2022 Obituary

David McDonald Polson
June 14, 1929 – Jan. 2, 2022

On January 2nd, 2022, Dave Polson passed away after a short and seemingly one-sided battle with cancer. There will be a grand reunion in Heaven as anyone who reaches the age of 92 “1/2” has loved and lost many dear friends and cherished family members. The thought of his transition from this world to be with Jesus is of great comfort to those who loved him. Dave had a quiet, steady faith and was part of the Strathmore and Foothills Alliance families for years.
He was born on the family farm June 14th, 1929, in Consort, Alberta to Angus and Ada-Belle Polson and a doting big sister Maxine Schimpf. Despite growing up in the dirty 30’s, life was good on the farm. It was there he discovered his first love, horses.
In 1946 Dave had polio which left him with permanent weakness, but it did not dampen his enthusiasm or ability to put in a hard day’s work.
Dave got his electricians ticket at SAIT in 1949 and started work for Farm Electric Services running power lines throughout central Alberta. In 1951, while driving down a rural road in Eckville, he spotted the back view of a red head carrying a bucket to the well on the school property. Dave claimed it was love at first sight and returned to the schoolhouse that evening with a well-crafted excuse to talk with her. He claimed, “the front view was even better than the back”. Dave invited the young teacher for an ice cream date on the spot. Dave and Shirley Barker were engaged by Christmas, married in 1952, and started creating their family and life together.
In 1956 Dave joined the City of Calgary as a power lineman. Today’s linemen would be surprised that the crews used to climb the poles, rain, blizzard or shine. They handled 33,000 volts with rubber gloves as safety gear. What a day when hydraulic buckets were introduced!
Dave continued to work as a lineman until 1963 when he and Shirley purchased a farm west of Strathmore. His love affair with horses continued and he began working on a rodeo intermission act. Dave was roman riding (standing with one foot on each back of a pair of horses) over small jumps. Perhaps he took a tumble but somehow, he determined this idea was not practical with four kids and a farm to pay for.
In 1974, Dave spotted another beauty on a rural road, this time east of Strathmore. On a property overlooking Eagle Lake, Dave and Shirley created Strathmore Tree Farms where Dave took pride in growing specimen Colorado blue spruce. Once they finished building their home, winters gave them time to explore new opportunities.
Dave volunteered in Bonaire for Trans World Radio, maintaining radio towers. Dave and Shirley had a unique take on their snowbird years and both spent some winters in Haiti serving missionaries by sharing the practical skills they each developed on the farm. Dave enjoyed training horses and marveled at their strength; much like the Haitian people.
Dave and Shirley retired in Calgary in 1988 where Shirley enjoyed winter sports. While Dave didn’t ski or snowshoe, he supported her summer activities and the occasional hike in the mountains. Shirley took up cycling and Dave spent years as her “roadie”, following behind her as she travelled every highway in Central Alberta. He seemed content following her in the van and once again, seeing the view that had captured his heart so many years ago.
Dave will be missed at his regular haunts at Chapters and several McDonald’s restaurants. He met different groups for coffee to discuss current events and days gone by. COVID put a hamper on Dave’s gatherings and he missed them. He especially got a kick out of the group who called themselves “The Think Tank”.
Dave leaves behind “the love of his life” Shirley, four children Lynne (Henry) Smith, Brad (Lynette) Polson, Maureen (Thomas) Kehler and Scott Polson, (Jamie Hillis) grandkids, Rick (Tricia) Sarah, Drew (Jamina), Syreeta (Sean) Jordan and Maddy, and great grandchildren, Ellio, Kale, Ahmi, Colton, Major, Mack and Delanie. Dave was predeceased by grandson Tyler in 2018.
A small family service will be held at the Foothills Alliance Church. Interment at Queen’s Park Cemetery.
In memory of Dave, the family invites you to remember this quiet fellow by striking up a conversation with a stranger or sharing a Werther’s with someone who needs a lift.
Condolences, memories and photos can also be shared and viewed at https://calgarycrematorium.com.

Frank Albert Geduhn
June 13, 1941-Jan. 31, 2022

Frank passed away peacefully at home on January 31, 2022 at the age of 80 years young.
Frank was born on June 13, 1941 at Tawatinaw, Alberta, the second son of George Frank Geduhn and Dorothy Ann Wroe-Geduhn.
Frank attended school in Violet Grove, Alberta. After grade 7 he quit school and moved to Snipe Lake with his father George where he started a 20 mile trapline. Frank came to settle down in Hemaruka, Alberta in 1959 on the John Sirman place, where in the winter Frank and Ed Powell broke horses. Then in the summer of 1962 Frank went out to Pigeon Lake to break horses and ran a dude string for Jack Nash. This is where he met the love of his life, Susan.
He worked in Edmonton at Shaw pipe for a time and then changed jobs where he put siding on buildings with Jim Sparks.
Frank and Susan were married on June 16, 1966 where they settled down on their newly purchased farm at Hemaruka, Alberta that had belonged to Nick Dybak. They continued ranching together for the next 56 years.
Frank loved to be in the great outdoors, hunting everything from big horn sheep to deer. Everything was always better when spent with friends and family.
Frank is survived by his Loving wife and best friend Susan Geduhn; their children: Heather (Mike Grady) Geduhn and her daughter, Melissa Geduhn (Jordie Norman); Karen (Tim) Dobruk, and their children Rebecca (Alex) Schneider and Samantha Dobruk; Kim (Ed) Cooper and their children Ashley (Jonathan Caseley) Cooper and Ryley Cooper; his sister, Charlotte (Robert) Holt and their children; Stan (Debbie) Holt and their children, Brandan (Caitlin) and daughter Ava Holt; and Jessica (Adam Way) and their children, Grayson and Aubree; Marie Holt and her children, James (Marianna) and Savannah; Rob Holt (Kim Muise) and his children, Bobby (Samantha) Holt and Christina (Luc Martin); Kelly Semple; Arlene (Dave) Harris and their children Danielle (Nick Hazelwood) and Brianne (Dennis) Cyr and daughter Vivian.
Frank was predeceased by parents George and Dorothy Geduhn; sisters Margaret Geduhn and Irene (Renie) Geduhn; uncle Albert Wroe; brother Frederick Stanley Geduhn, and nephew Stewart Holt.
A celebration of Franks life will be held at the St. Peters Lutheran Cemetery in the spring. Date to be determined.
Memorial donations in memory of Frank may be made to the Alberta Sheep Foundation, to help put sheep back on the mountain (Box 2639, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta T4T 1L6), Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation or to the Canadian Cancer Society. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com
Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Andrea Johnson
Jan. 14, 1972 – Jan. 31, 2022

Andrea Johnson passed away suddenly in her home in Prince George on January 31, 2022, at the age of 50.
Andrea was born in the Consort, Alberta area and raised on her family’s farm. Being active in school sports, swimming and 4-H, she developed a love of the outdoors, animals and people.
After gaining separate degrees in History from the University of Alberta and also a degree in Journalism from Calgary’s Mount Royal College, she headed out to make her way in the world. She first worked as a news and sports reporter in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta and White Rock, B.C.  Then in 2003 she took a job as editor for the local paper in Quesnel, B.C.  
Her move to Prince George in 2009 placed her in the communications office at the College of New Caledonia. Then it was back to the news and sports desk at the Prince George Citizen, and ultimately to the University of Northern B.C., as public communications officer.
Andrea’s passion in life was volunteering to help her community. She spent many years with the Rotary Clubs in both Quesnel and Prince George. She was the president of the Prince George Nechako Rotary Club in 2012-13, and received multiple awards including Rotarian of the Year in 2020-21.
She loved the outdoors and enjoyed running, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding and skiing. She fulfilled her enjoyment of sports by reporting on curling, rodeo, football, hockey and tennis.  She was set to volunteer at the Women’s World Curling Championship next month in Prince George. Her fellow Rotarians commented that she will be annoyed at missing the Olympics, curling, and second half of the hockey season.
Andrea enjoyed travelling and took trips back to Alberta, Ontario and Norway to meet family and joined the Rotary Club across North and South America.
Andrea truly found her home in Prince George. The love and friendship from the community gave her a sense of belonging. She will not only be deeply missed by her family, but also by her Rotarian family, UNBC community and her lifelong friends.  
Andrea is predeceased by parents Doris and George.  She is survived by her stepmother Marilyn, brother Stacy (Cathy), sister Sherri (Edwin) Radke, along with her niece Megan and four nephews Cameron, Everett, Nate and Matt.  
A memorial will be held in Prince George at a later date.
Donations can be made in Andrea’s memory to the Prince George Nechako Rotary.

Lillian Yvonne Ference
Sept. 9, 1934-Feb. 4, 2022

It is with heavy hearts the Ference family announces the passing of Lillian of Black Diamond, at Tudor Manor on February 4, 2022 at the age of 87.
Lillian was born in the Consort Municipal Hospital to Ole and Tilla Hanson. Her parents were first generation Norwegian immigrants and she was the last of thirteen children. Lil was proud to be of Norwegian descent and was thrilled to be able to make two trips over to Norway in her life.
Family was most important to Lil, she was always passing along the latest news from relatives and she never missed an important milestone or celebration. Lil had many other interests: she was a beautiful seamstress and created many clothes and costumes over the years for her children and grandchildren; she was a wonderful cook and gardener, preserving much of the bounty of her gardens and sharing it with friends and family. Perhaps her best talent though was her baking. Lil was most often requested to contribute her homemade buns, breads or desserts such as butter tarts and Nanaimo bars to dinner parties and gatherings.
Farming was a big part of Lil’s life and she and Ron owned and operated the poultry farm south of Black Diamond until their retirement. Traveling also brought Lil joy and she considered herself lucky to be able to travel to Norway, Australia, Fiji and New Zealand and to spend the greater part of thirty winters down in Yuma, where she met and enjoyed the company of friends and family.
Lil is survived by her husband of 67 years, Ron; her children, Debbie (Pat), Reg (Erna), Mark (Melinda), Darcy (Jeff); her sister Bernice; her grandchildren: Danielle, Sean (Sheila), Trevor (Kristel), Byron (Lisa), Andrea, Benjamin, Stephen, Tanner, Regan (Austin) and Gavin; and her great-grandchildren Tyler, Cassandra, Victoria, Alexandra, Theodore and Evander; and was predeceased by her son, Desmond Lee.
The family is grateful to the Tudor Manor and Fanning Centre staff for the excellent care and compassion extended during the last months of Lil’s life and any donations in her memory can be sent to those places.
A celebration of Lillian’s life will take place later in the Spring or Summer.
Arrangements in care of Snodgrass Funeral Homes Okotoks. To email condolences, please visit www.snodgrassfuneralhomes.com

Ted Deagle
Aug. 4, 1953 – Feb. 14, 2022

Ted Deagle was born August 4, 1953 to Ted and Jean Deagle. At the age of 68, he passed away February 14, 2022 with his loving
wife Deb, by his side. He is predeceased by his parents, father-in-law Bud Knudson and son-in-law, Tinda.
He is survived by his loving wife Deb, his daughter Jennifer, and his son Daryl (Billie-Jo). His grandchildren Atalaya, Tyler, Chris, Tyson, Kayla, Talon and Trent. His great-grandchildren Kaleb, Noah, Bennett, Benson and Jacob. His siblings Diane (Claud), Judy (Bill), Connie (Peter), Debbie (Grant), Bill (Stacy) and Robert (Rhonda), along with numerous nieces and nephews, as well as his mother-in-law Joyce Knudson.
He embraced his role as provider for his family and spent most of his career as a battery operator. Ted was a man of many hats. For a season he did meat cutting for friends and family. He enjoyed hunting, camping and cooking. A highlight of recent years included being the teamster for Wild Deuce Outfitting in the summer months. He was truly a people person, known for his kindness and compassion and giving the best hugs ever. He was level headed and someone who could be counted on to remain calm through challenging situations. The times he spent with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought him much joy. He enjoyed travel and adventure, including the hunting trip of a lifetime with Daryl, Bill, Darcy, and Kirk to Africa. For the last 13 years he enjoyed the snowbird lifestyle, spending half of the year in Arizona and Mexico. Ted had the pleasure of taking care of the Gooseberry Lake Park the last number of years. The highlight there for him, was always the opportunity to connect with people.
His presence will be missed by many.
Celebration of Life
A Celebration of Life was held on March 26, 2022 at Consort Sportex with John Armstrong officiating. The eulogy was given by Kirk Sortland and memories were shared. A slideshow was presented by granddaughter Atalaya and Pat and Charlotte Gilmer shared their gift of music with the hymn “Amazing Grace”.
Words of Welcome
by John Armstrong
Family and friends, we have come together this afternoon to share the sadness of the passing of our dearly loved Theodore Allan Deagle – Ted as he was known to all!
My name is John Armstrong, my wife Donna and I live at Big Stone. I’m the Parks Supervisor for the Special Areas and it is in that capacity for the last 10 years that I have become friends of Ted and Deb. And Deb, you need to know that I count my participation today serving your family as a great privilege and I not only grieve for you… but with you.
The three of us hit it off right away and we worked well together to keep things operational at Gooseberry. I did however realize very soon in our relationship that I was going to have to be on my toes… One late evening Ted and I were repairing a maze of two-inch brass fittings that fed water into the spray park. Ted seemed quite confident about what he was doing and about 10:30, when we turned the water back on, water came squirting out half the joints we had made. I said to Ted, I thought you knew something about plumbing, and he just grinned and said, “no, I was hoping you did?”
Ted also loved when I’d get a dig in at Deb because he could enjoy it without getting himself in trouble. Just last spring, he told me Deb needed a new broom and I questioned him if their side by side was broke down and if she wore the one she had out from riding around the park. From his grin I knew he was going to enjoy passing that on to Deb.
In comparison to many of you here, and for certain to the ones that will be sharing memories during the service, I didn’t know Ted for a long time … but then… to become a friend of Ted didn’t take a long time.
Eulogy
by Kirk Sortland
Welcome everyone and thank you for coming to this celebration of life for Ted. Most of you probably know me but for those that don’t, my name is Kirk Sortland. Although I never knew Ted all of his life, I did know him all of my life, as they lived just a few miles away while I was growing up. I spent quite a bit of time with the Deagle family, and they as a family spent a lot of time with our family over the years, be it during the joint pig raising venture, holidaying or just visiting back and forth, we were together quite a lot over the years.
The Deagles were kind enough to take me along on a trip down to California with them one year where many good memories were made, and just a few years ago I got to go hunting with Ted, Daryl, Bill and Darcy to Africa where we had a blast. Ted, like me, had no intentions of shooting anything, we were just going along for the comradery, neither of us managed to stick to that plan very well, but it was a heck of a time anyway.
Ted Deagle Jr was born August 4, 1953, to Ted and Jean Deagle. He passed away February 14, 2022 at the age of 68 years.
Ted took all his schooling at Consort School. His first real job was at Simpson’s Meats as a meat cutter. From there he went to work at Intercon packers in Red Deer doing night shift, travelling home every chance he got to court Miss Debbie Knudson. They were married in 1972. Their first born was Jennifer and shortly after she came along, they moved home from Red Deer to work at the Knudson farm. From there he took a job with the road crew building Highway 41. In 1974 he went to work for Barnwell as battery operator; this is the job Ted would stay at for most of his career. Late the next year, Daryl came along and their family was complete. Ted worked for various other companies after Barnwell shut down such as IPC, Knee Hill, Mission Oil and Crescent Point. During these years he was a substitute bus driver and drove for field trips and special events. He held his Class 1 license dear and was quick to get to work getting it reinstated when it had been suspended for medical reasons last year. After Ted left the oilfield, he ran the Gooseberry Lake Provincial Park for several years, and had the contract to continue this year, which Deb and Grant and Debbie are continuing with. Ted really enjoyed visiting with the campers and made many new acquaintances there every year.
Ted loved his children very much and embraced the role of provider for his family. He enjoyed kids, and like his own dad, loved giving snuggles and tickling them whenever he could. Ted loved hunting, not just the pursuit of game but also the time it offered to be together with family, friends and the great outdoors. Ted enjoyed several years guiding hunters, both around home and out west in the Clear Water River area, which he enjoyed immensely. His butcher training came in handy for this.In the early years they even had their own little butcher shop set up at Barnwell for their own use as well as for friends and family. Ted liked putting on a pig roast and did so for several years at the landowners appreciation at Barnwell, which was a large festive get together. He also did one for his sister Deb’s engagement and for their own housewarming when they moved to Kirriemuir, where around 350 people gathered for the weekend.
He had a passion for horses. Many of the ranchers in the area would plan their brandings around Ted’s days off so he could be there for the round up and the branding itself, often pulling the horse trailer down the night before and sleeping in the camper to be ready for an early start and to make it more like a getaway. Ted was part of the Gooseberry Lake Rodeo Association and enjoyed helping there and could be seen pulling chutes there for many years.
Ted had a very calm nature. I can surely attest to that as I found ways when I was younger to bring most people’s temper to the forefront at some point. Ted may have occasionally had to give me a good ear flickin’ to get me back in line, but I don’t recall him ever getting overly excited. His quiet and calm nature put him in good steed for working with horses. When he was shoeing horses, he was able to calm nervous and unruly horses and get them trimmed and shoed when others had given up or had to resort to restraints. Although they shared many interests, I think the like demeanor between him and Clair may account for their close friendship.
Ted’s fondness for being on horseback expanded into the desire to become a teamster. In his later years he spent more time in the wagon than in the saddle and was wagon boss for Wild Deuce, as well as head cook. Ted and Deb made many great friends and memories doing this and had many, many laughs. He loved all the trail riders and all the fun around the campfire with Chuck, Terri and Taylor.
One outdoor pursuit that Ted never really developed a strong desire for was downhill skiing. Ted and Dad did go on one ski trip together. Ted made it about 25′ off the chair lift before wiping out. A mouthy little kid was the next one off the chair and yelled out, “If you don’t know how to ski, get off the hill!” Although this provided Ted with the motivation to jump up and try to catch the little bugger, it mustn’t have been enough because I don’t recall any follow up trips after that.
Losing a loved one is always hard. And I am sure it’s hitting this family as hard as any, because the Deagle family is very close. They are one of the very few families where almost everyone gets together every year for the big occasions, and with no fighting! That’s amazing, seven siblings and their families together with no big disagreements. There were differing opinions I’m sure, but nothing came between them. One occasion where there was a difference of opinion, was when the sisters (whom I’m certain had already all cooked a big meal for their own family) decided it was easier to just have soup and sandwiches instead of cooking a turkey for Christmas for the large family gathering. Ted didn’t want to go without the turkey, so he cooked the bird himself that year, and every year after, and always to perfection.
Ted’s sisters were so very special to him. He had a very close bond with his brother Bill, and they spent a lot of times together hunting, fishing and holidaying. He was very proud of his baby brother Robert and all his accomplishments. Ted was very close with his two kids, Jennifer and Daryl. Jennifer and Ted had a close bond; she was the one that pulled their family together for holiday gatherings, and she always ensured everyone was included, and with the coming of grandkids and great grandkids it gave him more access to snuggles and tickling victims.
Ted and Daryl weren’t just father and son, they were very good friends, Ted passed along his love for hunting and the outdoors to him and Ted was very proud of how he grew up to be a hardworking and capable man.
Ted had a few bad hands dealt to him the last few years with health issues and setbacks, to last summer’s wagon wreck, which he had the misfortune of being part of, but he led a life full of enjoyment I believe. He kept an optimistic outlook and stayed positive. They managed to spend a lot of time in the mountains in the summers, and the last few years, winters at their place in Arizona with trips to Mexico from there. Their time down South afforded them with a whole new group of friends, many who became very close.

So, take a little lesson here, and take time to enjoy friends and family, and life in general, and do what you love doing every chance you get.

Message from Josie & Bob Winburne, Arizona
Once in a lifetime you meet special, good people; Ted and Debbie are it.
We met Ted and Deb through their Arizona neighbors, Jan and Pete.
The instant we met them it was as if we were friends for years, they became family. We looked forward each year that they returned for the winter. Ted and Deb were a team, always so helpful and always pitching in wherever needed.
We had such great times camping, riding out in the wilderness, playing cards and going to various places. Ted and Deb always made it out in time to join us on our elk or deer hunts and if we got one he was right there to butcher it for us. You couldn’t ask for a more giving person. He would be the first to get the chain saw and start cutting wood so our camp would be stocked up.
Ted was a big, burly man but so gentle, quiet and kind. He never drew attention to himself. I don’t ever recall him getting angry or cross or saying a bad word about anyone.
I think his greatest joy was being outdoors, enjoying the company of friends and especially being with his dynamo Deb (we all think she has more energy than the Energizer Bunny, she just goes and goes).
Ted faced so much adversity dealing with leukemia and then the wagon accident and through it all he never brought attention to it or complained. You are a true hero. The definition of a hero: A hero is selfless, a genuinely good person.
Our world will never be the same without you in it, rest in peace our friend.

And Deb; you’ll always have your Arizona family.

Ted’s Siblings Remember:
– Diane
Thank you all for coming today to honor Ted with us. You can’t help but love this guy. Kirk already took my points but I’m going to give them again! I want to mention a couple of Ted’s God given qualities, Ted loved people. Reminds me of a verse on God’s love.
John 3:16 says; God loved people so much that he sent his son, Jesus, to earth that anyone who would believe in him would not perish in hell, but have everlasting life in heaven.
Simple promise for everyone.
And Ted was a patient man (although his kids may know something I don’t). The first year that Ted and Deb managed the Gooseberry Lake Park, he called me and asked if I could help cut grass. I thought I could handle that so I went to the lake and he showed me this BIG, RIDE ON, ZERO TURN mower. I thought, how fitting, it has no steering wheel! Ted patiently showed me how to go forward and back, right and left and up and down. Then he says, “Go for it”. Then he turned and went back to the shop. I think he didn’t want to hear the crash but he did say that some times people do better without an audience. So, I did catch on… UNTIL I tried turning around across a ditch, just a little one! Yeh, you got it, I was stuck, hi-centered, couldn’t go forward or back and sure something was wrecked! So I humbly walked back to the shop, thinking there probably was a better place to turn. Ted, in his patience, says “Oh, it can’t be that bad. Jump in the truck.” He pulled the machine out, not a frown or a cross word and no damage to the machine and I still had a job!
Ted, we do miss you.

By the way, I was not the only one he had to pull out in that same spot!

– Judy
Ted never passed up a chance to get family together. Always tried to arrange a camp out or have us get together before they left for their Arizona home.
If no one had time to cook a turkey for Boxing Day family get togethers, he would volunteer, since he said Christmas was not Christmas without turkey.
Ted and Deb always opened their door to their home in Arizona for anyone who wanted to come.

Dear brother, you are and will be so missed. Love you.

– Connie
Let’s just say…the rules in OUR household of “3” daughters, changed drastically when Teddy arrived.From this 1-o-n-g awaited SON; To….What the heck do we do with him NOW!
Teddy paved the way to a MUCH more lenient upbringing for his 3 younger siblings.
He had a knack of not only taking on his siblings, but one occasion, a tussle with his Uncle Arley, which despite his mother’s warnings, landed him smack “in” our kitchen wall! You can almost imagine how long it took Arley to have gyprock AND power tools hauled back into that same kitchen for repairs.
Ted could be a pesky brat to say the least; until all of a sudden he wasn’t. I attribute this to his darling wife Debbie. It just seemed that after a while, Ted was still this burly, hardworking fella that ABSOLUTELY loved whatever outdoor ventures him and Deb could discover; YET this tender, gentle, giving family man, who couldn’t even handle a Christmas away, flying in from Surprise, Arizona; ready to stuff, cook and carve the turkey, we girls wanted NO part in. This happened on Boxing Day for years longer than I can clearly remember.
Ted didn’t like texting and would ALWAYS return one with a phone call. How I LOVED catching up over my morning coffee with him.
Ted believed in the STRENGTH of this family.
Of the LOVE each of us siblings have for each other, despite our differences!
Ted was TRULY a genuine, devoted, loving brother that leaves a HUGE gap in the MIDDLE of this family.
We MISS you Ted!

We LOVE you to the Heavens and beyond!

– Debbie
Hi, my name is Debbie and I am the original Deb Deagle. Ted’s wife and I shared the same name for 8 years. If there was ever any confusion of WHICH Deb, it was cleared up by calling other Deb, Ted’s Deb … and she will always be that to us. Ted’s Deb! They shared a very special bond, being true soul mates who enjoyed so many activities together and having lots of fun and laughs with their many friends. Ted was my big brother, four years my senior, which I guess made me the bratty little sister!
I wanted to quickly share a few of my many memories of Ted. His love of horses started at a young age and I can remember Ted and cousin Denny with the reins while cousin Anne and I held on for dear life behind them, on Penny, Ginger, or Bud. Other horses at that time were the Shetland’s, Dinky and Buster. Neither one were Ted’s favourite. Later came Nip and Tuk, but he was proudest of his favourite team Fred and Ben who served him well in pulling the covered wagon he built. He often would bring a team to Country Christmas for sleigh rides and once or twice at Christmas he would hook them up for the family to enjoy a hayride around town. When Ted was about 12 he broke his leg and when the cast, from hip to toe, was ALMOST ready to come off, he was fed up with it, so he took it upon himself to remove it. With a hand saw! I was about 8 and I was terrified he was going to saw off his newly mended leg! Favourite pastimes on the farm were drowning gophers, til he was old enough to shoot them, rafting on a pond in the pasture, it was a raft Ted and Dennis had fashioned out of fallen tree limbs, and moving stooks and chasing the mice whose homes we had disturbed. He was an enthusiastic participant in kick the can and hide and seek in the barnyard with the other siblings and cousins.
When Ted was 13 we moved from the farm into town, but he continued to return with dad to do chores and tend to the animals. The government lowered the legal drinking age to 18 on April 1, 1971. Ted didn’t turn 18 until that August but he enthusiastically hit the bar at opening and enjoyed a few rounds until his hunger got the best of him so he had to come home to eat. With his stomach full he immediately returned to the bar but this time he was ID’d and his fun came to an abrupt end. I learned a few colourful words that day!
In 1972 I was honoured to be asked by Ted and Deb to stand for them at their wedding. Maybe I wasn’t considered the bratty little sister by Ted anymore. One of Ted’s biggest attributes was his cooking talents. He spent many hours in the kitchen alongside Deb, making jams, canning, making jerky and sausage, and helping with meals. I remember a lively evening at Barnwell when Ted cooked up a batch of live lobster for us to feast on. Most Christmases, at our Deagle gathering, he enthusiastically cooked and carved the turkey, and he wasn’t too impressed the year we tried salmon and soup instead of turkey for a change. When Grant and I were married 41 years ago Ted prepared a whole pig on a spit over an open fire and carved it for our guests after spending the day cooking it. He did this a few times over the years right up until three years ago when he did the same for our son Jason’s wedding.
Ted and Deb efficiently ran Gooseberry Lake Park for many years and Ted loved to visit and help the campers whenever he could. One weekend there was a large camping contingent of boisterous disrespectful campers. They left a horrendous disgusting mess and it took 20 man hours to clean it up. Ted wasn’t impressed with the mess but in true Ted fashion he just did the work that needed to be done to get it cleaned up. Ted loved the outdoors and he and Deb are true campers, not glampers like Grant and I. They BUILD camp, not set up camp by pushing buttons on their RV. Whether they were in their wall tent, their tent trailer or their toy hauler, roughing it was Ted’s style! After all, their permanent home in Canada is a rustic little cabin at Gooseberry Lake. Ted always had a campfire going and lots of times they cook their meals over it. The shower could be a plastic tub in the tree, and a hole in the ground, a log and a roll of toilet paper was always handy close to camp. Despite differing camping styles we managed to camp a few times together over the years. BUT I feel particularly privileged to have gone on a trip to Virginia last fall with Ted and Deb and Carol. Ted fought hard to recover from his horrible accident in June so it was such a blessing he could participate. Everyone immensely enjoyed Ted’s humour and stories, his positivity and his calmness. We mourn future trips that can no longer be a reality. Ted grew into a big ole gentle teddy bear of a man with a ready smile, a memorable giggle, and a huge heart. AND he gave the absolute best hugs!

Ted
With the strength of a pillar
He stood proud and tall
Being the head of his family
He seen them through it all
Welcoming you with the
biggest hug
He’d wrap his arms and hold on tight
You knew his love was strong and pure
And that he would do anything to make everything all right
Life threw a lot of trials his way
And he faced them all head on
Persevering through all the struggles
With dignity he stood strong
Life had other plans for him
And he left us without a goodbye
Leaving in his wake a long line of love
And with tender hearts we look to the sky
Our hearts have a humongous hole
Many tears we have wept
But we are blessed with many memories
And in our hearts they will be safely kept
– Amber Sortland Schaffer

What a huge hole his passing has left in our hearts and our lives. Rest In Peace Ted, you will be missed every day by everyone whose lives’ you touched. And they were many!

– Bill (presented by Robert)
I’m Robert and I’m going to start with a few thoughts from Bill. You see Bill has shown again the great wisdom and resourcefulness he has, knowing the challenge of being up here speaking to you today he has sequestered an administrative assistant to capture his thoughts, a proof reader to gain approval and hired a very expensive spokesman to bring these words to you, as eloquently as possible, given the short notice!
Bill and Ted were especially close brothers, although this wasn’t always the case. Ted had a bit of a size advantage on Bill as kids and when asked of Bill if Ted had ever beat him up, Bill replied, not necessarily once a day but some days several times a day! When he was young Bill considered himself quite an athlete because of Ted. He used his athleticism as a means of survival!
Mom had a huge, huge garden that Bill remembers with disdain because of all the endless weeding and the hundreds of buckets of potatoes that had to be dug. And, no Ted to be found, he always seemed to be busy somewhere else, out in the pasture, up on the barn or doing overdue homework.
As the years passed Ted took his role of big brother very seriously and he fulfilled his duties of teaching Bill some of the important stuff, like how to cuss, chew tobacco, and his first bottle of beer. But it didn’t stop there, Bill learned a lot from Ted about nature and animals. Ted taught Bill how to shoot a gun and their love of hunting took them on many hunting trips together. Although not as avid a fisherman they enjoyed that sport together on occasion as well. At Ted and Deb’s meat house Bill learned to butcher and cut meat. Because of Ted, for work experience, Bill chose to cut meat as Cam Wiltse’s apprentice at the IGA. His first exposure to smoking meat and fish was under Ted’s guidance and many pounds of jerky were made together as a result.
At just 14 Ted took Bill on his first moose hunt, but it wasn’t their last together. A year later at 15, again moose hunting, they were trying to push a moose out of the bush to the cut line. They were supposed to be walking parallel to one another when Bill’s path ran right onto Ted’s path. Ted quickly yelled, ‘you’re going the wrong way!!!’ So, Bill corrected his path and continued to correct until he realized he was going in circles and was completely lost! Three hours later amongst the dense forest in the pitch black, just before panic set in, he came across a main road and a passing motorist who helpfully got him back to camp. Only there to find Ted regaling tales from the day, enjoying a wobbly pop with some of the other hunters, oblivious to his younger brother’s dilemma. He knew Bill could take care of himself. Several years were enjoyed with Lloyd’s crew from Innisfail in the Cut-Off Creek area. They set up at Table Camp about two miles from Dewey Browning camp. Dewey Browning was Kurt Browning’s grandfather. On horseback they had way too much fun successfully hunting moose and elk over the years. You’ll have to talk to Bill on the animated details of those trips, but I can tell you, they dressed an attractive table and there were lots of laughs with the recurring boat races.
Bill’s most treasured memory is the African hunting trip he and Ted took with their sons Darcy and Daryl and good friend Kirk, in the area north of Johannesburg. Ted decided he would go as a spectator. He didn’t want to hunt any animals but wanted to share the experience with the others. He held fast to this idea for several hours – almost two days, in fact! But then the hunt was on, resulting in four animals to Ted’s credit. He didn’t manage to bag a giraffe, but thought it would make a nice rug if you had a long enough hallway.

Adventures, fishing, hunting and life will never be the same without Ted to share it with.

– Robert
Now for a few memories of my own.
As we have presented to you in birth order, I am the youngest and by the time I came along the football player gene had been depleted, so I have truly looked up to my big brother my entire life.
With a large family and the spread of our ages, most of my memories are from adult life rather than childhood. But as Bill reflected, I should be thankful, if I’d been closer in age and size I would have just got beaten up.
Some early memories though included thinking I had a pretty cool big brother; he owned a Dodge Super Bee muscle car and when doing some fact checking Bill will testify that it did indeed go 160 mph. I remember him coming home with a dead deer in the back of the truck, given my age at that time it would have likely been one of his first, who would have known then that there would likely be 100’s of big game kills to his credit. I remember having to be the ring bearer in their wedding and scared to death they would make me dance with Janice.
As mentioned, he cared for family and our gathering together. In more of a fatherly way, I recall one rodeo weekend when I was only in junior high, he pulled me aside and gave he a very stern lecture that I had better behave that weekend, warning if I put our mother through what him and Bill had I’d kill her. So, at some point Ted had turned from offender to defender. Ted truly did care about family.
It seems we don’t take the time to reflect often enough on how much we appreciate someone. In the past couple of weeks I’ve thought of Ted’s life as one lived well, with many aspects of it to be envied. He semi-retired young, lived in Phoenix in the winter and a cabin in the summer or if not the cabin perhaps a wall tent or the fifth wheel in the mountains for weeks on end. He loved to hunt, he’s been a guide, he was a butcher, and as a kid I remember driving a dune buggy he built out of a Volkswagen. I recall once sampling some authentic moonshine – I think that had something to do with living in the hills! And not just anyone can cook a whole pig over an open fire. In recent years I think what I’ve grown to appreciate the most was seeing how together Ted and Deb touched and influenced the lives of so many people. Their social network is huge, which is a reflection of what great people they are. Ted was such a likeable and well-rounded guy. With that our family will miss him greatly. Thank You.

Words of Remembrance
by Chuck McKinney
First of all I wanna say how honoured I am to be up here today, even in the circumstances we are in.

I don’t know how many of you knew Ted or if you’re just here for the free lunch like my friend Brian is, but I’m gonna give a little insight to my angle on Ted. First time I met Ted was out west just outside the cut off creek stage-in area and they were nice enough to let Terry use their wagon to pack all their gear out of high camp. I showed up with the truck and trailer to help the girls get the rest of their gear back to our base camp and Deb’s riding in front and Ted’s driving the team Fred and Ben and I could just see the amount of pride he had in that team. Talked about them and talked about how they come up with the names of Fred and Ben after the two cowboy poets that they spent some time with in Radke’s camp. Then we proceeded to go back to their camp and visit. And that seemed to set off the friendship in the path we established. Come back the next day got all of our gear because we couldn’t make it home and then went on our way. Never said much to them but it was just one of them friendships. So then we been probably for five years or so down in Arizona and come driving into a lot we’re staying in, they turned up happier than hell to see us. And from then on our friendship just blossoms more so because we could stay in touch. Got talking about out west and Ted was thinking of selling his team so I said well pick me. So I went out there and got them and went for a little drive, and come home with a whole pouch full of honour in me. I think that then it kind of sparked him up to wanna get back out west a bit more. So they honoured us by the both of them, Ted and Deb, coming out and helping us for five or six years and Ted then again was able to drive the team for us upriver. Deb was there to help through everything. She would mostly talk but you know that’s how she is. And we love her for it. But I had a great deal of respect for Ted and was honoured that I could have someone like him, even though I didn’t let on, go to mentoring me in that matter as far as the teams. And I said to Ted one day so what kind of deal is this, I buy this team from you, and I buy this harness from you, and then you get to drive more than I do in the country that I wanna drive in, and all I got was that big shit eating grin that everybody knew. They both helped us around camp more than you could even imagine, keeping things organized and with suggestions and just that at home feeling when they are around. And that was one thing that I noticed of Ted and it just came to me here the other day was how at home he was everywhere. I’m sure Deb had something to do with it, but whether he was in an RV, or in the wall tent out west, the Hawaii club (that’s a story for later), or his house in Arizona or the house at the lake here or cooking sausage at high camp, he was just at home or at peace because he was doing exactly what he wanted to do with who he wanted to do it with. So that’s had an affect on me going forward and making sure a guy wants to, or does what he wants to do and is at home with all those decisions that he’s made. Now Tedbar, he’s got no choice to be home or not at home, but I feel he’s as comfortable as he was all those other times or situations when you look at him and he’s just happy. Yeah we’ve had a lot of fun him and I, we’re almost probably too alike in a lot of ways but that’s the way it was. I’m going to miss the old bugger but I know he’s up on top of the mountains driving Fred and Ben across the horizon like Santa Claus because he kind of looked like him especially with that big gray beard I’ve seen him have.

Card of Thanks
A most sincere thank you to all of Ted’s friends and family for the love and support given that was beyond measure.
I can’t say enough about the good fortune of living in a small, tight knit, caring and compassionate community. Your acts of kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.
God bless each and every one of you.
Deb
Jennifer
Daryl & Billie Jo
and families
Diane & Claud
Judy & Bill
Connie & Peter
Deb & Grant
Bill & Stacy
Robert & Rhonda
and families

Brad Deleff
Apr. 11, 1988-Feb. 23, 2022

Bradley Douglas Deleff was born April 11, 1988 at the Provost Hospital to parents James and Lynn Deleff of Consort. After Brad finished school, he went to work for several local oilfield companies before deciding to become his own boss at which time he started B-Spread Ltd. Brad spent a lot of time touring around Alberta with his trucks and meeting a lot of friends along the way but always called the Monitor farm home.
Brad passed away February 23, 2022 at home at the age of 33 years.
He will be forever missed and lovingly remembered by his parents, James and Lynn; partner, Lindsay and her children, Mila and Kaiden; brothers, Rob (Beverlee), Mike and Jesse (Lindsay); as well as his nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends.
Brad was predeceased by his brother, Ken; cousin, Jeanette Fawcett-Weir; grandparents and several aunts and uncles.
A funeral service for Brad was held on Monday, March 7, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the Consort Sportex. Interment was at the Lakeroad Cemetery in Consort, Alberta.

Eulogy
presented by Barry Davis
On April 11, 1988 James and Lynn Deleff welcomed a new addition to their family. Not a girl, awaited to complement the household with her four older brothers.
Bradley Douglas made his arrival in Provost Hospital, and was a welcomed addition, completing the family. Douglas was a tribute to Bradley’s grandfather, Doug Kelts. Doug would have been proud of the man his grandson became, as would any mom and dad.
Bradley joined his brothers, Jesse, Mikey, Robbie and Kenny, making a full and busy household. Imagine mom keeping up to five busy boys. James helped out, with assignments to farm chores as the lads became capable of helping on a busy farm. Remember the adage – if a boy is not busy, he’s into trouble. Bradley was the exception – he could always find trouble. I think Bradley and all his brothers fit the Carl Perkins song: you can take the boy out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the boy.
When Bradley was a toddler, he couldn’t rely on his older brothers to be play partners. He was lucky to have his cousin Kaylee to play with. They were firm friends, and incredible enemies, depending on the moment. Just imagine how Lynn’s and aunty Mariena’s patience was tested in the enemy times.
Brad was eager to keep up with his brothers, so going to school was the happening thing. He was ready for it. Was the school ready for Bradley? Can you see him on the bus, wearing his cap ‘like always’, and watching everything. By now his words with Leslie and me were what they’d be for the rest of his life, “Whatcha doing?” and “Why you doin’ that?”
I think he was in grade one when he came to school with a big black moustache painted on him, with indelible pen. It wasn’t an effort to look grown up. It was the result of bugging his big brothers enough before bus time to be wrestled down and given a facial, which must have lasted a week.
When Brad was in high school, he decided to do Alberta Agriculture Green Certificate training program. He came over to our place every Thursday night during the year, to sit down and go over the skills in the cow-calf program. It was great to see Brad, Matthew Murphy and Dexter Dedora all working together on their study of cow-calf, with Leslie asking questions, giving explanations, and teasing them whenever possible. In certification testing, Brad got the best marks of his schooling, all over 85%.
By the time Brad was finished with school, he was already accomplished in all kinds of skills learned in the farm operation. Like farm boys do, when he went job hunting, he was ready to learn whatever he needed to get the jobs done right.
After high school, Brad went to work for Chuck Evashkevich, KSL Oilfield Services. He was with Chuck for about four years. I always figured you had to be good to meet Chuck’s standards. Brad met those standards naturally, being the ‘wise-ass’ we grew to like and love. When Chuck would point to a job that Brad needed to do, Brad would say, “I’ll decide.” The jobs always got done, no matter how hard or how long.
By this time, the farm operation included custom seeding and custom harvesting. Brad worked hard on those spring and fall, while continuing off farm work. Brad knew his seed drill and combine ‘inside-out, and took pride in doing good work. After seeding, he and his dad would check plant growth, making sure their work was getting results for customers.
After leaving KSL, Brad did a stint with Prestige, on a well servicing rig, before going to Jay McGregor at JAG, where he stayed for three years.
By now, Brad was ready to go into business for himself. Chuck had offered him KSL, but Brad had decided on the manure hauling and spreading business, after a lot of thought and research.
Brad started his business with M1, an older Mack truck, and a loader. His next purchase was M2, another Mack truck he bought in Ontario.

John Strong’s story about the trip to get M2:
One day Brad phones me and asks if I want to go to Kincardine, and I was like, in Ontario? He says, “Yes, Ontario. I bought another shit truck down there”. I of course say yes, and a few days later we hit the highway east.
We drove non-stop for 36 hours and arrived at my Dad’s farm where we were using it as a base. At 3:00 a.m. we walked into my grandma’s house and she was waiting up for us. By 5:00 a.m. Brad and I were up to go get the truck. We both walked downstairs and my grandma already had breakfast ready for us. So off we go to pick up M2, which wasn’t far away, and bring it back to the farm.
We had to switch the floater tires to regular semi tires for the trip back home, but the studs weren’t long enough for aluminum rims and we instead decided to just go with 4 drive tires. My dad then looked at both Brad and myself and said, “Boys you’re not in the west anymore, you can’t get away with this down here.” But we did it anyway and the next day we left to go home.

We each took turns driving for a bit and I was sleeping. When I woke up we were sitting on a scale at a inspection station in Northern Ontario and I thought it said 2100kgs and Brad shouts, NO, its 21,000kgs. On 4 tires! So we unload the truck off the trailer that we had picked up on the way and both of us drove a truck the rest of the way back to Brad’s place.

A year after getting M2, Brad needed to do a lot of work to get it ready for the coming season. He used our shop for a week or two, and with a lot of help from Kenny and Jesse, put in a new floor, floor chains and re-built the endgate. It was a treat to see the boys working together. Brad’s business evolved with hard work, persistent search for new business, and with really good people on his crew. He had developed a good line of equipment to get the work done as efficiently as possible. This past year had moves to Hanna, Castor and Stettler, then big jobs at Strathmore, where the outfit was weeks on location. Brad picked up the spread of compost from the City of Calgary, done on many farm sites, and then Red Deer’s compost, done on one farm, spreading for two weeks. A final achievement this year was getting a weeks spread at the Kotalko feedlot north of Vegreville. He’d finally got a foot in the door at a 40,000 head feedlot. Brad’s spread was so good, he was saving feedlots time and money on incorporation field work. As busy as Brad was, he always made time for friends and family.

Robbie remembers:

Brad was a no nonsense kinda guy, always eager to just get his hands dirty and get at it, whatever the job might be. He always said, ‘no sense standing around, let’s get at it and get it done’. He was the little brother that it didn’t matter what kind of predicament you were in, he would be there to bail you out. Even if you had your tractor sunk to the bottom of the dugout while plowing the ice for the kids to skate, there he was.

Robbie forgot to share the ‘tannerite story’, when Brad experimented and shot a container of tannerite to see what would happen? The explosion had every nearby oilfield operator looking for the blast source, fearing it came from one of the local batteries. Robbie strongly suggested Brad should apologize to Bev for scaring her and rattling the house windows. Like Robbie, Suzanne Ference said Brad was always there when help was needed. And Brad’s kind of thoughtfulness included a cross on the highway where Jeremy lost his life, and the cross was done in Jeremy’s favorite color. When Chuck was down with Covid, Brad came over and ran Chuck’s truck for 11 days, to help out. What a friend. And Brad had good friends, because he was a good friend.

Here’s what Corey and Katie Crann had to say about their friend
(written by Katie):
It was the 2012 hunting season, Brad had screwed up on his draws for that year and wound up getting his bull elk and moose tag. He shot his elk fairly early on but I remember him calling Corey to come help him drag it out of the coulee.
Near the end of the season we got a call from Brad saying he shot his moose. He wasn’t sure what to do with it because he already had a freezer full of elk. We ended up turning our kitchen at the house in Consort into the local butcher shop. Brad, Hanna, Dave, Christine, Jeremy Percival, Corey and I all got together that Saturday night and ground up that whole entire moose and made sausage. What a mess we had in there. By the end we had burnt out 2 or 3 meat grinders and our hands were stinging from handling the casings.
I think this is my favourite memory with Brad because it is the perfect picture of who he is. He never turned down an opportunity to hunt and he was always happiest when he had a crowd of friends around him. Brad never planned these types of things ahead of time. He was a ‘fly by the seat of your pants, full throttle and balls to the wall every single day’ guy.
Brad always knew exactly how to get under my skin and he would pick at me until I got mad and then crack a joke to lighten the mood. He was always up for a wrestling match or an arm wrestle and I learned VERY early on that I would never beat him at his own game. He showed no mercy.
When my kids were small he would torment them, but he also played with them. I fondly remember him coming over and flying Kaitlyn around the house like an airplane. She loved it!

Bradley, you were the life of the party, a loyal friend and you were selfless. You ALWAYS put everyone else’s needs before your own. You were honest and I never knew anyone who could work as hard for as long as you could. I am going to miss your calls, especially when you were away working and needed me to run an errand or two for you and I will miss your sporadic visits at the office. See you on the other side my friend.

In telling my story about Brad, I’ve got to include a few girl stories. Remember when Brad started dating a sweet little Swedish girl, Ellen. Brad courted Ellen after meeting her at the Rutledge Ranch. After Ellen returned to Sweden, I figure Suzanne felt sorry for Brad, and took care of things by bringing in a Swedish beauty, Hanna. This remarkable young woman liked the area, liked Brad’s family and loved Brad. One time when Hanna had returned to Sweden, Brad went over to visit, and they had a European holiday together, travelling and enjoying the experience together. Do you remember when they took a break to holiday in the mountains? Hanna researched, and found a heli-tour package that included helicopter tour, trail riding and dining experience – and there was the option to get married at the top of the mountain. A man of a few words, Brad said, “let’s do it”. Hanna booked the heli-tour and trail riding. On the way home, Brad asked “Why didn’t we get married?” (He thought that was included in the package. They had a communication misstep!) Eventually, Hanna returned to Sweden, driven by her grandfather’s ill health, and the run-around with Canada’s immigration system.

Lynn asked me to share this message from
Lindsey Walker:
Brad, You brought so much light into everyone’s life, your smile would brighten any room! It was contagious! Your determination in life, to achieve your goals was absolutely inspiring. I’ll forever be thankful for you. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. You taught me so many valuable things that I’ll treasure forever. You truly were one of a kind!
Remember that time during calving, we went to vaccinate and tag that calf? And the cow started chasing you? I’ve never seen you run so fast ever!! She was so close to getting you, but she slipped just as you reached the fence? And you just started laughing?? It was terrifying, but kinda funny at the same time.
My favourite memories – of you and Mila and Kaiden. Your love and support and bond with them was absolutely heart melting. You taught them so many skills, well I mean sometimes. Remember you taught Mila to shoot handguns? Or do donuts? You would always motivate her to do better. Or Kaiden, you taught him to shoot his pellet gun, and ride his quad. You always invited him along to do chores in the morning, or work in the shop.
We all are going to miss you immensely, you were the rock in our family. Life looks a lot different right now, but just know we will be okay. You will always live in our hearts, and I know you’ll always be watching over us.

I love you Brad. I wish your peace was here on earth, but heaven called you home.

We know Brad was always there for us. His mom was so grateful for his caring and help. An example was making sure his mom could get to Calgary to spend time with Auntie Mariena. No matter what it took, Brad would help make the visits possible.

Here are Brad’s mom’s words to him:
I was reminiscing about the time when I knew Brad was on the way, how happy we were. He decided to arrive 3 weeks early… I remember the nurse saying around midnight that you would be here in a couple hours. You arrived just after 2:00 a.m., weighing 6 lbs., 3 oz. on April 11,1988. When you were born, the doctor said you were the wrong sex and did I want him to put you back? It didn’t matter that you were our 5th son, it was love at first sight.
From a young age he loved to help with chores and ride in the tractor. There was never a dull moment with him around. He loved to go down the hill and visit Grandma Deleff, even when it was -30 he would get all dressed up and go down to see her. I would let Grandma know he was on the way and to watch for him. She would call to let me know he made it. It was the same when he was on the way home again.
There was the time when Mike and Brad rode our pony Punky down to the coulee. They figured if they let her go she would just stand and graze but she made a break for it and ran home. I looked out the window to see the rider-less pony heading for the corral. I found Mike and Brad running home. First thing Brad said was, “Where’s Punky? I’m going to kick her.” Pretty sure he didn’t kick her, but she got a severe tongue lashing.
We shared so many memories over the years. One was going to Calgary to the Nickelback concert, and many road trips to here and there. He was always ready and willing to help others and never expected anything in return.
B-Spread started with a loader and one truck. The business quickly grew to a loader, three trucks and a hoe. Many friendships were made along the way and he took great pride in building his business.
Our life will never be the same without him. We will miss the texts, calls and the daily visits.
We will take care of Shadow and Rocky for you, they miss you too. I won’t say goodbye, that makes it final. So I’ll say, See you later Brad.
Love you always and will miss you for forever.
Love Mom

---

These memories are just a glimpse of Bradley Douglas Deleff’s life. There are so many stories, and memories we’ll treasure. This was a man who loved his family, quietly and deeply. That love was at the core of his soul. His kind of friendship with so many of you assembled here is one you will treasure, remember and may extend to others in your passage through life. My vision of Brad that I’ll share is the image of him resting in God’s hands, gazing up at our maker with his beautiful big smile, and asking, “What ya doing?”

Bob Beebe
Feb. 25, 1938-Mar. 23, 2022

Delfort Robert “Bob” Beebe was born February 25, 1938. He was the second of four children born to Earl and Mamie Beebe. He lived in the Talbot district until the age of five when the family moved to a farm north of Veteran, where he attended Lakes End and Wheatridge School. Bob enjoyed playing piano and played for many years in a family band with his parents and two of his brothers. He continued to play with his own family until 1993.
On August 24, 1960, Bob married Ellen McAllister and together they raised three children, Rockie, Colleen, and Barkley.
Baseball and playing hockey were a big part of Bob’s life. In the winters, he played for Nose Hills Hockey Club and had the opportunity to play with both his sons. In the summers, he played with the Kessler Ball Club for many years. He had a real love for fishing and hunting with all his family and this was something he enjoyed for many years, including this past year which included trips to Capt Ayre to catch some trout.
Bob had a great love for farming and raising cattle and took a great interest in this right up to his passing.
Bob passed away at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta on March 23, 2022, after complications from a surgery.
His love for farming and cattle and his legacy of these sports will continue to live on for generations through his children and grandchildren who are following in these footsteps.
Bob will be forever missed and lovingly remembered by his loving wife of 61 years, Ellen; children, Rockie (Kathy) Beebe, Colleen (David) Spady, and Barkley (Cheryl) Beebe; grandchildren, Kelcey Beebe, Ryan (Bobbi Lee) Beebe, Bobbi Ellen (Calem) Rink, Marc (Charissa) Spady, Dillan (Vanessa) Beebe, and Courtney Beebe; great granddaughter, Hailie Beebe; brother, Keith Beebe; sisters in law, Marie Beebe, Bessie Mosley, Arleen Cromarty, and Sandra Engel; brother in law, Gary (Wendy) McAllister; as well as numerous other relatives and friends.
He was predeceased by his infant granddaughter, Amanda Lynn Beebe; parents, Earl and Mamie; brother, Russell; sister, Donna (Jim) Tainsh.
Bob’s family will be having a private gathering to pay tribute to their relationships with him.
If friends so desire, donations in memory of Bob are gratefully being accepted to S.T.A.R.S., Provost Health Foundation, or the Charity of Choice.
For more information, please visit: www.gregorysfuneralhomes.com

Larry Rodger Joseph Mack
Aug. 6, 1950-Mar. 5, 2022

Larry Rodger Joseph Mack, resident of Grande Prairie, Alberta, passed away on March 5, 2022, in Grande Prairie at the age of 71 years.
Larry was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, on August 6, 1950, and raised on a farm near Benson. He was the youngest of five children and attended both the Schell
and Benson schools. When he ventured out on his own, he found himself in Moose Jaw, SK, pursuing his passion for autobody. When he finished his program, he returned to Estevan to work on cars. After a few years, he decided to explore the Oil & Gas Industry with Dresser Atlas, a decision that had him Alberta bound in no time at all. Before long, he found himself working for Schlumberger in Red Deer, AB, a job that he absolutely loved.
Upon arriving in Red Deer, he met the love of his life, Glenna. They made their home in Red Deer and had two daughters, Tamara and Candace. Oh, and we can’t forget the family dog, Patches. Their life was full of laughter and adventures. You could often find them camping at the lake with friends and family, making Chinese food, or in the midst of a wicked water fight. As a father and husband, he was such a loving, kind, and funny person. He was the life of the party, the guy that made you laugh and could make you feel like family, even if you weren’t.
As life went on and the girls grew up and found their way, Larry and Glenna ventured to Moose Jaw for a few years before settling down in Grande Prairie. Larry’s love for a good steak, doing the jive, babying his cars (especially the Lincoln), or dotting over his pets, could only be outdone by his love for his family including his two sons in-law, and before long his grandchildren.
No matter what came his way in life, he always handled life with such grace. If you popped by you would probably find yourself with a crown royal in your hand and a smile on your face. Even in his final days he had the nurses at the hospice on the run and giggling away.
Larry was kind, loving, honest, gentle, dependable, and funny. He loved looking at old cars, listening to music, especially Elvis Presley and old time country. He loved animals and would snuggle up on the couch with any dog or cat that would join him. But the one thing that drove him absolutely crazy was the sound of a motorcycle passing by.
Larry will be sadly missed by his wife of 49 years Glenna Mack; children Tamara (Kyle) Robbins of Cayley, AB, and Candace (Joe) MacDonald of Grande Prairie; grandchildren: Alex (Megan), Alyssa (Clay), Gabriel, and Olivia; great-grandchild Razzle Dazzle; sister Caron (Craig); in-laws: James (Marline), Lee (Brenda), Gordie (Lianne), and Karen; as well as nieces and nephews.
Larry was predeceased by his parents Matthew and Hazel Mack; father and mother in-law Stan and Doris Howe; siblings: Larry, Lori, and Dennis; as well as his brothers in-law Earl, Russell, and Norm.
A Memorial Service was held on March 11, 2022, at 2:00 p.m., at Oliver’s Funeral Home in Grande Prairie with Celebrant Rod Masterson officiating. Honourary pallbearers were Alex Robbins, Alyssa Robbins, Gabe MacDonald, Olivia MacDonald. The eulogy was given by Tamara Robbins. Musical selections were “Go Rest High On That Mountain” – Vince Gill, “Amazing Grace” – Elvis Presley, “Seven Spanish Angels” – Ray Charles and Willie Nelson, “Old Time Rock & Roll” – Bob Seger. Following the service friends joined the family for a luncheon in Oliver’s Tea Room.
Interment will be held at a later date in Castor, AB.
Memorial donations may be made to the Grande Prairie Palliative Care Society (#204, 10134 – 97 Ave., Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 7X6), or to www.gpcare.ca. They are a registered charity, please mark donations to be forwarded to the Hospice Program, in memory of Larry Mack.

Valerie Bernice Barber
Feb. 17, 1951-Mar. 24, 2022

Valerie Bernice Barber was a loving wife, mother, nana, sister and friend. She left this world after a long courageous battle with cancer March 24th, 2022. She was 71 years old.
She was born to Alec and Faye Vert on February 17th, 1951. Her husband Gary was her high school sweetheart and together they had three children Dana (Greg), Darryl, and Dallas (Shannon). She was nana to nine grandchildren and great nana to one great granddaughter.
Growing up, her house was full of dogs, cats, and the occasional bunny and bird. The yard was always full of beautiful flowers. There is so much we will miss: her smell (Chanel with a touch of menthol), her honesty, wit and love.
She passed away peacefully with Gary by her side as he’s been for 54 years. We would like to thank the staff of Daysland Hospital for their exceptional care and kindness.
She is survived by her sisters Callie (Wayne) Barber of Innisfail and Brenda (Dave) Haley of Red Deer. Valerie was predeceased by her grandmother Clara Robbins, her parents Alec and Faye Vert and her infant granddaughter Ellese Barber.
No formal service will be held.
If family and friends so desire memorial contributions in Valerie’s memory may be made to the Daysland Health Centre Palliative Care Unit.
To send condolences, please visit www.burgarfuneralhome.com.
Burgar Funeral Home Camrose & Daysland in care of arrangements.

Bruce Carlisle Nelson
Oct. 30, 1954 – April 6, 2022

The family of Bruce Nelson is sad to announce his passing on April 6, 2022 in Red Deer, Alberta at the age of 67 years. Bruce was born to parents Ivar and Bessie Nelson on October 30, 1954 in Consort, Alberta.
Bruce is survived by his loving family, brother Neil (Gloria) Nelson of Veteran, niece Leanne (Lee) Carfartan and their sons Caleb and Easton, niece Lynette (Jason) Waltham and their children Ava and Archer, uncle Roy Williams, special friend Kathrin Grohmann, numerous cousins, friends and neighbours. Bruce was predeceased by his parents Ivar and Bessie Nelson.
A graveside service for the late Bruce Nelson will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the Lakeroad Cemetery, Consort, Alberta. A gathering of family and friends will follow.
Donations in memory are gratefully accepted to S.T.A.R.S. or a charity of choice. To send condolences to the family please visit www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com
Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Dorothy Mary Jean (Kanderka) Hunter
Mar. 16, 1938-Apr. 14, 2022

It is with a profound sense of loss and deep sorrow that we share that our beloved Mother, Grandmother and GiGi has entered eternal rest on April 14, 2022 at the age of 84, in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
Mom was born March 16, 1938 to Peter and Barbara (Letasy) Kanderka. She was the oldest of three girls, sister to Margaret and Patricia. Mom worked closely alongside her father on the farm at Grainger, Alberta as a girl/teen, and enjoyed being outdoors and doing field work and work with the animals. The work was hard, but she never complained as she loved being with her dad.
Mom met our dad, her future husband, Art Hunter, at a dance when she was just 16 years old. They shared a love of dancing and after five years of Dad courting her, they married November 08, 1958. There are many pictures of them dancing at dances and at family gatherings looking so happy. They welcomed a daughter, Kelly Ann, December 28, 1959 followed by a son Gerry Arthur, November 25, 1962. The family was complete when they welcomed another daughter, Tracy Lee, born June 22,1971.
They settled in Carbon, Alberta and Mom worked in the local bank for a time. She then spent the rest of her life perfecting the art of natural healing that she would share with anyone who needed it and although we teased her about some of her “recipes” we were all better for them.
Mom enjoyed curling and spent many fun weekends with her friends and children at various bonspiels, enjoying dressing up and even winning a few! Another lifelong passion for Mom was music. She played the accordion and the organ in her family band, and often, just for her own enjoyment at home. Her love of music has been passed down to all of her children – she taught Kelly how to play the accordion and tried to teach Tracy the organ, but singing was much more to her liking. Both Kelly and Gerry play the guitar as does her granddaughter Cassidy.
She was very proud of her Slovak roots and her family’s history. So much so, that she authored three separate family history books, two for the Kanderka and Letasy families and one for the Scottish Hunter family. These books were, and are to this day, an important resource for the extended family and she continued adding to them as time marched on in terms of deaths, births and marriages. It was a labor of love for her to do this work and we are all so grateful she did.
She shared very close relationships with her cousins and sister. They were lifelong confidants and time spent with Don, Edith, George, Helen, Joe, Josie, Johnny and Margaret was precious. She also shared a special connection with her niece Michelle.
Mom worked for over twenty years at Riverside Value Drug Mart in Drumheller. She adored her “work family”, Paul, Ray and Tina – they were so good to both her and our dad over the years, and the people she got to see and chat with daily were a joy for her. Mom had two special lifelong friends, Lois Gorr and Grace Koustrup, who shared many wonderful memories and experiences together.
Mom was a private person and personified dignity and grace. She had an unwavering personal faith and loved her children, their spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren immensely. Mom never missed a birthday or an anniversary. Family was everything to her. We were all able to see and spend quality time with Mom in the last four weeks of her life. Ever the crib lover, she even won the “GramSlam” Crib tournament on her last birthday party at the end of March – still playing until two days prior to her passing. These are times and memories we will all cherish.
She leaves to mourn her passing and continue celebrating her life and legacy, Kelly (Tony) Owens, Tyler (Jalisa) Owens – Reese and Logan, and Janelle Owens, Gerry (Theresa) Hunter, Layne and Scott Hunter, Tracy (Mark) Heartt, Brandon Heartt, Austin and Drayden, Tyler Heartt, Farryn, Cassidy (Corey) Butts-Kaydince, Quinn and Koen, and Zachery Pierce, and her sisters, Margaret (Bev) George and Patricia (Jack) Stimson as well as sisters-in-law Muriel and Lorraine (Doug), Darlene “Butch”, Judy and brother-in-law Harold (Amy) along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members from both Canada and Slovakia. Special mention of dear friends in the Drumheller Manor II building where she lived.
She was predeceased by her husband, Art, her parents Peter and Barbara, her parents-in-law, John and Grace and numerous sisters/brothers-in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews.
As per Mom’s request, no formal funeral service will be held. The family will inter her with our dad at a later date. For those wishing to make a donation in her name, please consider the Hospice or Palliative Care Unit in your area.
Until our first day in Heaven, Mom, we will miss you.

Morris Theodore Thompson
Jan. 26, 1944 – April 21, 2022

Morris was born in Provost, Alberta on January 26, 1944 to Ted and Paulette Thompson. When Morris was two years old they moved to the homestead of Paulette’s uncle, and that farm was Morris’ home for most of his life.
When he started school there were no buses available to come that far out of town so he lived with his grandparents, Elisa and Leo Lanson, in Provost for grade one. Then he attended Kilo School, which was about ten miles north of home, and later finished most of his schooling in Provost.
He quit school in grade nine and started farming with his dad. He bought his first land in 1964 and eventually bought the farms of both sets of grandparents. It was a way of life that he enjoyed and did well at.
In 1966 Morris married Sharon Early, and they were blessed with two children, Rob in 1966 and Maureen in 1968.
Morris was a people person. He liked friends to come for visits and he often visited them, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning! He really enjoyed the gathering of neighbors for branding days, taking turns helping each other work with cattle. He could strike up a conversation with strangers in restaurants or campgrounds. For many years the family went on camping trips, taking in the Calgary Stampede, family reunions and other excursions. For approximately the last thirty years he and Sharon camped at the Ponoka Stampede for the week of festivities. It was the highlight of each summer for him. There he made many new friends.
He was a prankster and joker, as many of his old friends can attest to. He could tell some whoppers, just to see how long it took for the story to circulate through the coffee shop. But if you watched his face closely, pretty soon his eyes would get a twinkle and you would know it was all B.S.
Morris greatly enjoyed hunting, going on his first “big game” trip in 1971 with friends and coming home with two large bull moose between them. He hunted geese and ducks if relatives and friends came for that purpose, and made several more trips to northern Alberta for moose, but his main enjoyment was hunting deer near home. He was very proud to bag a Whitetail buck that measured 180 and 6/8 inches which was entered in the Boone and Crockett record book.
He always enjoyed playing cards, almost any kind (except canasta!), and he made sure to teach his kids and grandkids to play crib. For many years friends and neighbors gathered for whist tournaments, and he and a group of friends had regular poker games throughout the winters.
Although not one to demonstrate his feelings Morris loved his family. He was proud of his kids and their accomplishments. He was very happy when Rob decided to come home and take up farming, and proud of Maureen for her technical talents. Happy is an understatement when he became a Grandpa, twice! He took Cody along to ride in the tractor and he taught Megan to drive at a very young age and showed her how to spin donuts in the field. As soon as the grandkids were old enough they went along on the RV trips with Grandpa and Grandma, especially to midways.
Morris and Sharon moved to Provost in 2011. He continued to help on the farm until poor health forced him to stop, after which time he still drove out to supervise. He enjoyed most afternoons and evenings with his coffee buddies at the A&W where most of the staff called him Grandpa.
Morris passed away on April 21, 2022 at the Provost Health Care Centre at the age of 78 with all his family at his side.
He will be forever loved and missed by his wife of 56 years, Sharon; son Rob (Karen) and their children Cody and Megan; daughter Maureen; sister Marlene (Dave) Mahoney; niece Deanna (Shane) Steptoe and their sons Blake and Brett; nephew Sean Mahoney; aunt Irene Scammell; several cousins and in-laws.
He was predeceased by his parents, Ted and Paulette and parents-in-law Harold and Daphne Early.
It was Morris’ request that there be no funeral service.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Morris’ memory are gratefully being accepted to: Provost Hospital Auxiliary (Box 126, Cadogan, Alberta T0B 0T0) or Provost Cemetery (Box 449, Provost, Alberta T0B 3S0).

Craig Eric Ward
Nov. 2, 1991 – Apr. 26, 2022

Craig Eric Ward was born in Stettler on November 2, 1991. He was a son to Calvin and Donna and a brother to Braden and Brooke. Craig grew up on a farm near Kirriemuir and attended Altario school in his early childhood years and finished his high school years in Consort.
He enjoyed hunting, camping, golfing, playing cards and taking family holidays. When Craig wasn’t busy stirring up trouble with his friends, he was busy playing hockey. He had many successful years with a great group of guys who became his hockey family. He worked hard at an early age on the rigs, working his way to become a driller at Prestige Well Servicing and later moved on to operating in the oilfield. Throughout those years he made many good friends. If you ask anyone that knew Craig, most would say he had a real knack for irritating people, some will even say he mastered the trade.
Craig was also very caring and had a huge heart. He would help anyone, anytime, any circumstance. Craig married and had three beautiful kids. He loved nothing more than watching his kids play outside and taking advantage of all the cuddles at bedtime. His kids will always have the memories of camping, bunnock, lawn games, and family card nights with their dad.
Craig passed away in his home on April 26, 2022 at the age of 30 years.
Craig is survived by his kids Hudson, Harper and Dereck, and their mom Nicole; parents, Calvin and Donna; brother, Braden; sister, Brooke (Brendan) and their sons, Brax and Beau; grandparents, Lenard and Beryl Ward, Helen James, John and Rita Spencer; as well as many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
A funeral in Craig’s memory was held on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at Consort Sportex in the Curling Rink. Words of Welcome & Comfort were given by Jeremy Allen. Words of Remembrance were shared by Justin Bogen, Braden Ward gave a Special Tribute and Memories of Craig were shared by Jack McKinlay.

Words of Remembrance

• Justin Bogen
  Craig Eric Ward was born in Stettler on November 2, 1991. He was a son to Calvin and Donna, and a brother to Braden and Brooke.
  Craig grew up on a farm near Kirriemuir and from a very young age he was full of mischief and curiosity. While often riding in the equipment with his father, he began to apprentice for the title of ‘Master Button Pusher’; always asking dad what every button and lever was for, and continually asking, “What happens if I push this?” This always kept Calvin on his toes, with work only getting done between naps on the seat.
  As he got older, questions and actions like these began
  to merit the response “Craig put your brain in gear before your mouth”. Craig was also an extremely compassionate and caring person. Once when the three kids were supposed to be out back weeding the garden; a conflict quickly broke out, much similar to a snowball fight, except instead of snow the kids decided to use mud mixed with rocks. It wasn’t long before Brooke took one to the face and went down in a bloody mess. While Braden was frustrated that the fun was over, Craig valiantly carried his sister – of almost equal size – inside; deeply concerned, and only caring about her well being.
  Craig’s schooling started at a very young age in Esther, where he attended the Esther Play Group. From there, he moved on to grade school in Altario, where he participated and excelled at school sports. He was also an active member of the Altario 4H Beef Club, raising prize steers alongside both of his siblings. After the farm was sold, the Wards moved to Consort, where Craig went on to complete his schooling.
  Almost right out of high school, I personally had the pleasure of working with Craig, as he immediately operated a service rig under me at Prestige Well Servicing. Here he displayed responsibility, leadership and a hard work ethic far beyond his age and experience, while maintaining a fun and enjoyable workplace. From there, he moved on to operate wells for High Ground and eventually Karve, here in the Consort area. Through all these years of work, Craig made many, many good friends.
  Craig had many passions in life. He started playing hockey at the age of four and became an integral part of an extremely successful Consort Comet team, alongside a great group of peers who became his hockey family.
  Another passion of Craig’s was his stubbornness, but I would like to change that word to “confidence”. Let’s just say that if you never engaged in an argument with Craig, there is a pretty good chance that you never met him. If you ever said that you clearly won an argument with Craig, I am sorry, but I am going to have to call you a liar.
  One time while Craig and Calvin were fencing an oilfield lease, Craig happened to spot a very rare and elusive ‘albino gopher’. All work ceased and an extensive hunt began. After an extended search, all that turned up was a weasel. To this day, that ‘albino gopher’ still remains an unfound mystery. Once he was sure of something, there was little you could do to convince him otherwise.
  Craig also enjoyed camping, golfing, playing cards, taking family holidays and gaming. He had the ability to take any simple game and turn it into a fierce competition. Your enjoyment was optional, but his enjoyment was always very thorough. Craig’s true passion was hunting and his gun collection. He lived for November, which he spent chasing after trophy bucks. He came by this honestly, learning from his father what it takes to shoot a trophy deer.
  Another one of Craig’s strong attributes was his ability to test one’s patience with non-stop practical jokes. One of my favorite stories Craig shared with me was when he was around 10 years old and he was visiting his grandma Helen at the Double Dam golf resort for a week in the summer. At the time, Helen was living with Ken Wall. Craig would wait until Ken got nicely settled on the couch to watch some TV; he would then sneak in and steal the remote from right beside Ken. He would then hide outside the trailer and start changing the channels. Ken never had the sunniest of dispositions and this would send him into a furious rage, all the time with Craig watching through the window in absolute delight. Once he got this reaction, it was game-on, as he continued to trick Ken daily until he was sent on his way home. Let’s just say he was a master of psychological warfare.
  Craig married Nicole in September of 2016, together they had three beautiful kids. He loved nothing more than watching his kids play outside and taking advantage of all the cuddles at bedtime. His kids will always have the memories of camping, many boating trips to Sheerness, bunnock, lawn games and family card nights with their dad.
  Craig passed away in his home on April 26, 2022 at the age of 30 years.
  I personally ask that we remember the best of Craig’s life. The smart, ambitious, loving and caring person he was and the three beautiful children that he brought into this world. As we move forward and begin our healing process; when our memories take us back to the dark days that led us here, when we are overcome by the feeling of regret, frustration, anger, complete and utter helplessness, it is in these moments when it is more important than ever to take the time to appreciate and acknowledge the ones that love us the most, the ones we love the most and hold closest to us. To remember that you are never truly alone in this world, no matter the circumstances. By doing this, we ensure that Craig’s life did not go without reason or purpose.
  Craig my friend, I truly hope that you are at peace. God bless you.

Craig, My Brother

• Braden Ward
  I love you and I always will.
  From the start I wouldn’t go anywhere without you. Swimming lessons, hockey, playschool. I needed you more than words can explain. I grew into the man I am today because you were always by my side.
  Well Craig, now I guess you’ll always be by my side. You’ll be with all of us in our hearts and in spirit. You left the physical world far too soon, at 30 years old.
  Our family will always remember the beer drinking Craig, the chef Craig, the annoying Craig and the caring Craig.
  We’ll remember filling a back pack full of snacks and venturing out into our tree forts for picnics. We’ll remember grabbing ice cream pales of great-grandma’s cookies out of the freezer as we played video games till the early hours of the morning. Kyle and Mitch know what I’m talkin about. Brooke, Steph, and Jordyn were usually there too.
  Hockey was our main sport. I was lucky to play every second year with my brother, but we played every day on the driveway after school. Craig loved to be the goalie. Guess we know why Dereck loves strapping on the pads for every mini stick game at gramma’s.
  We spent numerous hours travelling to and from hockey, playing cards, game boys, and mash in the back of the Suburban.
  Craig and I mastered ping pong, where we wouldn’t just play a series. It was a series of series. Craig had a very competitive spirit, from sports to arguments.
  Our family card games always resulted in one of us bidding against Craig. Even with a garbage hand he seemed to make something out of nothing.
  Craig enjoyed making a feast for his family and friends. There were many times I would see Hudson, Harper, and Dereck playing outside so I would join them. Soon after Craig would be calling us in to eat. Craig was a caring soul.
  Before Craig passed, he left a few messages behind. He accepted his faults and apologized for his wrong doings. The one message that will stick with us forever read this: “I made the mistake of a lifetime that took my lifetime away.”
  Well bro, I’m sure you can see now how much your friends and family love you.
  Our family would like to thank our friends, family and community for the tremendous support over this past week: the kind messages, delicious food, visits, and a clean up crew with equipment that did a huge job in a few short hours in Craig’s yard. Thank you Jack and Justin for sharing your memories and speaking on behalf of our family today. A special thanks to Jeremy for not only getting us through this tough day, but helping us deal with the grief we are all feeling. Gregory’s Funeral Home has walked alongside us through the loss of Craig and gave us guidance in our healing journey. We will be forever grateful.
  Thank you all for coming to reflect on Craig’s life today; his memories will fill our hearts and help carry us through this journey.

Farewell Craig

• Jack McKinlay
  When Calvin asked me if I would say a few words on behalf of Craig, I told him I would be honored
  I, along with a few others, coached Craig from Initiation to Midgets for 13 years. In a small community we are very fortunate to play with the same kids each year and it becomes an extended family from October to April, then in the spring and summer everyone does other sports and then back to the extended family in October. This was a very close group and some of the best years in my life.
  When Craig was a young hockey player (U7 to U9) he was always joking around and had that mischievous look in his eyes all the time.
  As he got older, Atoms (U11) and up, Craig developed into a really good player, but was rarely recognized for his contributions, except by the coaches who knew his value to the team.
  Craig had a great work ethic. The way he worked the corners at his size, against kids twice the size of him, and most always coming out of the corner with the puck, and a smile on his face. His heart was bigger than his body. He was one of those players that every team needs to make them successful. As Rick Deleff said, “He was always a GREAT TEAM PLAYER – team first contributor.”
  He was a kid that would play hurt a lot of the time and wouldn’t let on, just go about his business.
  But, man he had no hands! Sometimes he just couldn’t score from his many opportunities, and I would tell him when he got back to the player’s box, “Man Craig, you would have a hard time hitting water if you fell out of a boat kid.”
  Hockey was never about him, he was a very caring individual towards his teammates, which made him one of the most popular on the team.
  He was very successful in hockey, contributing to the five gold and two silver medals from Pee-Wees to Midget with that group of players.
  I think if you asked Craig who his favorite coach was, hands down, it would be Skinner. Both were mischevious and could understand each other. As one tormented the players, the other tormented the parents. I think you could add Calvin in the mix too.
  I have many stories of Craig, but I picked these three because they sum up what kind of person he was and what his teammates thought of him:
  Pee-Wee – 3rd Year
  We travelled to Maidstone on a Saturday and won the game 3-1. Craig had 1 goal and 2 assists. After getting back to the Sportex, the three kids travelling with me (including Craig) were walking past the lobby to watch the game on the ice when an older guy asked the kids how they did. They said they won 3-1. The guy asked, “Who got the goals?” The boys replied that they didn’t remember. The guy said, “Oh come on, you must know.” They just shrugged their shoulders and carried on to watch the game.
  I followed up behind them, and then he asked me how can those kids not know who got the points?
  I pointed out, that they knew, but, it wasn’t about the individual and stats, it was always about the team, the team concept.
  “CRAIG” was that type of person – TEAM FIRST.
  Hanna Provincials –
  Last year of Midgets,
  2nd Game
  Craig had another great game but didn’t recieve the Player Of The Game award. The player that got it, skated over to Craig on the blue line and put it around his neck as he was so well deserving of the award.
  It is one of the highest honors coming from your peers; that’s the respect they had for Craig.
  When asked about it, the player simply said, “I’m not nearly the player without my linemate, he deserved it.”
  “That’s the Respect CRAIG got from his teammates.”
  Consort Bar
  Once the players on the team starting turning 18 in the Spring, they would always hit the Consort Bar for their ‘Birthday drink’ and Craig led the way by buying the first round of shooters for the birthday boy.
  “This is CRAIG – always having fun with his friends”
  Oh, did I forget to tell you, Craig didn’t turn 18 until the fall, but he just managed to get in the bar somehow.
  I actually told Nicole in March, how Hudson reminds so much of Craig playing hockey. He is growing up to be a very good hockey player like his father, making big strides each year.
  And as for Harper, she has that mischievous smile like her father, that will remind me of Craig all the time when she steps into the arena.
  In closing, I would say, I’m lucky to have been able to coach Craig for those many years. Craig is gone, but certainly won’t be forgotten.
  Rest in peace Kid.

Audrey Lang
April 14, 1923 – May 21, 2022

Audrey Lang (nee Bebee) was born April 14, 1923 at Richdale, Alberta.
In 1962, with four children of her own, Audrey and family moved from Millet, Alberta to Consort where she settled in to raise her children and became a much respected member of the small prairie community.
In 1967 she returned to teaching and was very popular with her elementary students at Consort School until her retirement. She also took up golfing and enjoyed her time with friends on the links. Audrey was a faithful member of Knox United Church, where she sang in the choir for many years, before moving to Edmonton to be closer to her adult children.
At the age of 99 years, following a life well lived, Audrey Alberta Lang passed away on May 21st, 2022, in Edmonton. Left to mourn are her children: Jody Rawlyck, John (Rick) Lang, Keltie Lang, and k.d. lang; grandchildren Christopher, Jamie, Tyler and Fraser Rawlyck; and great grandchildren Lauren, Max and Zara; and her sister, Gwen Paranchych.

Tom Stewart
May 6, 1951 – May 23, 2022

Thomas Howard Stewart or Tom as he was known to most of us, was born in Consort May 6, 1951 to Bill and Olive Stewart. He was raised on the family farm in Loyalist, along with his sisters Judy and Norma. When he was 14 the Stewart family moved into Consort. He attended grade school in Consort until 1969 then he went to U of A and NAIT in Edmonton for the next three years.
Tom enjoyed Little League as a boy, swimming lessons at Gooseberry Lake and cleaning the snow off the creek so he could skate there in the winter. When he got a bit older he took up curling and spent a lot of time at the Curling Rink and travelling to bonspiels. As he aged his activities changed and curling was done in the form of watching it on TV. He worked for CPR and Special Areas in the Consort area for a short time after graduating. Later he was employed by Dome Petroleum at Consort where he remained for a number of years through several company name changes. Tom could recall the legal description for all the leases in his area and was only too happy to quote them to you when talking about his work. He had a house built in Consort in the early 80’s where he lived until his passing.
Tom was loyal to his parents, making sure that he spent Sunday evening dinners with them every week. He assisted his father on the farm until Bill’s passing in 2000. Tom continued running the farm and took great pride in being the first done seeding and the first done combining, until he sold it in 2012. Retirement also gave Tom the time to expand his horizons and he discovered the joy of travel, enjoying trips to Mexico, Cuba, Alaska and the Caribbean. Tom was also a volunteer, doing snow removal at the church and the local “New to You” store. He also volunteered his time to the Lakeroad Cemetery Association.
Tom is survived by his sisters Judy Devlin (John) and Norma Vredegoor (Martin); nephew Bill Bosh (Brenda); great nephew Austin Bosh; as well as other relatives and many dear friends. Tom was predeceased by his parents, Bill and Olive Stewart in 2000.
A Funeral Service was held on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the Knox United Church in Consort with Rev. Ohwang Kwon officiating. Memorial donations may be made to Lakeroad Cemetery (Box 309, Consort, Alberta T0C 1B0).
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com
Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium entrusted with the arrangements.

Tribute
By Phil Gilmer
On a personal note, I thought I’d share a few memories of myself and Tom.
I got to know Tom first I suppose through curling. Was lucky enough to share a memorable trip or two to New Brigden with the likes of Tom and Bob and Rick. The curling wasn’t always the priority on those trips. Tom was a pretty solid second for skip Bob. It always amazed me someone’s hand could shake that much holding a 44 lb. curling rock.
Tom’s Grey Cup parties were legendary. In fact, we cut our honeymoon short to get home for one. Not sure we were both totally on board with that plan.
Also had a memorable trip to Grey Cup in Toronto with Tom and a bunch. One highlight of that trip, that is suitable to share here, was an evening in the hotel. Now the Eskimos were playing Hamilton, so as you can imagine, we were vastly outnumbered by eastern fans. At some point we realized Tom was missing. At this point in Canadian history, Pierre Trudeau was prime minister, and as now, there was a lot of western unrest. Anyway, we found Tom by listening for raised voices. There he was, in a room full of Hamilton fans espousing the virtues of the “Great Wall of Manitoba”.
Sometime around 1998, I went to work with Tom at the 21 battery just outside of town. I learned early on Tom suffered no fools. He explained things and then expected that you remember that explanation. At the time, it was a pretty cutting edge battery with a turbine that turned the produced gas to generate power back onto the grid. This came with many challenges but when faced with a challenge, Tom would put his finger across his chin and just figure it out. This was getting towards the end of Tom’s oilfield career and about the time computers were becoming an integrel part of the program. Tom didn’t have a love hate relationship with the computer in the office. It was pretty much all hate. I can still picture the greasy handprints on the side of the monitor. It got at least one good slap a day.
Tom might not have kept the tidiest office but he knew that battery inside and out and he did everything in his power to make the company money. He was very conscientious and loyal.
One example was his use of the “Fletcher Challenge Steamer”. To laypeople, that’s a propane torch. I can remember more than one chemical guy running for his truck when Tom brought it out to thaw a wellhead instead of hiring a steamer.
I found after Tom trained me that I was now the new training officer at the battery. By that time, he had earned the right to not have to put up with quite so many stupid questions.
Through this time, I really learned to respect Tom and we became good friends.
When it came to farming, Tom had some innovative ideas there as well. For instance, the extension he put on his seeders grain tank so he could seed the north 1/4 with only one fill of seed, and the hitch for towing the trike up to the north 1/4 behind the seeder, although that one didn’t work out so well when the bike flipped and he drug it upside down for a few miles.
More recently, Brenda and I took Tom to Red Deer for his surgery in January. I went to talk to him a couple days before to make arrangements and he informed me he didn’t need a ride. He just told Leona he would get a ride to appease her til they left the country on holiday. He always had full intentions of driving himself. I insisted and he let us drive him up. He had several options to get home but he chose the taxi option. Fiercely independent to the end.
As all of you here will know, there were no secrets with Tom. Everyone in his life knew where they stood.
I am proud to have been able to call him a friend.

Eulogy
By Leona Hedley
Thomas Howard Stewart, also known as Tom – Son, brother, uncle, great uncle, confirmed bachelor and friend to many, many people.
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Leona Hedley and my husband Bob and I have been good friends of Tom for many years. When I try to think of a way to summarize Tom, the most accurate description I could come up with was “The King of one liners”. His quick wit and quite often the sarcasm that came with the wit, was the source of many stories. I am sure many of you here have often been the brunt of some of that wit and sarcasm.
I would like to thank Tom’s sisters, Judy and Norma for their assistance in providing information on Tom’s early years. As mentioned, Tom took his schooling in Consort and from all accounts was a very bright student. He excelled in Math, and could add up a column of numbers in very short time. He often liked to tell my kids that he had been on the honor roll, reminding them of this frequently. It was during one of his supper visits, when he asked the kids if they had seen his name on the honor roll, that one of them retorted with, “no Tom, I think it’s in the museum now.” Tom had no answer for that, he had met his match for sarcasm.
I found it amusing when I learned that Tom had taken swimming lessons at Gooseberry Lake. The only timid side of Tom that we ever saw was that he was petrified of water. So I don’t think he probably learned much at those lessons. Many years ago, we were returning from a ski trip to the mountains and stopped in Calgary for a night on the way home. The hotel had a water slide and after much “convincing”, Tom finally agreed to go down one of these slides. He hit the pool of water at the bottom and began flailing about, with a look of shear panic on his face. The rest of the group was standing on the edge of the pool, laughing and yelling at him to stand up. Imagine his embarrassment when he finally stood up and realized he was only in about three feet of water.
Tom was a rodeo fan and every year he looked forward to attending the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton. Although I often think it was really the time spent in the hotel room with his friends following the rodeo that was his real reason for wanting to go. Those evenings in the hotel usually ended with stories to tell, a visit from hotel security, and you can be sure Tom was often the centre of all the shenanigans. During one of those rodeo trips, a group of us went to Cook County in Edmonton after the rodeo performance. Bob Tallman, (the famous well known rodeo announcer) happened to be there and Tom struck up a conversation with him. At some point, Tom said to him, “are you a real cowboy or just a wanna be?” I don’t remember all the details but I know we left in quick fashion after that.
It was after a spring rodeo in Edmonton, that Tom and Ken Newsham were sharing a hotel room and Rick and Sandy Kelts were across the hall. Tom got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and exited through the wrong door. So there he was standing in the hallway, no teeth in and wearing nothing but his underwear. He banged and banged on the door in an attempt to wake up Ken, all to no avail. So as Tom told the story, he had to decide which was the lesser of two evils, to wake up Rick and Sandy or to go down to the hotel lobby in his underwear. He eventually woke up Rick and Sandy. At the time Sandy was working for Dome and she assured Tom that she wouldn’t tell a soul at work. The following Monday morning, Tom made sure to arrive at work early. He said “gather round boys, I got something to tell you”. He was going to make sure he told everyone before Sandy did.
I was asked to share another of these rodeo hotel stories with you. This happened at the Westin Hotel in Edmonton, before I met Bob, so I have tried to piece the details together as best as I can. This story involved Phil Gilmer, Keith Wittmack, Rick Kelts, Ken Newsham, Bob Hedley and of course Tom. From what I can figure out, there was some kind of ball game going on that involved the use of a beer case as a ball, the lampshade as a batting helmet and I really don’t know what they used for a bat. Of course they were not quiet, and after two visits from hotel security, Tom says to the security guard, “the next time you come up here, can you bring some more mix.” It was only a short time later there was a knock on the door, and there stood room service with more mix.
For several years in the late 80’s and early 90’s, Tom decided to take up skiing. He even purchased his own skis and boots; he would head to the mountains and ski for a weekend or several days all by himself. It never seemed to bother him as Tom could talk to anyone, anywhere, as he often returned with stories of people he met on the chair lifts.
Tom’s years spent working at Dome (and the companies that took it over) provided Tom with a work family, that he shared many laughs with. He often told us of the many things that the old “Dome” boys would do. After hearing so many of those escapades, all I can do is think that Dunn Magnusson was a very patient man. In 1999, Tom was asked to go to California to take a course on how to run the turbines. At this point, Tom had actually been running a turbine, but off he went. He came home shaking his head saying that he knew more of how to run the turbines, than the guys teaching the course. Likely his sharp mathematical mind helped him immensely.
As mentioned earlier, Tom was loyal to his parents and would always turn down a Sunday supper invite as he was going to his parent’s house. I had the privilege of working with Olive at the hospital for several years and she would often ask me what Tom had been up to. She would say to me, “When I’m gone, you’re going to have to look after my Tommy.” Little did I know how quickly that day would come. The tragic deaths of Bill and Olive following a house fire were especially hard on Tom. It was during those years that we began to see a softer, gentler side of Tom. Somewhere in his grief, he found comfort in the church and became a regular attendee at Sunday service for several years. It was after Bill and Olive’s passing that Tom became a special part of our family. He now waited for his Sunday supper invite. Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other special occasion dinners were spent with our family. Tom took an active interest in his friend’s kid’s lives and could often be found in the stands at a hockey, volleyball, or ball game. He would even attend dance recitals.
Tom took several trips over the years. In 2006, we were headed to Cuba and Tom bought some kind of financial magazine to read on the beach. In this particular magazine, was an article on how much it cost a man to be married over several years. This included the costs of buying flowers, dinners out etc, etc. One day as Tom is reading his magazine; he looks down the beach and notices a rehearsal going on for a wedding. Tom picks up the magazine, walks down the beach, taps the soon to be groom on the shoulder, shows him the article, and asks him if he wants to reconsider his decision. The rest of us looked on mortified at what had just transpired. But that was Tom.
On another trip to Alaska in 2012, we ended up in some sort of tourist place in Fairbanks. They had a room that you could go in to and experience what -40 felt like. Of course this came with a $20 price tag. So Tom gets in line, with a beer in hand, and waits his turn. He comes out with his souvenir photo and exclaims that he wants his money back, as it was only -34 in the room.
Tom had a generous heart and would help anyone, although he often came across as a little on the gruff side. Helping the ladies at the “New to You” store with snow removal was important to him and he took his responsibility seriously.
In 2010, Tom had some medical issues and ended up in hospital during harvest. A group of friends and neighbors assembled to take off his crop in one day. Tom was so worried about how everyone was going to get fed. I reassured him that things were under control and not to worry. He must have phoned me five times that day from his hospital bed, with strict orders to make sure that there was enough food and especially beer for the entire crew. Making sure they were all looked after was a priority for Tom. He never wanted to have anyone inconvenienced because of him.
The past 12 years or so, Tom’s health began to decline. He was fiercely independent or “stubborn”, never wanting to have to accept help from others. Despite many reassurances from family and friends, he found it difficult to be reliant on others. It was particularly difficult for him when he lost his driver’s license for six months and had to accept help.
Tom took up gardening and his specialty was his “Prairie Pride” tomato plants. He purchased his plants at Howe’s greenhouse in Castor and would return home with plants for several of the local ladies. Last week, when a friend of mine phoned the greenhouse to ask about tomatoes, she mentioned how Tom had always bought us these plants. They commented on how he was a loyal customer and they were sad to hear of his passing. Tom loved to boast how his tomato plants were producing, but then had to figure out how to get rid of all these tomatoes. He would often ask people if they would like some tomatoes, and if you said “well maybe I could use a couple”, he would reply “you have to take a beer flat full, that’s the only way I deliver them”. The one year he planted 24 of these plants, and as he was out picking and filling his beer flats, he thought to himself, the next person that drives down the alley is going to get a beer flat full of tomatoes. Sure enough the next vehicle down the alley was an RCMP cruiser. Tom flagged him down, knocked on his window and handed him the tomatoes.
Tom enjoyed many sports mostly from the comfort of his chair. As he often said, he never missed a curling shot in his chair. Tom did actively curl for many years and bonspieling was what he excelled at. He loved to go to New Brigden, where some kind of trouble usually followed their time on the ice. Tom and his teammates enjoyed some success along the way with curling trophies and prizes brought home. A long time Oilers fan, it truly does seem fitting there is an Oilers game on tonight. His Grey Cup parties were an annual legendary tradition, with many friends joining him in his basement. In recent years, Tom became a regular at the Veteran Bulls ball games, usually doing his best umping from behind the screen.
Like any family, we had our share of laughter, jokes, tears, love and yes the occasional disagreement. But through it all, we always knew that we were all important to each other. Tom would be humbled by all the people gathered here today. I know each of you have your own stories of Tom to tell. Please take the time to share them with Judy, Norma and their family. These are important memories that we need to hold close to our hearts. Tom will be deeply missed by many and our kitchen table will have an empty chair at all the holidays to come. Rest in peace, my friend, you will be missed.

Card of Thanks
The family of Tom Stewart would sincerely like to thank all of Tom’s friends for their kind support and shared memories during this difficult time. Special thanks to Bob and Leona Hedley and Phil and Brenda Gilmer for making all the arrangements and going above and beyond. Also thank you to the United Church, the UCW and Parkview Funeral Home for their support.
Judy & John
Norma & Martin
Bill, Brenda & Austin

Theresa Agnes Rumohr (Schetzsle)
October 6, 1928 – May 28, 2022

Theresa Agnes Rumohr (Schetzsle) was born October 6, 1928 to Mary and James Schetzsle at Little Gem, Alberta. She married her beloved Bob Anderson and they moved to United States in 1957 where she remained for 47 years.
She is survived by her brother Gordon Schetzsle, sister Delia Sorenson, sister in law Bernice Schetzsle and sister in law Irene Anderson. A truly great stepson Wesley Hovan and a wonderful son in law Mike Olson. Four dear step children of Ken Rumohr: Donna Leyland, Linda Strong, Dianna Sallie, and Rick Rumohr. A host of most beloved nieces and nephews, in laws and dear friends.
No funeral or memorial service at her request.
She had a beautiful trip through life, filled with love, caring, warmth, kindness and treasured friendships. May all who remember her have cause to smile or perhaps a little chuckle. She would like a special thank you to all her nieces and nephews who so enriched her life and gave her that ultimate gift of their love. She would like to thank the Consort Lodge for their kindness and caring during her stay. And another special thanks to her friends in the lodge for their support, fun and laughter that made this ‘A Wonderful World’.
“She has slipped the surly bonds of earth. Reached out and touched the face of God.”

Marilyn “Lynn” Eileen Tory
July 11, 1946 – June 20, 2022

Lynn was born on July 11th, 1946 in Consort, Alberta, daughter of Joe and Emelia Murphy. Lynn was raised with three brothers on the Murphy Farm in Altario, Alberta.
Lynn moved to Calgary after completing school, where she worked at Federated Investments and eventually Electrolux.
While working at Federated Investments she met and married Herbert (Herb) Tory in 1967. They made their home in the community of Southwood where they had four children.
Lynn’s travel adventures started in 1985 with a family move to The Netherlands, back to Calgary in 1988, then to Nigeria in 1994. Herb retired in 2000 and established a home in Calgary and they started wintering in Arizona. Lynn’s passion for traveling brought her to places all over the world.
Her love and caring nature were expressed by her enormous interest in every person she met. She had the ability to make everyone know they were loved and cared for.
Lynn passed away on June 20th, 2022 at the family cabin in Clear Lake, Alberta.
Lynn’s memory remains alive by her husband, Herb Tory; her daughter, Carolyn (Ryan), son, Greg (Sheri), daughter, Glenna (Mike) and son, Brett (Carla); grandchildren, Madison (Josh), Layne, Taya, Jade, Gage, Michaela and Teagan; great grandchildren, Sophia and Annabelle; brother, Bob † (Rosemary), Frank (Donna) and John † (Wendy); and her beloved cat, Rags; as well as her nephews, nieces, cousins and extended family and friends.
Lynn was predeceased by her parents Joe and Emelia; brothers Bob and John.
A funeral service for Lynn was held on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the Altario School with Pastor Paul McCormick officiating. Interment followed at the Altario Cemetery.
If friends so desire, memorial donations are gratefully accepted to:
Altario Cemetery
P.O. Box 40
Altario, Alberta T0C 0E0

Alec Pendrigh
June 5, 1948 – July 10, 2022

Alexander Peter Pendrigh ‘Alec’ was born June 5, 1948 in Lethbridge, Alberta to Jim ‘Arthur’ and Clara (nee: Bye) Pendrigh. Alec grew up the oldest of three children in this family in Kyle and Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
Alec was stationed at numerous locations throughout his meteorological/aircraft controller career, some of which were Resolute Bay, Ennadai Lake, Arctic Bay-Baffin Island, Nunavut; Lynn Lake, Manitoba; Regina and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Thunder Bay and Ottawa, Ontario.  
Alec was involved in community associations in the numerous towns he lived in including Perry, Saskatchewan, Consort, Alberta, and Medicine Hat, Alberta.  Alec must have been seeking the quiet and calm rural Alberta because he found his way to Consort, Alberta where he retired and made his home in his later years.
Alec passed away unexpectedly surrounded by comforts of home on Sunday, July 10, 2022, at 74 years of age.
Alec was a story teller, a loyal friend, a “star child”, he was a man with spiritual convictions, and he loved music; he will be dearly missed.
A small Memorial will be held October 1, 2022, 2:00 p.m. at Jubilee Park, 510 Grove Drive, Spruce Grove, Alberta; family recommends dressing comfortably for the weather.
Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.coronationfuneralhome.ca. Arrangements in care of Coronation Funeral Home, Coronation, Alberta.

Mary Reay George
Sept. 12, 1933 – July 13, 2022

Mary Reay George, of Lethbridge, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at St. Michaels Palliative Care at the age of 88 years. Mary was born in Lethbridge on September 12, 1933.
She is survived by her three children, Robert “Bob”, David (Lorie), and Dorothy; six grandchildren, Catherine (Kris) McLaughlin, Laura George and Allison George; Julie (Allen) Parker, Amanda (Matthew) Baines, Bradley (Rachelle) George; twelve great-grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; sister Florence “Flossie” Erno, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her loving husband of 67 years, James L. “Jim” George; her daughter-in-law Magdalena “Maggie” George; sister Ruth Wright, and her parents Arthur and Ethel Norman.
Mary had a zest for life, coupled with a quirky and endearing sense of humour, loved her family deeply, and enjoyed numerous life-long friendships. As a devoted wife and mother, Mary created a wonderful and welcoming home using her considerable talents in cooking, baking, and sewing. She loved to host family and friends for elaborate meals, celebrations or just conversation over coffee and a cookie. She had a passion for and talent in music, singing in United Church and Community Choirs and leading many family sing-a-longs. Mary and Jim created many family traditions that have left numerous fond memories for their entire family.
They traveled extensively to Britain, across Canada and USA with favorite destinations in Victoria, Hawaii, and the Lake District of England. Jim and Mary also loved camping throughout Alberta and B.C. Attending cultural and athletic events of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought Mary great joy. Mary enjoyed playing games of all kinds, watching Blue Jay’s games, and playing practical jokes. Mary courageously fought cancer for over 20 years, maintaining her typical positive outlook, humour and enjoying the company of loved ones.
Mary was a woman of character, faith, compassion, and kindness and will always be fondly remembered by each of her family members and numerous friends.
A Celebration of the Life of Mary George will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 21, 2022, at Southminster United Church, 1011 – 4 Avenue, S., Lethbridge, with Reverend Taylor Croissant officiating.
Those who wish to remember Mary with a donation may do so at “It’s About Music” at PO Box 33006, RPO Upland, Lethbridge, Alberta T1H 5P2 or to the charity of one’s choice.
The family wishes to thank the staff of St. Michaels’ Palliative Care Unit, Dr. Walsh and the Palliative Home Care Team for the kind and loving care provided to Mary.
Visit www.mbfunerals.com to send a condolence.

Anne Graefer
Mar. 26, 1935 – July 29, 2022

Janet Anne Graefer was born in Consort, Alberta on March 26, 1935 and passed away in Red Deer, Alberta on July 29, 2022 at the age of 87 years.
She is survived by four children Valerie Sloan (Jim), Rob Graefer (Cindy Harris), Bill Graefer (Michelle), Jody Johnsey (Tim), eight grandchildren Robin (Trista), Michelle (Rory), Evan (Whitney), Carmon (Nick), Todd (Alycia), Brandon (Kim), Janine (TJ), Abigayle (Alex); nine great-grandchildren Tegan, Devyn, Jax, Cora, Nash, Payton, Layla, Sawyer and Owen; her two brothers Ervin (Bernice) Fawcett and Clark (Diane) Fawcett as well as her sister Lois (Ted) Mulligan.
Anne was predeceased by her husband Bob, her parents George and Janet Fawcett and her sister Margaret.
A memorial service was held at the Forestburg Community Hall on Thursday, August 11th at 2:00 p.m. Memorial donation in memory of Anne may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Mary Paton Hyslop Tainsh (Nee: Smith)
Sept. 27, 1930–Sept. 13, 2022

It is with profound sadness that the family of Mary Tainsh announce her peaceful passing on Tuesday, September 13th, 2022 at the age of 91 years at the Sturgeon Hospital in St. Albert. 
Mary will be lovingly remembered by her son Andrew (Brenda) Tainsh of Red Deer and daughter Alison (Kent) Lessard of Morinville; much loved granny of Ian, Emma, and Craig Tainsh, Katrina, Mathieu, and Ethan Lessard; cousin Margaret Reid of Prestwick, Scotland; sister-in-law Gladys Tainsh; as well as many nieces and nephews and extended family.
Predeceased by her loving husband of 50 years George Tainsh; infant children Donald and Moira and her parents Andrew and Mary Smith.
A Celebration of Mary’s Life was held at St. Albert Funeral Home, 9 Muir Drive, St. Albert, on Monday, September 26, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.

Eulogy
Mary Paton Hyslop Smith was born at home on September 27th, 1930. She was the only child of Andrew and Mary Smith of 7 Virginia Gardens in Ayr, Scotland.
Whenever mum spoke about her childhood, it was always happy memories of their little family. She spent a lot of time with her granny in her sweetie shop in Ayr, going on vacations with her parents, and visiting with relatives and friends. Mum was known to those who knew her well as May and one of her closest relatives was her younger cousin Margaret Hyslop. Although they were 17 years apart, Margaret and mum spent a lot of time together and Margaret grew up to be a nurse, just like her big cousin May.
Mum’s mother Mary was a homemaker and her father Andrew was employed as a fitter or a mechanical engineer, building steam engines for the railway. As her dad applied for promotions, his new positions took him farther away from Ayr and he often had to work nights. In order to stay together as a family, they rented houses that were close to his work which was easier for them than traveling back and forth by train. One of the homes they rented was from a very kind lady named Lizzie Wardlaw from Grangemouth who was living alone while her husband was away at war in Belgium. Lizzie became mum’s adopted “Auntie Lizzie” and she treated mum and granny as if they were part of her family. It is this relationship with Lizzie that was the catalyst of the meant-to-be meeting of my parents Mary and George.
When she was 9 years old mum and her parents moved to Glasgow. Mum graduated high school from Albert Road Academy and she often talked about how much she loved learning and did well at school (with the exception of algebra) and how school changed during war when many of the young male teachers were enlisted in the army. Replacement teachers were brought back from retirement (imagine that), some were quite elderly, and she often recalled their old style methods of teaching and unusual approaches to discipline like throwing chalk at misbehaving boys and pulling them off their chairs by their ears.
World War II broke out when Mum was 9 and she remembered the morning Chamberlain declared war as they had stayed home from church to listen to his live announcement on the wireless. According to mum, she was one of the lucky ones and didn’t suffer the hardships experienced by many during the war. There were rations on items such as food, clothes and sweeties and they couldn’t go away on holidays as the troops were using all the trains. Mum told stories of blackout curtains at night, waking up to air raid sirens, of having to take her gas mask to school and Sunday school and being sent home if it was forgotten. They also had air raid practices where they all hid under their desks wearing their gas masks. Many Polish and German Jewish refugees became her classmates and she recalled that even as a young girl without a full understanding of the atrocities of the war, she knew that they had been through a very difficult time.
After graduating from high school, mum expressed interest in becoming a nurse. Her father had heard horror stories of nurses being treated poorly and having to scrub floors and the like. So he took it upon himself to enroll mum at the Glasgow Commercial College so she could have a more respectable career as an office worker. Mum didn’t want to go to secretarial college but she completed her training and began her first job in the payroll department of the railway when she was 17. She didn’t like office work because she said she “wasn’t much good with shorthand and typing”. One day on her lunch break as she was walking down Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, on an impulse she entered an employment office and applied for nursing training at the Victorian Infirmary Hospital. The Victorian Infirmary was thought to be a very up to date training hospital in its day and after being accepted she had to wait about a year to begin. Once she had experience as a nurse, she decided to take an additional year of training to become a midwife. It was the work of caring for pregnant mothers and delivering their babies that was so close to her heart. I always thought when I watched “Call the Midwife”, I could visualize what mum might have looked like as she made her rounds on her bicycle to see her patients. I recommended the show to mum thinking she would like it, but she told me that she had seen and done all that in real life, and she didn’t need to watch it on TV.
Mum’s father became ill in his mid-fifties, spending time in a convalescent home and was admitted to hospital for cardiac concerns. Sadly, just before mum wrote her nursing finals, he passed away at the age of 57. She suspected the long hours and stress of work during the war, combined with heart disease resulted in him dying so young.
After some time working as a midwife, mum and two of her nursing friends, Isabel and May, applied to come to work in Canada. She said that it was just something Scottish nurses did at the time, they looked for opportunities to work and travel in Canada, Australia or on a cruise ship. One of her friends had relatives in Toronto who sponsored the three nurses who had intentions of staying for 2 or 3 years. After six months of living in Toronto and not really loving it there, they decided to move west to Calgary. Mum and her friends found work at the Calgary General, rented an apartment and enjoyed the very friendly and fun city of Calgary. They made many trips to the mountains, and she told a story about a ski trip to Banff where she fell and slid into a man in front of her and carried them both flying down the hill. I think I must get my skiing skills from my mother.
While they were in Calgary, mum and a few of her friends decided it would be fun to have a friendly hitchhiking competition to see who could make it to Alaska first. I once teased her that she had competed in her own “Amazing Race Canada”. As we were going through her things we found a little notebook where she had documented her trip, including how many miles they had traveled each day, the money she spent on food and hotels, little stories about each place along the way, and how much it rained. It sounded as though it rained a lot! One of her hitchhiking stories was how she and her friend hailed a ride in the pouring rain and climbed into the back seat of a car that belonged to a couple of very rough looking lumberjacks. After driving away they realized that there were two big axes by their feet. They envisioned the worst for a few anxious minutes, but it turned out the lumberjacks were friendlier than they looked and when they dropped them off they made sure to arrange their next ride. Mum and her friends managed to make it safely to Alaska in the end, and I’m sorry I don’t know who won the race!
Before leaving for Canada, Auntie Lizzie (Remember her? She’s an important part of their story) made mum promise that she would visit her “sister Chris on the prairies”. Mum agreed and tried to schedule a visit so either Isabel or May could go with her, but because of their different shifts it never worked out. Mum said she finally worked up her courage, wrote to Lizzie’s sister to let her know she was coming, and made her way to Consort for a weekend. The bus rolled into the small village about 11:30 p.m. on a Friday night, after stopping at every little town along the way. Mum said when she looked out the bus window, she saw a guy standing there who was the double of Auntie Lizzie’s brothers in Scotland so she knew he was there to meet her. This was the first time she met our dad, George Tainsh, who was so shy he barely spoke to her. She said the first thing she noticed about him though were his beautiful, bright blue eyes. Shortly afterwards, she saw a little lady rushing across main street and she knew this must be Auntie Lizzie’s sister Chris because she also bore such a strong resemblance to her mother back in Scotland. Mum said that even from this first meeting, it was as though she was walking into a family she already knew.
After that weekend, George’s sister Isabel tried her hand at matchmaking without realizing that the two new lovebirds were doing just fine on their own. Mum said that on a few occasions, she would look up from the main desk at the hospital in Calgary to see George and his older brother Jack standing there smiling at her. They drove a delivery truck and just “happened’ to be in town I guess. Mum described her visits to Consort and getting to know the Tainsh clan. Being an only child mum said it was a bit of a shock and an adjustment at first because they were such a big family and had a tendency to be pretty loud when they were all together.
After mum and dad were engaged, they bought a lot in Consort, purchased a home package from Nelson Homes in Edmonton for $15,000, and while dad built the house she headed back to Scotland for six weeks to pack her trunk and prepare to move permanently to Canada. Mum told me that it was the most difficult decision she ever had to make, leaving Scotland and her widowed mother behind. She remembered my granny encouraging her and telling her not to worry as she had lived her life and she wanted mum to live her’s. As it turned out, granny made 13 trips to Canada either by boat or plane, sometimes staying for as long as six months before moving here when she was 89 years old. Granny lived with mum and dad in Consort until passing away when she was 95.
Mum and dad were married on October 11, 1963. Andrew George was born in 1965, followed by Donald John in 1966 who sadly lived for only 48 hours, then Alison Margaret in 1967, and Moira Christine in 1969 who they also lost as a two day old infant.
Andrew and I were very blessed to grow up in a very happy, loving home. Mum was employed part-time as a nurse at Consort Hospital while dad worked as an operator and then foreman at the gas plant south of town. As a family we enjoyed camping, traveling every summer to Waskesiu, Cypress Hills, B.C., and various campsites in the mountains. Mum was super organized and Andrew and I both had our own checklist of tasks that we were assigned for the set up and take down of the campsite.
Mum and dad were married at an age that was considered “late” for the early 1960’s. As an “older mum” she had high expectations and could be strict, but she was also hip and fun. I remember for my 10th birthday party while I was at school, she was recording the Bay City Rollers from a record to a cassette tape. She had the music blaring to get a good recording and in the middle of it all, my friend’s dad appeared unexpectedly on the doorstep with my birthday present (our superintendent of schools nonetheless). I remember her laughing about it and telling me he must have thought she was absolutely nuts because she raced out the door before he could ring the doorbell so he wouldn’t ruin her recording.
One of my vivid memories of mum when I was a little girl was being pulled through the snow in a sleigh all bundled up beside Andrew. Mum never got her driver’s license and Dad built her a box-type sled that she could use to take us for walks or downtown for groceries in the winter. Mum loved to bake and there were always several tins of cookies in the cupboard. We had a large garden and in late summer mum was busy preserving fruit, pickling, and making jams and jellies. Since we lived in town, we went home every day for lunch. If mum wasn’t working at the hospital, she would make us the best lunches. I could always tell what we’d be eating by the smells drifting up the back alley like fresh baked buns, soup, pancakes or if we were really lucky a Kraft pizza. Dad hated the smell of oregano so pizza was always a treat when he was at work. When she wasn’t busy around the house you could find mum with a ball of yarn, knitting or crocheting. When I was little, she sewed many of my clothes and also outfitted my barbie dolls.
At an early age mum instilled the love of reading into both Andrew and I. She read to us every day and took us to the library regularly to pick our own books. We had a set of Childcraft Encyclopedias and mum would read to us from all the different volumes. She always had a book of her own on the go, sometimes more than one. She also loved to re-read books by her favorite authors like Georgette Heyer, Ngaio Marsh, Ellis Peters or Louise Penny. We had boxes of old photographs and she would go through them with us beside her on the couch telling us the stories of our ancestors or the people in the photographs.
Mum had a habit of spontaneously reciting poetry, Shakespeare, random sayings or would break into a song if a memory or situation triggered it. She told stories so often at times, I remember as a teenager rolling my eyes or thinking to myself “if I have to hear about this one more time…” It didn’t stop her though and as I got older I marveled at how amazing her memory was.
Mum welcomed Kent Lessard into our family in 1992. I admit she pretty much planned the entire wedding while I was teaching in Edmonton. I still have the notebook that she kept with detailed menus and meal plans and to-do lists. She was so thrilled when Brenda Bagnall became her daughter-in-law in 1998. She was a devoted granny to Katrina, Mathieu, Ethan, Ian, Emma, and Craig who all love her dearly. Family was important to mum and she and dad made frequent trips to Morinville or Red Deer to see their grandchildren. She often commented how lucky she felt to be surrounded by her loving, although sometimes loud and boisterous family. She was known to join in on some family dance parties in the kitchen with her grandchildren’s music blaring while we cleaned up after Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners.
Mum and dad were very involved in the community of Consort, the United Church, and mum was a long time member of the UCW. She made the decision to retire from the hospital in her late fifties and I remember she would get calls from time to time asking if she would go over to deliver a baby. Once a woman who was in labor rang the doorbell asking mum if she would reconsider her retirement. Mum kindly refused and sent her on her way to the hospital. After retiring from nursing she worked as part of the housekeeping staff at the Consort Lodge for several years; she liked the work and the opportunity to stay busy.
When mum and dad were both fully retired they continued to enjoy camping with their close friends, traveled on a cruise to Mexico, and went on a variety of bus tours.
After dad passed away in 2013, mum made the difficult decision to sell the house he had built and moved into the Consort Lodge. In 2017 she left the community she had lived in for over 50 years and moved to St. Albert. I loved having her so close by and I would often pick her up on a Friday on my way home from work and she would spend weekends with us.
Mum was a consummate oral historian, through her words she wove together the fabric of our lives and made sure we knew how we were connected to the people who came before us. She was the keeper of our family trees. She was also rooted in the present and kept up on current events voicing her opinions about certain politicians and news around the world. She was still emailing me on her tablet just a few weeks ago from the hospital and commenting on what someone had posted on Facebook.
Mum was kind, warm, generous, and loving not just to her immediate family, but to her in-laws, many nieces and nephews, and her friends. She made a point of keeping her connection to Scotland, staying in touch with her cousin Margaret and her friends, many of whom were just like family to her.
Mum’s Dr. called me when he learned of her passing last week. He always took the time to chat with her and listen to her stories. He told me that caring for her had been a privilege and that she was “one of a kind”. I thought that was a very accurate description of her. As a family we are so grateful to have had her with us until she was just a few weeks shy of her 92nd birthday. She was a huge presence in our lives and she will be dearly missed,

Thank you
As a family we would like to thank our relatives and friends for the love and sympathy we have received on behalf of Mary’s passing. Thank you also for the cards and charitable donations that we have received in her name.
A donation can be made in Mary’s memory to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the Camrose Women’s Shelter.
Andrew and Brenda
Tainsh and Family
Alison and Kent
Lessard and Family

Robert Lee Howe
Oct. 24, 1954 – Sept. 22, 2022

Robert Lee Howe, 67 of Drumheller, Alberta, passed away on September 22, 2022 in Drumheller.
Lee was born in Castor to Stan and Doris Howe on October 24, 1954. He did his schooling in Consort and went on to earn a degree in business from NAIT. He worked with one financial institute but found it hard loaning money at a very high interest rate to families knowing full well this family was always going to be in debt. He returned home to Consort and soon found himself working for Dome Petroleum, his first oil and gas company. Through his many years of the oil/gas industry he was employed by Amoco, Gulf, Conoco Phillips, Crestar, Cenovous. He was involved in the construction of the Majorville plant.
Lee is survived by his loving family, wife Brenda of 32 years; daughter Sierra (Matthew); son Colton; grandchildren Adaline and Blake; sister Glenna Mack; brothers James (Marline), Gord (Lianne); sister-in-law Karen; other family and dear friends. Lee is predeceased by his parents Stan and Doris Howe, brothers Earl and Russell, brother-in-law Larry Mack.
A graveside service was held at the Castor Cemetery, Castor, Alberta on Friday, October 7, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. followed by a light lunch and refreshments at the Knox United Church, Castor, Alberta (5101-49 Street).

Mike Deleff
Jan. 7, 1981 – Nov. 10, 2022

It is with great sadness and disbelief that we announce the sudden passing of Micheal Sheldon Deleff at his home on the family farm east of Consort, Alberta on November 10, 2022.
Mike (as he preferred to be called) was born January 7, 1981, in the Consort hospital; he was the third son for James and Lynn Deleff.Mike was born with a debilitating disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bones) which he struggled with all his life. The pain and stress were unbearable, he was tougher than anyone I know for all he went through.
He had a lifelong passion for horses that started at an early age. Later, with experience from some friends and watching videos, he bought his first horses and took great pride in training them. His constant companions were his two dogs, Hank and Pup, who were there with him until the end.
He loved working with cattle, calving time was special to him, whether it was helping with a calving problem or getting a newborn calf mothered up. He trained Hank to help move and work with cattle, a job they both loved to do.
When something needed to be welded or fixed, Mike was always eager to help. He especially liked to drive the cutter at silage time. Hunting was another passion of his and he was so proud when he got one of the biggest bucks in the area that year.
As time passed it got harder for Mike with all the injuries he sustained and with every injury he was left more debilitated. When he felt good, he would try to help as best he could. The last few years were the worst dealing with a broken leg, numerous surgeries, lengthy hospital stays, and battling ongoing infection.
Mike loved kids and when Kaiden joined our family, he became the shining light Mike needed.
Kaiden was Mike’s shadow, everywhere Mike was, Kaiden was. When Kaiden got sick with cancer, it broke Mike’s heart. I remember when Kaiden came home from the hospital, his priority was to see Mike. He wanted to stay overnight with Mike because in his words he “had to look after Mike, because someone had to”. I told him they could look after each other.
Mike is survived by his parents James and Lynn Deleff, his brothers, Rob (Beverlee) and their children, Brooke, Ashley, and Rylan; Jesse (Lyndsay) and daughter, Kerstin; his friend of 4 years, Sara and numerous relatives and friends.
He was predeceased by his brothers, Ken and Brad; grandparents, Harry and Jean Deleff, Eileen Kelts, and Doug and Dorothy Kelts; cousin, Jeannette Fawcett-Weir.

Jerry Hager
June 2, 1931 – Nov. 20, 2022

It is with great sadness that the family of Jerry Hager announce his passing on November 20, 2022 at the age of 91 years.
Left to cherish Jerry’s memory are his wife, Katherine (Kay) Lesmeister, his ten children: Barry (Joyce)Hager, Julie Stemmann, Trish (Jim) Hirsekorn, Dan (Michele) Hager, Eve (Dave) Lantz, Rose (Dan) Cowan, Rita Hager (Jerry Edwards), Bonnie (Bernie) Cook, Laurie (Darby) Gagnon, Trina (Mike) Kobley, numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, his sister Caroline Knapik, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by Kay’s children: Linda (Bob) Crockford, Marlene Conibear, Janet Wiebe, Laurie Lesmeister, their children and grandchildren. Jerry was predeceased by his first wife Mary Herlein, son Kelly, son-in-law Dieter Stemmann, great granddaughter Lauren Stemmann, siblings Edward, Albert, Pete, Nick, Kay Read, his parents, Michael & Marianna, and Kay’s son Clint and son-in-law Jim Coniber.
Jerry was born at the family home above the store on June 2, 1931 at Compeer, Alberta. He was the youngest of six children. He started school in Compeer and completed his education in Edmonton. He worked at the family store, garage, on the farm, and was an owner/ operator of various businesses. One of his most gratifying accomplishments was the starting of the engine for the power plant in Compeer. He also indentured in the electrical trade at the age of 45.
Jerry married Maria Herlein on July 10, 1951 in Compeer, and together, they raised eleven children, ran the general store, and farmed until they retired to Medicine Hat in 1981. He was an avid carpenter and electrician, actively involved with the church and community, and was instrumental in building the Compeer Arena and the addition to the Community Hall. Jerry generously volunteered his time and talents to family, friends and the community. He was a sports enthusiast who enjoyed hockey, baseball, curling, golfing, playing cards, music and dancing, as well as being “king” of the remote.
Jerry was a jack of all trades and known as “Papa Saw” by his children, and each have been blessed with
a treasured legacy of craftmanship and love.
Retirement days in Medicine Hat were never dull. Jerry continued with helping on the farm, renovations, carpentry work, and also enjoyed travelling with his siblings.
He married Kay in 2001 and together they shared their love and companionship with their extended families, friends and all who were dear to them. Despite his deteriorating health, Dad maintained his sense of humour, and often had the staff at the Wellington smiling. When they would ask “How are you feeling today Jerry”, Dad would simply reply “With my fingers”, a joke he shared with his sisters.
Dad will be sadly missed, lovingly remembered, and etched in our hearts forever and always.
The family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the staff at the Wellington and St. Joseph’s
Hospice for their kindness, care and compassion Dad received during his stay.
Tributes in memory of Jerry may be made to St. Joseph’s Carmel Hospice or Charity of Choice.
Vigil Prayers will be recited at Cook Southland Funeral Chapel, 901 – 13 Street S.W., Medicine Hat on Sunday, November 27, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Anyone who is not able to attend but wishes to be a part of the Vigil Prayer service can visit http://www.cooksouthland.com and select the view broadcast button on the home page at service time. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Family Parish, 1451 Strachan Road S.E., Medicine Hat on Monday, November 28, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. with Father Naveed Arif celebrant. Those wishing to join the family virtually and experience the Funeral Mass via live-stream are invited to watch by connecting to YouTube and searching: Medicine Hat Holy Family Church and selecting the video link.

Irene Kelts
Nov. 22, 1934 – Nov. 21, 2022

After ten years of residency at the Consort Health and Care Centre, Irene Kelts entered into the presence of her God, arriving at her heavenly home. She left this world on November 21, 2022, one day short of her 88th birthday and 67th wedding anniversary.
Irene Patricia Kelts was born November 22, 1934 to Martin and Mary Kurek (nee Wiechnik) on their farm near Sedalia, Alberta. She along with her sisters walked 3 ½ miles to attend Shannon Heights School.
The family moved from the Sedalia area in the fall of 1943, after purchasing the Frank Morris farm, southwest of Consort. The following spring of 1944, Martin suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving his widow Mary and children to continue on without him.
Hardships and heartache followed but they persevered. The “love of a mother who was always there,” a large garden, home raised poultry, meat, eggs and milk provided an abundant supply of delicious homecooked meals.
Irene attended boarding school for one year at Castor Theresetta. She loved learning and spoke fondly of her experience there. She especially enjoyed the religious instruction taught by the nuns. From this period in her life, a strong faith was nurtured and deeply rooted. As long as she was able, she was an active member of the Catholic Church and choir.
For a few summers, she was hired on as a telephone operator at the local switch board in Consort. She was employed cooking at the Consort Hospital for 3 years. Dr. Knight would call down “if Irene’s making her chicken soup, save me a bowl.”
A double date initiated by Arley and Rosemary sparked a 5 year romance between Irene and Bud Kelts. They married on Irene’s 21st birthday, 1955 in Stettler, Alberta.
The young couple settled into married life on the Marion Kelts farm, ½ mile north of Consort. Ten months later, they welcomed their first born, William. Kathleen, Maureen and Joan completed the family.
Early years were happy and action packed with farm life, raising a young family and sporting events. Irene was an ENTHUSIASTIC fan (to say the least). She loved to follow Bud’s ball and hockey, meeting many dear friends along the way. Every Christmas she was faithful with her cards and letters displaying her beautiful penmanship. She had a genuine interest in people and loved to visit, often striking up conversations with complete strangers.
A group of American hunters drove in the yard one day and became lifelong friends.
The door to Irene’s farm home revolved with people coming and going. Mouthwatering aromas tantalized one’s senses upon entering. The long counters in her country kitchen were lined with fresh buns, cinnamon rolls and baking. Many a delicious meal was enjoyed at her large kitchen table.
She loved her house, “nice and clean.”
As a wife and mother she was selfless, loving, supportive and defensive.
Her infectious laugh and sense of humor, accompanied by theatrical expression, enriched the lives of those around her. She was compassionate, thoughtful and caring, having a close relationship with her mother. Close knit with her siblings, (Amelia, Jennie, Marie and Felix) the family gatherings in the Kelts kitchen were entertaining, loud with laughter and chatter. And…least we forget her patriotic side, a very proud Canadian whom loved RED, RED, RED. And, her love of music and singing. Anytime, anywhere.
June 29, 1969, Irene suffered a stroke. Comatose, she was transferred to the U of A hospital in Edmonton. She remained there for 9 months. These times were very difficult and challenging as Irene suffered life changing deficits from the cerebral accident.
Family and friends rallied with tremendous support and walked alongside helping carry Bud and the children through the initial crisis. Irene often commented how, “blessed she was to have had such wonderful friends and family and a husband who stayed with her through it all.”
On their 40th wedding anniversary, Bud gifted Irene with a beautiful ring with four diamonds, representative of each of their children. He presented it to her expressing, “I loved you so much that I would do it all over again for those few good years we had together.”
Irene was determined, with a lot of fight, as she persevered through yet another struggle, battling Cancer. Her family rejoiced over her survival but were devastated to lose their only son and brother to the same disease in December, 2006, along with son in law Dave in 2011.
However, Irene had chosen a man of strong character with fine qualities. Their lives together were a stellar example of commitment, of honoring vows, love and support.
Predeceased by her son William; son in law David Gould; parents Martin and Mary Kurek; stepfather Andrew Kunderavich; sister Amelia Schooler; brother in law Clay Schooler; sister Jennie Bruha; brother in law Frank Bruha; brother Felix Kurek; brother in law Richard Scheffelmaier; father and mother in law Marion and Ethel Kelts; sister in law Viola Schooler and brother in law Loyal Schooler; brother in law Donald Kelts and sister in law Helen Kelts; brother in law Lester Isaman; sister in law Jean Deagle and brother in law Ted Deagle; brother in law Bob Hobbs; sister in law Rosemary Kelts and sister in law Avonne Kelts; Irene is survived by her faithful and loving husband Bud; daughters Kathleen (Ken) Grover, Maureen Gould (Randy Hayworth), Joan (Keith) Wittmack; daughter in law Margaret Kelts; special caregiver Lanie Dayag; numerous grandchildren; great grandchildren; sister Marie Scheffelmaier; sister in law Linda Kurek; brother in law Pat Wiese; sister in law Muriel Isaman; sister in law Lorna (Gil) Roth; sister in law Eileen Hobbs; brother in law Arley Kelts; along with many nieces, nephews and dear friends.
Memorial donations in honor of Irene can be made to Consort Hospital Auxiiary, c/o Box 276, Consort, Alberta, T0C 1B0.
Arrangements in care of Parkview Funeral Chapels.

Dear Irene:
Just a few words to say I love you and always will and to thank you for choosing me as a life mate. You are still building your legacy with three lovely and talented daughters, such a blessing to have these girls. I feel you have raised them to be just like you would want them to be. We will think of you everyday we live. Thank you very much.
All my love
Bud

Mom:
Love never dies, you will forever be in our hearts and an integral part of us. We are relieved you have been released from the entrapment of your handicaps. See you on the other side.

Card of Thanks
Our most heartfelt thanks to everyone who sent kind words and condolences in texts, emails, cards and phone calls. Also for food brought to our homes.
Thank you to those who remained faithful in visiting Irene. Your friendship meant the world to her and to us.
Thank you to the doctors, nurses and to all the staff at the Consort Long Term Care Centre for your kindness, patience, and wonderful care Irene received for the past 10 years.
Thank you to Dean and staff at Parkview Funeral Chapels for your professional and kind assistance in Irene’s final arrangements.
Bud & girls

Wayne Clyde Boyd
Sept. 29, 1928 – Nov. 24, 2022

Wayne was born in Neutral Hills, Alberta on September 29, 1928 to Clyde and Audrey Boyd. He passed away November 24, 2022 at the age of 94.
The youngest of 4, he grew up on the family farm. He met and married Patricia Doherty and in 1958 they moved to Calgary where Wayne took a mechanics course. In the mid 1960’s he started City Wide Towing with 2 trucks. He sold the business in 1979 with 31 trucks and to this date City Wide is still a thriving business in Calgary. At this time, Pat and Wayne moved to Mara Lake, BC where they bought Mara Resort and Marina. They stayed there until 1989 when they moved to Eagle Bay where Wayne started his handyman business. In 1997 they moved to Salmon Arm where Wayne finally retired.
Wayne loved to hunt and fish and was an avid musician and played all string instruments. He also enjoyed his rum and coke on the deck after supper.
Wayne is survived by his wife Pat, his 4 children: Patrick (Dawn) Boyd of Saskatchewan, Robin (Laurie) Boyd of Calgary, Stacy (Jim) Green of Salmon Arm and Kurt Boyd of Salmon Arm and by 2 grandchildren: Brandon (Alexandra), and Madelyn.
Thank you to Dr. James Levins and the staff at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Salmon Arm SPCA.
Share condolences and memories of Wayne through his obituary at www.fischersfuneralservices.com

John Thomas Nelson
Sept. 14, 1968 – Nov. 26, 2022

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce the passing of John (Johnnie) Thomas Nelson. He passed away at the Coronation Hospital on Saturday, November 26, 2022, at the age of 54 years.
Johnnie was born in Castor, Alberta on September 14, 1968, to Sophie and Tom Nelson. He was raised on the family farm south of Coronation with his two brothers, Ronnie, David and sister Debbie. The family took many ski trips to the mountains and always had season passes at the Valley Ski Club in Alliance. Even in his 50’s he was the fastest skier down the hill. Leaving his 20 something kids in the dust. Summers were spent camping, boating and waterskiing with family and friends. The camping trips continued for his whole life and were some of his favorite memories with his closest friends. When Johnnie was 14, he set a local record in the Terry Fox Run, completing the 10km run in 36 minutes. He held that record for many years. John completed all his schooling in Coronation where he excelled academically. Johnnie played minor and senior hockey, where he skated alongside his brother Ronnie. His hockey career came to a sudden end when he was playing at the Veteran Rink and broke his right tibia and ankle just before Christmas 2010. Johnnie was also an avid curler and participated in many bonspiels and men’s curling leagues. Johnnie and Tracy loved golfing and enjoyed a summer at Hardisty golfing and entertaining as much as they could. When Johnnie wasn’t playing a sport, he was on the farm.
In 1987 Johnnie and Ronnie moved out to the farm south of Veteran that their grandpa Gunnar Nelson homesteaded. There are acres to seed and pastureland for his beloved cows. Johnnie was proud of his herd and how quiet they were. Market time was a special time, and he was always proud of the calves he brought to market. He enjoyed sharing this passion of farming with his son Zane whom he welcomed in 1994, with his first wife Karen Garstad. Four years later Emma Rae was born, and John always said he found her name on the wall of the Red Deer Hospital and fell in love with it. They raised the kids on the farm until their separation.
In 2003 he met his soulmate and future wife, Tracy Brace and her daughter Taylor. They purchased the acreage with the log house and began farming together in 2004. They were married in 2007 in St. Thomas, USVI at St. Magens Bay on a Caribbean cruise. They shared many other special vacations together with their children and friends.
Johnnie became a Papa to three beautiful, busy boys in 2018 and 2021. He was so proud to show his grandsons the farm, especially the cows. The kids always looked forward to a ranger ride out to the field. His legacy at the farm will be carried on by Zane and his three grandsons and any other future grandkids to come.
He worked for Special Areas on the road crew and loved operating heavy equipment. He helped build some roads around the Areas and always liked to point them out. In 1998 he started working at the gas plant south of Consort now called Tamarack Valley Energy where he worked until he was recently hospitalized. He was always telling the doctors that he needed to go back to work asap. He made many friends among his coworkers and was well respected. He did take a few years off at the Consort gas plant to go work up north of Peace River for Invasion Energy. He enjoyed flying in and out and the helicopter pipeline checks.
Everyone who knew Johnnie knew his love for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. For his 40th birthday he went to his first home game at Taylor Field in Regina, he continued to attend other Rider games with family and friends. His cousin Mike fondly remembers watching the vhs tape of the Rider Grey Cup win of 1989 after every Grey Cup for many years. Johnnie also had an obsession with hats and was always coming home with a new one, almost weekly.
Johnnie leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife Tracy, his children Zane (Miranda) Nelson, Emma (James) Anderson and stepdaughter Taylor (Mitch) Gillespie; his 3 beautiful grandsons, Bennett, Cohen and Barrett; his mom and dad Tom and Sophie Nelson; his brother Ronnie (Dina) Nelson and their children Jaron and Jace; his sister Debbie (Dave) Wales and their children Ryan (Alyssa), Cody and Hailey; his mother in law Rita Brace and sister in Law Tamara (Dustin) Jones and their children Hunter (Tiahna Blaquiere), Chase, Ryeanna and Gage and sister in law Denise (Mike) Vossler and their daughter Hayley. He also leaves behind many other relatives and close friends.
He was predeceased by his loving younger brother David Eric Nelson, his grandfather Gunnar Nelson, grandmother Lillian Nelson, grandfather Lars Ekrol, grandmother Olivia Ekrol and father in law Leonard Brace.
At this time there will be no funeral service, but a celebration of his life will be held at the farm later this spring.
In lieu of flowers please consider donations to the Coronation Home Away From Home rooms, Veteran Fire Department or STARS Air Ambulance. The family will be making a donation to the Coronation Home Away From Home rooms in lieu of sending thank you cards for all the care packages and flowers.
We would also like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers through Johnnie’s illness and now during this difficult time.
A special thanks to the Coronation Hospital Nursing staff and for their loving care of Johnnie. Thank you to Dr. Hassan Al-Khafaji in Coronation for quickly getting him the care he needed when he first went to the hospital and the doctors and nurses in Medicine Hat Hospital and University Hospital in Edmonton.
Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium of Coronation were entrusted with the care and arrangements.

Aslaug Holmes (Stordalsvold)
May 5, 1923 – December 18, 2022

Born May 05, 1923, Meraker, Norway
– December 18, 2022, 99 Years of Age
Peacefully on December 18, 2022, Aslaug passed away surrounded by family at the Harmony Care Cottage, Red Deer, Alberta.
Survived by her son Kenneth (Yvonne), Grandson Dallas (Anna) and numerous nieces and nephews in Alberta, Norway and Sweden.
Aslaug was predeceased by her husband F.H. (Bill) Holmes; her parents: Albert and Signe; her brothers: Leif, Nils, Otto, Svend, Ole and Adolf and her sister Mary.
Aslaug came to Canada in 1949 with her two brothers Ole and Otto and mother Signe, following her father Albert and brother Leif who established a homestead in Violet Grove, Alberta in 1946.
Aslaug married Bill and moved to Consort in 1955 until their retirement in 1984, spending their winters in Arizona and summers in Red Deer.
Aslaug was a loving mother and a friend to many; she will be missed by all.
In lieu of cards and flowers, please donate to a charity of your choosing.
The family is sincerely grateful to the staff of Harmony Care Cottage for their care over the past 4 years.