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October 4, 1925 - April 27, 2020
Mother, Grand-mother, Baba, Great-grandmother, Auntie, Relative and Friend, Nellie (Minnaert) Posnikoff/Postnikoff passed peacefully at Talarico Place on April 27, 2020. She was blessed with 94 years of life.
Nellie was born in Brandon, Manitoba to parents Maggie (Rebalkin) and Gustave Minnaert. She was a younger sister to Gus and Annie. In 1933, the family moved to Winlaw, where she lived until 1950. She married Sam Rebalkin in 1945 and they had son Peter.
After Sam's passing in 1950, Nellie worked in restaurants in Nelson. She married John Postnikoff/ Posnikoff and lived on Ymir Road, just outside of Nelson until relocating to Castlegar in June of 1993.
She and John had children David and Elizabeth.
Nellie was a devoted care-giver to her parents and her in-laws. Nellie had worked at the Hume Hotel in Nelson for 20 years until her retirement.
Nellie was an active life-long member of the USCC and the Taghum Doukhobor Ladies Group, cooking for special events including weddings and funerals. She participated in festivals at Brilliant and volunteered to tend the flower gardens at the Verigin Tomb Memorial Park.
Nellie was a skilled "craftswoman" : sewing, blanket making, mending, weaving and "hooking" carpets, knitting mittens, socks, sweaters, darning and also crocheting afghans, dish cloths, which she gifted to relatives and friends. She was a fabulous cook and baker and loved to share food, and fruit from her apple and plum trees.
Nellie enjoyed card games and doing puzzles, colouring, reading the Coffee Mate and creating her own poems. She obtained her driver's license in 1986 and delighted in being able to "chauffeur" her friends and family.
Nellie was predeceased by husband Sam in 1950, John in 1985, and her special friend of 10 years, Bill Savinkoff in 2009. Also, her brother Gus in 1972, mother Maggie in 1974, father Gustave Sr. in 1978, and her beloved sister Annie in 1996, as well as Rhoda in 2009 and many dear friends, including Mabel Saliken, Rose Maurer, Mary Skripnikoff and Mary Verigin.
Left to cherish memories are son Peter (Corinne) Postnikoff and their children: Ben (Elana) Postnikoff, Jen (Travis Tagg), Ken Postnikoff (Robyn), Christina; son David and family Alana Delcourt(Brenda) , Shannon Gray (Daniel); daughter Elizabeth Thomas and family Delila, Vanessa (Josh), Richard Thomas and their father Ventris.
Her adorable three great-granddaughters are Chloe Postnikoff, Kinley and Jordyn Tagg.
Nellie treasured her nieces Mary Kalmikoff, Linda Harfman, nephews Peter and Paul Zaetsoff and their families, John Minnaert (Evelyn) and his family.
Nellie loved to share a joke, wink an eye, offer encouragement and "words of wisdom". She was feisty, hard-working, intuitive, spiritual, meticulous and continuously left notes of "directions and instructions". One of her favourite sentiments was - Love to All.
A modified Doukhobour service was held on May 6, 2020. Nellie was laid to rest at the Perry Siding Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Vechnaya Pamyat
Forever in our Hearts.
Donations in Nellie's memory are being accepted by the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ (USCC) care of the ISKRA Fund, the Verigin Memorial Park Fund or the Talarico Recreation Department.
Thank you to all who enhanced her life with visits, phone calls, care, support and to those who provided services on her behalf.


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