It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tove Della Costa. After a brief illness with an overwhelming infection, Tove passed away in the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre on Sunday, December 17, 2017 at the age of 87 years. Tove was born in Edmonton on August 26, 1930 to Knud and Kamilla Bonde, who had emigrated here from Denmark. They moved from Edmonton when Tove was about two years old and she grew up on the family farm near Rocky Mountain House, along with her younger sister, Ruth (Ponich) and brother, Neils Bonde. Tove started school in a small converted house near their farm and then moved to the bigger school when she got older, pedaling her bike from the farm to school every day. The roads weren’t much in those days so it was tough slogging through the ruts. Through high school she boarded at a home in Rocky in return for taking care of the family’s kids. She worked hard on the family farm and loved spending time in the fields working with her dad. She could often be found riding her favorite horse, Slim, using him to help build haystacks during haying season and going for horseback rides with her friends. After graduating from High School, she went to Secretarial School and worked at the Atlas Lumber Mill for several years. She spent some time in Edmonton and Calgary working at TB Clinics. Her favorite job was working at the weather station in Rocky – she spoke fondly of her time there and was interested in clouds her whole life. Tove’s best friend, Jean Addy introduced her to Elieo Della Costa, a cute farmer who lived nearby, in 1953. Tove and Elieo were inseparable from then on and were married in 1956. It was a life-long love affair–they were partners in all things, and raised their five girls in a home filled with love. Tove and Elieo worked together to grow their own farming operation, slowly building their herd of cattle. Elieo also drove school bus to Caroline School for forty-six years; so Tove kept the home fires burning whenever he was gone. Haying season and calving season were particularly busy times, with the whole family working together to get things done and mom at the centre of it all. Any spare time was usually spent in the West Country. Life was always busy but Tove and Elieo made the time to take their kids on camping trips, with many happy days hiking and picnicking in the mountains. They also did two trips across Canada, each time flying to Toronto to pick up a school bus and then driving the bus home, camping along the way. The first time was with a new born baby, and the second time with five kids under the age of twelve. Tove loved being a grandma, and was happiest when the house was filled with her eleven grandchildren. Having a bunch of kids around, zooming through the kitchen on tricycles or chasing after the cats and dogs, made her day. In recent years, she and Elieo enjoyed meeting in town for coffee with family and friends, having family picnics by the river, and taking drives down local backroads. Tove also enjoyed scolding Elieo for spoiling their dog Kelly, but she spoiled Kelly just as much. Tove is lovingly remember by Elieo, her husband of sixty-one years, and their five daughters, Trina Hobmaier, Michelle (Ray Gauvin), Christine (Scott Rickett), Dianne (Eugene Schrader) and Donna Pengelly (Keith), and Sherry Spoljaric (Paul) who was like another daughter to her. Tove was predeceased by her parents and by her son-in-law, Mike Hobmaier. She leaves a legacy of special memories for her grandchildren, Daryl (Abby), Richard (Ashlee), Kelsey (Ryan), Ryan and Will Schrader; Kent (Holly), Landon (Andrea), and Zevon (Meagan) Hobmaier; and Rachel, Jenna and Blain Pengelly. She also has four great grandchildren, Bryn and Renner Schrader, Tenley Hobmaier and Aidyn Coyle. A Celebration of Tove’s Life will be held on Friday, December 29 at the Dovercourt Hall at 2:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com. Cremation Arrangements in care of Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium, 5014 – 50 Street, Eckville, Alberta. 403.746.2024 or 1.800.481.7421.

• Date : 2017-12-17
• Location : Red Deer