Olive Diefenbaker

Olive Diefenbaker
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada
In role
June 21, 1957 – April 22, 1963
Preceded by Jeanne St. Laurent
Succeeded by Maryon Pearson
Personal details
Born Olive Evangeline Freeman
(1902-04-14)April 14, 1902
Roland, Manitoba, Canada
Died December 22, 1976(1976-12-22) (aged 74)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Resting place Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Nationality Canadian
Spouse(s) Harry Palmer 1933-1936
John Diefenbaker
(m. 1953; her death 1976)
Children 1

Olive Evangeline Diefenbaker (née Freeman; April 14, 1902 – December 22, 1976) was the second wife of John Diefenbaker, the 13th Prime Minister of Canada. Diefenbaker's first wife, Edna Brower, died in 1951.

Olive Freeman was born in 1902 in Roland, Manitoba.[1] Diefenbaker proposed to her in Paddockwood, Saskatchewan, while she was a school teacher, and they were married on December 8, 1953. They had no children together,[2] but they raised a daughter from her previous marriage to Toronto solicitor Harry Palmer, who died less than three years after the birth of the child.

On her husband's death in 1979, her remains, buried in 1976 in Ottawa, were reburied in Saskatoon in 1979.

Life Story

Olive was born to two Nova Scotian parents. Her father was a Baptist Minister from Canning, Nova Scotia. [3] Due to her fathers occupation she grew up moving around the Canadian Praries.[4] Olive first met her second husband John Diefenbaker in Saskatoon at a church where her Father was working. John had just gotten back from fighting in The First World War and was studying law at this time. She attended McMaster University and the Ontario College of Education and in 1933 she started her career as a highschool teacher. [3] She wore a steel back brace due to several slipped disks.[4] She met her first husband Harry Palmer during 1933, he was a Toronto Barrister and lawyer. He later died in 1936 after three years of marrige and one child.[4] During her marrige to Harry, she stepped away from her profession but after his untimely death she started a new career as the director of child guidance for The Ontario Department of Education.[3] Olive reunited with John Diefenbaker in 1951 and they married in 1953 in Toronto, Ontario.[3]

Political Influence

Olive Diefenbaker was a known supporter of the suffrage movement.[3] During 1964 she spoke to a group of 600 people belinging to the Progressive Conservative Womens Association about the power of the unifaction of women in politics.During a visit to Fraser Valley, Olive adressed a group of her followers about her prefference of flats over heels after following her husband's two campaigns.[5] She spoke French and considered her French grammer better than her English Grammer, she would even adress the French speaking voters in French. She was a very talented conversationalists.[4]

John considered Olive an asset to his campaign team because of her ability to swoon the voters and remember names. She would write her husband notes during his speaches with advice on how to appeal to the voters, for instance, during 1963 while John was delivering a speach in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia olive wortehim a note to mention the painting they had hung over their fire place back at home which is a landscape of Cape Brenton to help appeal to his audience.[4]

Although she was very politically active, she was very humble about her participation and considered her and John to be a strong team.[4] She was well known for her grace when hosting at 24 Sussex Drive.[3]

Interests

Olive had several hobbies including; sewing, leather work and metal work. [3] She also would gove items from her closet to local bazzars supporting Women's Institues like her, white fitted floral hat bought by Misses Bell Hall, an Ontarian Councillor.[5]

Legacy

Olive Diefenbaker Drive in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan is named in her honour.

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Smith, Denis (2016). "Diefenbaker, John George". In Cook, Ramsay; Bélanger, Réal. Dictionary of Canadian Biography. XX (1971–1980) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Large, Brenda (October 27, 1965). "Mrs. Dief In Action For Husband's Battles". Winnipeg Free Press.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A Gallery of Women". The Globe and Mail. December 4, 1958.
  5. 1 2 Abbotsford, B.C. (May 30, 1962). "P.M's Wife Changes Shoes". Winnipeg Free Press.


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