We Remember
JONAT, Elvadora Pearl Olivianne Rice Kittler (née Holmberg)
November 14, 1935 — September 9, 2026
Elvadora Pearl Olivianne Holmberg Rice Kittler Jonat lived a life as full and as long as her name.
When Mom turned 90, we created a book to honour her life and titled it “Faith and Family … 90 years.” That is the theme of what mattered to our Mom.
She was the second child born to Agnes and Oscar Holmberg, and as the family grew to a total of 9 children, Mom had a lot of people to care for and to try to organize. She once asked her brother Dwight what he remembered most about their childhood, and he said, “You were always trying to make us work, and we wanted to play.”
Music was a big part of family life for the Holmberg’s and Mom taught herself to play the piano by ear, and she could transpose to different keys to make choruses and hymns singable for us all. The kids could sing four-part harmony and created their own choir. She learned the French horn, the trombone, the organ, and later in life, the vibraharp.
Life was not always easy in a household of 11 people. There were many chores and a large garden to work and lots of canning to be done. When her Dad began a job as a night cook to serve 75 men placing electrical lines, he asked Mom and her older sister to come and help, and her working career began at the age of 12. She worked for 50 cents an hour and no tips. She was a good saver, too, but when the washing machine broke down and couldn’t be fixed, Mom gave her Dad the money to buy a new one.
Mom was a conscientious and good student and was first in her class from Grade 7–11. She received a scholarship in Grade 11 and used it to buy more books. She was so surprised to be chosen to be valedictorian for her Grade 12 graduation.
Her first teaching position was in Binscarth, Manitoba where she met and married Murray Rice. Life as a farmer’s wife and teacher was busy, but it became even busier when Carol and then Karen and then Russ joined the family. She was Mom to 3 under 3! As we grew older, Mom got us involved in 4-H where we worked on projects, demonstrations, and public speaking, which she believed was good training for our future.
The next biggest chapter was our move to Kelowna, BC. Mom and Dad wanted us to have different opportunities. We found the Kelowna Alliance Church which became an integral part of our faith journey. Mom was in the choir, played the piano and organ for services, promoted missions, and was the Sunday School Superintendent. They survived the teen years because Dad kept us laughing and Mom kept us organized.
Mom supported each one of us as we began to choose our career paths and our life partners. Wherever her kids went, Mom visited and always showed up in a big way.
She was so very proud of Russ’ carpenter abilities and the china cabinet he built was one of her prize possessions. She was excited to have Debbie Klassen join our family and proud of how Debbie got Russ through University and established in his career with Graham Construction.
As Karen was heading to the mission field, in drops Bob Formica, changes her last name and the country they were headed to. Mom packed their barrels and Dad had her stand on the top to add more weight! She absolutely treasured her trips to the Philippines and then Florida when they joined the pastorate.
Carol served in three churches across Canada and at every church, Mom would come to “Cut, Colour, and Count Crafts for Carol’s Kids” and nobody could do it better! Who else would crochet hundreds of baby blankets and paint 37,000 q-tips for a camp craft? Steven Wiebe joined the family and Mom’s prayers for godly partners for her children were answered.
Mom was over the moon excited when she became Grandma Pearl! Karen and Bob gave her Joseph, Carolyn, and Marie. Russ and Debbie gave her Janelle and Joshua. Steve brought Lydell into her life and Carol and Steven adopted Nate from the country of Ukraine. She made costumes out of nothing, hosted tea parties, and loved to take her grandchildren out for coffee so that she could show them off!
Our Dad passed away in January 1992 and Mom married Hugo Kittler in June 1994. She got involved in the life of Hanna, Alberta and learned how to ice fish, collected 375,000 creamo toppers for a fundraiser, and made special church and coffee friends. Hugo passed away in August 1999.
When Mom was 15 years old, Clarence Jonat who was 20, was a travelling evangelist and musician, and they became interested in each other. Marriage was on his mind, but her parents put a stop to that! Fifty years later, they found each other again and Mom and Clarence got married on her 65th birthday in Zimbabwe.
Married life started in Swift Current where Clarence had pastored the Apostolic Church. Mom added Patsy, Rob, Wes, and Lorrie, and four more grandchildren to her family. Mom and Clarence jet-setted around the country and to Africa helping their kids and taking advantage of ministry opportunities.
In 2011, as Mom and Clarence came to visit Steven and Carol in Kelowna and enjoyed our weather so much, they made the decision to come and enjoy it, too! They found an apartment close to everything they needed, rekindled old friendships and made new ones at their “pew” in McDonald’s.
After Clarence passed, there came a time when Mom needed care. She had dementia, but we never told her, and we answered every question like she was asking it for the first time. God gave us our first choice and Mountainview Village became her new home. We are at a loss for words to describe the care, the attention, and the love that they gave to our Mom. They loved her spunk, her desire to be independent, and her sweet smile when something was done for her.
To the very end of her days, our Mom taught us how to live. To be grateful, to be generous, and to stay connected to family and to God. Every day, she wanted us to be sure we knew, she appreciated all that we were doing for her. Today, we are saying the same to you, Mom.
We appreciate all you have done for us. Thank you for the gift of faith and family over 90 years.
By the way — you’ll be happy to know — you won the last SkipBo tournament.
A Private Service was held in Pearl’s honour.
If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.
In my memories of Auntie Pearl she was always smiling, always doing something to serve someone! My mom (Iris) will have been so pleased to be there to welcome her sister home. We are very sorry for your loss.
Debbie & Scott
Thank you, Debbie and Scott, for your thoughts and prayers. We extend ours to you as well in the loss of your Dad and then, your Mom – Mom’s sister. As we worked our way through Mom’s photos this week, there were many of her siblings and then, their families as we all came along with many special memories. It was actually your Mom who came to visit Mom while Auntie Iris was attending Bible School and she helped me to understand what it meant to have Jesus as my Forever Friend. I will always be grateful.
Thankyou for the memory about Mom sharing Jesus with you! We will treasure that! Honestly I had some tears over that, so thank you!
I was also just remembering that my mom had struggled to read in school and she told us about how wonderful it was that her sister Pearl spent many hours teaching her and helping her to succeed.. She was very grateful!
When I was a child, Aunt Pearl would ship boxes of clothes for us 3 kids that her children had out-grown. It was so exciting to dive into the box and discover something “new”! That kindness was a great blessing to Mom and Dad, and certainly brought joy to Debbie, Corwin and I! I don’t know if I ever thanked her. I hope I did. Thank you, Aunt Pearl – I’ll never forget the happiness you brought us.
Carol, Karen, and Russ, please know I am praying for your peace and comfort at this time. Deb and I know “losing” a mom is hard, but it helps to know she is with the Lord, more alive and vibrant than ever! We will see her again, and no one can take away that joy.
Barb
Thank you, Barb, for this special memory of our Mom! You’re right – she was always thinking of others. I can just see the three of you diving into that box of surprises! I don’t know how Mom had this – but we had a chorus book with your Mom’s name written in the front. She played many songs out of that book and over these last months, we worked our way from front to back singing choruses and worshipping together. I am so grateful.
Grandma Pearl was an incredible woman. In her 60’s she wrote out in great detail the story of her life. This week, I pulled it out to read it again- page after page of special history documented. I don’t have any other friends who can say they know personal stories about their great-great grandparents! That was Grandma Pearl, paying attention to the details and writing them down to later be treasured and appreciated. I always wished that we lived “up the road” from our grandparents but living in the Philippines and Florida, that just wasn’t the case for us. But the love, fun and memories we made outweighed any amount of distance. We would move out of our bedrooms for months at a time so they could be with us! I remember Grandma Pearl always helping around the house and church and her genuine servant heart to make our lives easier in any way she could. I am now in a season of raising little ones and have the blessing of my mom (Karen) who visits and is such a true help. I have to tell her things like “please do NOT clean my toilets, I can do it!” But just like she saw grandma Pearl do her whole life, she can’t help but give the gift of her time and energy. I know the same is true for Aunt Carol and Uncle Russ.
I never got to meet my Grandpa Murray but I know grandma was a faithful wife to him. I am told how many times grandma had to move during her life and that not only made her an expert packer but I believe she lived every transition well because she was grounded in the Lord. Mom (Karen), Aunt Carol and Uncle Russ were taken on this journey and I can just see that all of her 3 children grew to be such stable and healthy adults because no matter how the situation looked around them, Grandma Pearl provided them her steady and faithful presence. You could say she was “mom goals”.
She also loved Hugo whom I briefly knew, and again she had to bury a husband. Grandpa Clarence was a ray of sunshine in her life and ours. I loved seeing grandma, in her mid 60’s and in love. And in competition! In their Bibles, they would keep a “skip bo” score card and the score of every game they ever played was recorded. I remember grandma turning to me and whispering that the games that grandpa won were because “he cheated or I let him win”! With grandma, the simple things were the most fun. She cared for Clarence at the end of his life and again, lost another love. It makes me smile to know they are all united now and that I’m sure some (Godly) games of skipbo are being enjoyed. Better yet, she probably hasn’t left the worship of Jesus. Probably playing the piano and her beautiful voice proclaiming what her eyes finally get to witness of 90 years of faith- Him.
Thank you, Grandma Pearl for living life well. For raising wonderful children and loving your grandchildren. For your generosity in time, talent, love and even finances. I believe you have gone to Heaven empty-handed. Because every gift God gave you, you used. Well done, Grandma Pearl. I love you and will miss you until I see you again.
Thank you, Marie, for sharing your heart and your love for Grandma Pearl. She was always looking for ways to love on her children and her grandchildren, and you’re right, the gift of the book she created on her life story, is more precious than ever. One day, she was exclaiming that when you get to be 90, you can’t expect to live much longer! I asked her if she was looking forward to heaven, and she exclaimed, “Yes! I will see Jesus, my Mom and Dad, then my three husbands and all my siblings – it’s going to be a real party!” I can see it now – Mom is whole, healed and worshipping together with all those she has loved along the way.
😟😟😟😟😟
Thank you, Kittler family – Hugh was a big part of Mom’s life. He welcomed her children and the new grandbabies along the way. As we looked through photo albums this week, we were reminded of their trips to Calgary, Saskatoon and Florida. But the memorable one was their trip to the Philippines where Hugh couldn’t help himself and helped to complete the building of a church there. Many birthday, anniversary and Christmas celebrations took place in Hanna. Mom was especially proud of Hugh’s manger scene on the front lawn and loved to tel that story.
My eyes and soul are burning as I cry tears for the beautiful life of Pearl and how she touched so many. . I remember her very well from Kids Kapers at Unionville Alliance Church. She counted her steps to get each craft done even teaching Clarence how to do them too. My heart is with you all as you grieve, dear Pearl, and celebrate her beautiful life! So thankful to have known her. Carol you remind me so much of your Mom!
Thank you, Verna – what would we have done without her? As someone said this week, she was the “Prep Fairy” and made us look good when the kids walked out the door so proud of their camp creations! Counting letters to go on picture frames, cutting sticks to just the right length and making sure the bundles were counted exactly right so that we wouldn’t run out of materials. Mom knew how to be there for her kids throughout their whole lives – and right to the end, she taught me the importance of gratefulness, of generosity, family and faith. I hope that I can follow the example she set for me.
Aunt Pearl was a perky lady – full of energy as we remember. Pearl moved away from Binscarth, MB to Kelowna, BC in the late 1960s, so did not see her as much, but still sent her a Christmas card.
Charlotte (Rice) Gray said “Pearl was the most talented person she knew. Pearl could play anything by ear and by note.” We will miss that laugh, but as we know as Christians, and as tough as it sounds – Pearl has gone to be in a better place.
Dear Carol a family. I know this is a bittersweet time for you as you remember a wonderful mother and woman. I remember meeting Pearl in the “kids kapers craft sweat shop”😉 conversation was limited because she was too hard at work!! Her legacy has continued in the lives of her family. May God give you his peace and the joyful confidence of his unfailing love. Much love Mary and Ian
Carol, Karen and Russ: I was saddened today to receive the obituary of your mum and her promotion to heaven. I have such good memories of Pearl organizing my library for me at Kelowna Alliance Church and getting them all in order with labels in place. Her warm, bright smile, caring ways and serving heart was not lost on me in its influence in my early days of serving as a pastor. And it was very fun to meet Murray who would come in his pick-up to pick her up from the church. She is a treasured memory of our lives in the Okanagan long ago. May the three of you and your families know Christ’s peace and presence in these days of loss. It sure makes us look forward to heaven. Blessing Matt Boda – Calgary, AB
Dear Carol and family, I was saddened from a human perspective, to hear from Verna, on the earthly passing of your Mom, the powerhouse Pearl, your Mom. It was such a pleasure meeting her as she came to Ontario to help you prepare for Kids Kapers, a camp you brought to Unionville Alliance Church, way back when. Getting to know her just, a little, spoke volumes of how/why you are the woman you are. Her smile was big and infectious. And her heart just, as big as that smile. Although sad that she is not here with you, she is most assuredly with her Saviour, such a much better place. And I know, for that, your family look to the future of all being together again. I pray for God’s great and perfect peace and comfort for you all as you miss Pearl. God bless you all in His great loving and tender care.