and Edith as well as his father Herman. He also regrets leaving his special friends, Patrick, Karen, Josie, Alana and Shirley. No funeral service is planned, however a memorial reception will be held in his honour later in the month of October. In lieu of cards and flowers, donations in David’s memory, to the Gwynne -Vaughn Park Society would be welcomed.