Local residents are mourning the passing of Henry Sonnenberg, a former longtime businessman, best known for organizing Christmas dinners in town for decades.
Sonnenberg reportedly passed away on Saturday, July 29 at the Olds hospice.
He owned and operated the Olds Bakery for more than 30 years and it's from there that he began cooking and serving Christmas dinners for people who had no place else to go for a Christmas meal and celebration. Today, the building houses the Different Strokes art gallery and shop.
Sonnenberg started organizing his Christmas dinners in 1978 and continued doing so for 37 years with help from members of the Olds Lions Club and other volunteers.
Over time those dinners became so big they were held at the Evergreen Centre, then, during the past couple of years, at the legion. Henry was still involved as recently as last year.
On Christmas Day 2015, town representatives ñ including Mayor Judy Dahl ñ presented Sonnenberg with a gift in appreciation of his many years of cooking and organizing the dinners. That gift was a picture of 50th Avenue, where his bakery was located.
Sonnenberg estimated that over the years, he'd cooked thousands of turkeys for the dinners. Meals usually included ham, beef, salads, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries and desserts as well.
Mayor Judy Dahl was saddened to learn of Sonnenberg's passing.
"My heart beats with sadness for his family and loved ones," she told the Albertan.
"Henry was a generous, loving man with a tender heart. We can rejoice in the knowledge that his mission here was successfully completed.
"I have only known Henry as a man who brought me strength as he walked his charitable life caring for others without conditions.
"Anything wonderful is made more so, if you can share it; that is what Henry did best. We will remember him and set a chair for him to join us at the events Henry supported within our community for so many," she added.
Dale Saby, who has been with the Lions Club for decades, remembers Sonnenberg fondly.
"Nothing but the best. He was good; he did an awesome job there," Saby says.
He says Sonnenberg was always very kind and humble.
"He just didn't turn anybody down. Anybody; he'd just invite them in," he recalls.
Saby says the Christmas dinners began when Sonnenberg encountered a lonely woman at Christmastime 1978.
"Apparently on Christmas Day she was walking down the street; no place to go," Saby says. "I guess she was cold and hungry. He invited her in and gave her a Christmas dinner and it just bloomed from there."
Saby says originally, Sonnenberg cooked and served the Christmas dinners all by himself. He believes the Lions Club began helping out roughly 25 years ago.
Saby says although in the last couple of years Sonnenberg stepped aside to allow others to organize the event, he still helped out as much as he could.
"Even last year he was peeling potatoes at the legion," he says.
Saby recalls one incident that shows just how dedicated Sonnenberg was to the Christmas dinners.
"It must have been Christmas Day because we had everything all set up," Saby recalls.
"He mentioned (that) when dinner was all over he was going to go to Fort Mac to visit his son and I says, ëwell, you're going to drive up there right from here?'
"And I says, ëwell, heck, why don't you just go? There's just a couple of us here, we could look after it. We'll take everything back to the kitchen and clean it up. You can go.'
"But his van wasn't in very good shape; he had to get some work done on that. This is Christmas Day. So a girl by the name of Darlene, she says, ëI've got a pickup; why don't you take it?' So he did. Away he went. Went to Fort Mac to visit his son Christmas Day. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten out of here till 6 o'clock at night.
"He was going to stay there all day, rather than go and have dinner with his family."
"He just didn't turn anybody down. Anybody; he'd just invite them in." DALE SABY
