2023 Obituaries

Catherine Wiechnik
Feb. 8, 1923 – Jan. 20, 2023

Catherine Wiechnik was born February 8, 1923, near Elk Point, Alberta and passed away January 20, 2023 at Coronation, Alberta.
Left to cherish Catherine’s memory are her loving family, son Jim and his wife Patricia and family: Kristy and Blaine Brigley and children Everly, Calla and Aria; Stephanie and Jon Crabb and children Reid and Noa; Danica and Trevor Deagle and children Noelle, Davyn and Quinton; Mark Wiechnik; daughter Brenda and her husband Rick Deleff and family: Nick and Danielle Deleff and children Rachel and Gavin; Megan and Jackson Beynon and children Charlotte and Amelia; Jonathan Deleff.
Catherine was predeceased by her husband Edward, sons Donnie and Robby, daughter Betty, granddaughter Amy, siblings: Marie, Jessie, Leila, Nancy, Pauline, John, Mike, George.

Eulogy
by Brenda Deleff and
Jim Wiechnik
Our mother Catherine was born February 08, 1923, near Elk Point. She was the eighth of nine children born to Nick and Anna Stetsko, who had immigrated from the Ukraine. It is difficult to summarize in a few sentences a life that spanned nearly 100 years as she had a full life. She experienced hardship, heartache, and hard work but also many joys and happy times. She encountered several tragedies in her lifetime but always faced them with courage, acceptance, and a resolve to carry on.
Life on a homestead in the 1920s and 30s meant a lot of hard work and some lean times, but all the kids helped with gardening and hunting for food. However, Catherine and her siblings did not consider themselves poor and would say “we were just like everybody else”. I guess they were just rich in other ways. These times instilled in her a sense of thrift and resourcefulness which served her well throughout her life. She was the original recycler and never threw out anything that may have a future useful purpose. Catherine had a strong lifelong bond with all her siblings and even as they grew up and moved far apart, they managed to stay close and get together for special occasions and what celebrations they were! The first Stetsko family reunion in 1978 with her grandfather’s descendants numbered over 600. There was no shortage of food, especially the Ukrainian dishes of their childhood. Catherine started school at the same time as her sister Pauline who was only one year older. Ukrainian was their first language, but it was forbidden at school. One day in the excitement of playing a recess game she shouted out in Ukrainian “here they come” and was immediately stricken with fear that she would get the strap next day when her usual teacher returned from sick leave. After a sleepless night the day went by, and it appeared that the older student who had replaced the teacher must have “forgotten” to relate the incident. She soon learned English and excelled in her schoolwork. At 99, she could still recite long poems that she had learned as a child. Her father passed away when she was 13 and she took a job with a family to allow her to finish her grade 9 education. She juggled household chores, milking cows and looking after the children then literally running to school to get there in time. She sometimes missed school to stay back if a child was sick. She passed her grade 9 exams but was denied a certificate because she had missed too many days of school. Her lack of formal education never held her back. She was always well read and well informed on a variety of subjects and could do almost anything, she put her mind to.
Catherine met Ed Wiechnik from Monitor who along with his brother Joe, had rented a farm in the Elk Point area. Ed and Catherine were married in 1940 and returned to the Monitor area where they purchased the Tom Partridge farm. It was quite an adjustment for her to come from the wooded area around Elk Point to the treeless prairie. They started their life with virtually nothing, but Catherine worked alongside Ed to eventually establish a successful farming operation that Jim has now taken over. In the early days, Ed would run the binder and she would stook, but her allergies were getting the best of her, so she offered to switch jobs with Ed. “Do you think you can?” he asked. The word “can’t” didn’t exist for Catherine, she only asked herself “how” can I do this and of course she ran the binder. The trusty Ford 8N tractor was her go-to, whether moving or checking cows, tilling the garden, or raking hay. Catherine grew a large garden, picked wild saskatoons, chokecherries, and raspberries, raised chickens and other farm animals and was a pretty good shot bringing down wild game. Money made from selling eggs and chickens was used to buy the first heifer that was the beginning of the current herd. Despite her never having a driver’s license, she taught us all how to drive! Catherine was an accomplished sewer and made clothes for her family. Their first child Donnie was born in 1943, but sadly passed away in 1945. Betty was born in 1947. Children with special needs were not integrated in the school system at that time and Catherine patiently nurtured and taught Betty at home until her teens when she went to live at Deerhome; sadly she passed away in 2009. Jim was born in 1956, Brenda Joan in 1957 and Rob in 1961. In 1960 their home was lost to fire and again in 1966 they lost their home to a propane explosion. After much thought and careful planning, she designed a new home which they had built in 1967. Tragedy struck again in 1977 when we lost Rob. Despite incredible losses she carried on and was delighted with the addition of a son-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandchildren who meant the world to her, she loved kids, and they loved her. Being a grandma was now the most important job in the world and gave her a new reason to be. She excelled at it and taught her grandchildren all she considered important to be better people.
Ed passed away in 1988 and one year later she was ready to leave the farm behind and start the next chapter of her life. At age 65 she got her driver’s license and moved to the town of Consort. We were all fortunate that she was able to buy a house right next to the school. She quickly set her sights on improving her yard and garden until it was picture perfect. She had a fence built, but built her own arbour, and fishpond and designed more flower beds. She added shrubs, trees, perennials, and especially roses. She started flowers and vegetables in her greenhouse for her own yard, but also gave away many plants. She delighted in decorating her house and yard for Christmas and Halloween with her amazing homemade decorations. Catherine won many yard beautification and Christmas decorating contests. In her retirement she was able to enjoy more of her hobbies like cake decorating, sewing, crocheting and crafts, and she took up art after watching a painting show on TV. However, Catherine’s greatest joy in life was looking after her grandchildren. It was a blessing that she lived close enough for the grandkids to walk to her house after school and often she had all seven of them there at the same time. Patricia insists that it is only because of Catherine that she was able to continue her nursing career. Catherine happily chauffeured her grandkids in her Jeep Wagoneer to their sports and activities and beamed with pride in their accomplishments.
When the grandkids were finally grown, Catherine again was ready for another chapter of her life and left her beloved yard behind for a room in the Lodge. She enjoyed the company of old friends, made new friends, and found a special bond with Dina who was the granddaughter of lifelong friends. She joined the rhythm band, enjoyed many outings and crafts, planted flowers, and enjoyed church services and movies. She completed hundreds of jigsaw puzzles by herself and with other residents using a carefully worked out system of sorting. Often there would be one piece short, and she would laughingly accuse Robbie of holding back when she sorted them. What she looked forward to most of all was chair hockey where her competitive spirit came out in full force. Her family apologizes for any injuries that she may have caused during hockey. When activities were shut down and her mobility declined, she turned to Sudoku and crossword puzzles and was an avid reader. She treasured visits with family, especially the grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
Catherine saw a great deal of change in her almost 100 years of life from horse and wagon to jet aircraft and space travel, from cash transactions to bank cards and direct deposit. Farming practices have changed from the days of horses and plows to mega tractors and drills, from tillage to chemical burnoff, summer fallow to continuous cropping, from threshing crews to huge combines, but Catherine was interested to learn of them all.
Catherine was an amazing lady with tremendous character who treated others with kindness and respect and always put others before herself. Throughout her life she spent countless hours volunteering in the communities of Monitor and Consort and was rewarded with a community that loved and respected her in return. Her resilience and ability to adapt to any situation and face each day with positivity in the face of adversity was remarkable. We will miss her.

My Mothers Garden
My mother kept a garden
A garden of the heart.
She planted all the good things
That gave my life its start.
She turned me to the
sunshine
And encouraged me to dream.
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self-esteem.
And when the winds and rains came,
She protected me enough –
But not too much – she knew I’d need
To stand up strong and tough.
Her constant good example
Always taught me right from wrong –
Markers for my pathway
That will last a lifetime long.
I am my mother’s garden.
I am her legacy –
And I hope today she feels
the love
reflected back from me.

Words of Remembrance
by Dina Nelson
I was honoured when I was asked to write about Catherine’s life at the Consort Lodge!
Catherine was game to participate in every activity there was. I admired her adventurous side. For a lady who has endured as much as Catherine had in one lifetime, you would never know it by the positive attitude and smile on her face. From day one, and I mean from day one of my time at the lodge, Catherine was always waiting for me to arrive so that we could get the day started.
Catherine loved her crafts and we all loved to see what she would come up with as she had a great imagination. As time went on arthritis in her hands tried to stop her from jewellery making, painting, scrapbooking or even helping with the Christmas centrepieces. I decided one day that I needed to try something and find a way to help her out. I started to do manicures and I found a pain relief lotion that I would also give them a hand massage with. This seemed to help, and Catherine then would be able to participate in the crafts she ever so loved to do. She would tell everyone how it made her hands feel better so that even the men started to come for a hand massage. If she was having an off day, Catherine still came and visited with us in the activity room.
One of my favorite times was when we had show and tell. Catherine would bring pictures of her grandkids, great grandkids and her beautiful yard full of amazing flowers. Catherine had an unconditional love for both, her family and her garden. As soon as there was a new baby, she couldn’t wait to share the wonderful news with me. Catherine knew that I loved babies, and I would want to hold the new little one when they came to visit. One time we were going on a bus trip to the stone house, and I was given directions that at one point did not make sense, so I decided to stop for directions. I pulled the bus into a farmyard and got out to head to the house. To my surprise a lady I worked with who was on mat leave opened the door. As I was getting directions, I of course had to hold the little one and asked if I could take her to show all the residents. When I got back to the bus Catherine said to me, “Now Dina, I know you like babies, but you just can’t go and take just anyone’s baby.” After I explained everyone had to have a chat with the wee one. Every year Catherine would be out back with me planting and tending to the garden boxes. I learned a lot from her and every time I plant a rose bush, I think of her and pray that it grows as big as hers did. Catherine loved pink roses and I do believe she will make sure the ones I plant from now on will be the biggest I have ever had. No one will ever be able to grow vegetables as plentiful and big as Catherine.
Back to Catherine’s adventurous side. One day I took the residents to the Fireside Grill in Czar for lunch before we ventured on to Wainwright for some shopping. Catherine was the only resident that would try something other than beef or buffalo. That day she had an alligator burger. Catherine loved our trips to Wainwright. First, she got to get out of the lodge for a day, second she got to see the countryside and what all the farmers were up to in the fields but most of all because she got to spend the day with Stephanie, one of her granddaughters that lived there.
Hockey was a sport that Catherine loved to play. When I had Global TV come and do a segment on the residents playing hockey, Catherine and a few others were so excited that they were going to be on TV. One of the residents who sat beside Catherine and was quite a bit bigger than her always was ready to steal the puck from her or do something that would land him in the “penalty box”, but Catherine being the tough farm girl she was, not only put him in the penalty box but ended up in there right beside him.
One Christmas we were headed to Oyen to the ‘Night of Bethlehem’ and out of nowhere I see a flash of a deer, I started to slow down but it still decided to hit the bus. I pulled over and made sure everyone was okay. Once I knew everyone was, I started to cry as I knew that it could have ended much worse that it did. Catherine says to me, “Why are you crying? The deer hit you not the other way around and we are all okay. Now are you okay?” Catherine always had a way of seeing the positive in any situation and made others feel better. If you have ever had the opportunity to have a hug from Catherine, you will know exactly what I mean. Her love and compassion for others was felt with every single one of her hugs. When I called the RCMP they asked if we needed an ambulance, before I could ask, and we all know that seniors have a hard time hearing only when they want to, Catherine said “No we do not need an ambulance. We may be seniors, but we know when we are okay.” The 911 operator said that she was not going to argue with that lady.
One thing I always said to my residents when they wanted to try something new but felt they may be too old to do it was, you may be a senior, but you are not too old to do anything you put your mind to. Well, this backfired on me a few times. Once was at one of our many movie nights. Catherine and I always sat beside one another; we called it our date night. I can’t recall the movie we were watching but on came a love scene and there was a bit more shown than I would have liked for them to see so I put my hand over Catherine’s eyes. She turned to me and said, “Now why don’t you want me to see that? I may be old, but I am still young enough to want to look.” What could I say!
Cooking was another passion of Catherine’s. She taught us how to make ribs and sauerkraut one time and it was everything she said it would taste like. When Brenda and I made the cake for the Canada 150th celebration she came and helped make cakes for it in the activity room. She also helped make perogies, pasta, Chinese food, bread and so much more. The secret ingredient she added to anything she made was love and that is why anyone who has tasted anything Catherine has made, knows how delicious it was!
I could go on and on with stories from the lodge and Catherine. I always said that I could write a book about all the shenanigans, fun and things that we did and said at the lodge. I will also write about all the wisdom and life lessons I learned from Catherine.
I am thankful that I got to go and see Catherine in the hospital a couple times before she passed. I climbed on her bed with her and snuggled in and in a second all my worries went away. Like I said, a Hug from Catherine would make everything feel better. Catherine and I facetimed my mom so they could have a visit too. Many of you might not know but Catherine’s and my bond went deeper than the lodge. Her husband Ed and my grandpa were best friends. Catherine has known my family for a very long time, and she has known my mom since she was two. Catherine wasn’t just a resident to me, she was family, she was a friend and an adopted grandma, and I will be forever grateful that we were able to spend the time with one another that we did.

Card of Thanks
The family of Catherine Wiechnik would like to thank Parkview Funeral Home, Rev. OhWang Kwon, Pianist Marilyn Long, Pat and Charlotte Gilmer and Dina Nelson for their part in the lovely tribute to Catherine and to Knox UCW and community who provided lunch after the service. Many thanks to medical, nursing and support staff at Coronation Hospital for their kindness during her stay there. Thanks also to staff of Consort Homecare and Consort Pharmacy for providing care to Catherine and to the staff and residents of Consort Lodge with whom she enjoyed the past 10 years of her life. We are grateful to everyone who sent kind words and condolences to us and to those who brought food to our homes. In lieu of flowers please consider donations in Catherine’s memory to Monitor Cemetery or Consort Lodge.
Jim and Patricia Wiechnik,
Kristy, Stephanie,
Danica, Mark
and families
Brenda and Rick Deleff,
Nick, Megan, Jon
and families

Ron Flanagan
July 9, 1944 – January 17, 2023

Ron passed away peacefully after a noble fight with cancer at his home in Edmonton, leaving to mourn his loss his wife Betty, son Darren, daughter Stacey, stepson Thomas (Valarie), stepdaughter Karoline (John), mother-in-law Muriel, brother Wes (Colleen), sister Karen, brothers- and sisters-in-law and all their families, Ryan & Debbie, and special friends and relatives.
He was predeceased by father Chantry, mother June, and sister Sylvia, brothers-in-law Jim and Tom, and father-in-law Lester.
Ron was born in Saskatchewan, but spent the better part of his life in Alberta. Ron was an avid pool player. He worked at accounting, seismic, and property management.
Cremation has taken place at Simply Cremations. Ron was insistent on not having any services. We will be having a private spreading of his ashes in the spring.

Ruth Aileen Knight
Jan. 28, 1929 – Feb. 2, 2023

Our beloved mother, grandmother and friend to many, Robbie Knight passed away peacefully in the Coronation Hospital on February 2, 2023. At the age of 94, she will be welcomed by many friends and family who have passed before, while being remembered by those of us left behind who have been deeply touched by her zest for life.
Robbie was born Ruth Aileen Robinson on January 28, 1929, in Peace River, Alberta. At the age of eight, her family moved to New Westminster, B.C. She completed her secondary education at Crofton House School in Vancouver and remained a member of the school’s alumnae, even mentoring young students who were tasked with contacting senior alumnae.
Following graduation, Robbie pursued her interest in nursing and graduated from the University of Alberta Hospital in 1950. Her first nursing position was at Sunnybrook Military Hospital in Toronto. That is where she became “Robbie” as protocol dictated that nurses could not be called by their first name, so Robinson became shortened to Robbie.
Following two years in Toronto, Robbie returned to the University of Alberta Hospital where she became head nurse in the Department of Urology. It was there that she met her husband to be, Dr. Charles Knight. She said that she was so overwhelmed when he proposed that she started to hyperventilate and had to hide in a closet breathing into a paper bag to calm down. Robbie and Charlie were married in September 1954 and settled in Consort, Alberta. Small town life dedicated to health care, family and community service became their path. They had two children, Douglas in 1958 and Pamela in 1960. Family holidays included a 2-week annual August fishing trip to Robbie’s dad’s place on Galiano Island. She enjoyed reconnecting with the Robinson family there. Later, Robbie and Charlie took numerous cruises, making stops at ports around the world.
While raising her children, Robbie proudly wore her nursing cap and was a very competent and confident nurse on the ward floor. She also enjoyed working as her husband’s office nurse. Outside of work and family, there was rarely an activity that Robbie did not get involved with. She enjoyed weekly bridge with the ladies (cigarette package and bowl of bridge mixture on each card table), curling leagues and bonspiels, branding at the Cross Bar Ranch, and swimming at Gooseberry Lake and later with Daybreak Dippers in the swimming pool. Robbie also spent many hours on the golf course, playing in her early years and later doing the recycling and donating the proceeds back to the club. She enjoyed hosting gatherings, especially serving her famous chili at the annual Corn Roast at the cabin. As she aged, Robbie kept active by logging many miles walking laps around cruise ships, laps around the Consort arena and finally laps around the lodge.
Robbie relentlessly donated her time to community service. In early years, she taught Sunday School and CGIT. For seven decades she played the organ for the Anglican and Knox United Churches. She was involved early in the Hospital Auxiliary and was instrumental in fundraising for much of the hospital equipment. She loved being involved in the annual play fundraiser. Her dedication to the Auxiliary was recognized with a presentation for 65 years of service. Robbie also helped others when she volunteered with Meals on Wheels and installed Phillips Lifeline phones in seniors’ homes. Pam had to step in and tell her that she should be wearing a lifeline rather than driving 120 km into the countryside to set one up. Robbie was a big promoter of the Red Cross Blood Services donation drive and would rally local farmers and businessmen to donate. For several years, her persistence resulted in Consort having the highest blood donation per capita rate in Alberta. The Terry Fox Foundation became her passion project and Robbie did not miss participating in a walk since its inception in 1981. She coordinated the school and community runs for 40 years, and for her commitment was personally honored by the Fox Family. In recognition of all her community service, Robbie was awarded Volunteer Citizen of the year by the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association in 2009.
While working hard and always giving to others, Robbie faced the great challenge of the disease of alcoholism. She was an inspiration to others as she overcame the disease and was able to go on and help others with their struggles.
Robbie became ‘Nana’ to Pam and Bob’s children, David and Lauren. The kids loved visiting Consort where they could get rides in the wheelbarrow and on the back of Nana’s golf cart. Nana also enjoyed driving to Calgary to spend time with them there, especially during Christmas. She always mentioned how proud she was of her grandchildren and the paths they have chosen to follow.
Recently, Robbie became a regular YouTube user, either to check out funny cat videos or stalk Trump and his activities. She also enjoyed listening to music and fell in love with Bradley Walker’s song “In the Time that You Gave Me.” The lyrics “Did I do all I could in the time that you gave me?” were frequently on her mind. Robbie can be assured that yes, she did all that she could in the many years she had with us, and her positive influence will be long lasting.
Robbie was predeceased by her husband Charles, brother Malcolm and sister Gail. She leaves behind her son Douglas (Brenda), her daughter Pam (Bob) and her grandchildren David (Chelsea) and Lauren (Will), as well as numerous other family and friends.
Funeral services were held on February 11, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at the Consort Knox United Church. In memory of Robbie, the family encourages you to get involved in your community and invites you to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation. Those wishing to leave a message for the Knight family may do so by visiting www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com
Parkview Funeral Chapels were entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Memories of Nana
by Lauren Garnett and
Dave Garnett
Good afternoon, everyone. Before introducing ourselves, I would like to thank everyone in attendance for coming out this afternoon to celebrate the amazing life of my Nana. I am her eldest grandchild Dave, and this is my younger sister Lauren. Growing up Nana had a massive impact on our lives, teaching us from a young age how to properly set the table, make our beds every morning and making sure our socks were folded the right way out. She had a huge heart when it came to her grandchildren and told everyone she knew about our achievements and travels. Never missing the opportunity to tell me I was crazy for driving three hours on a highway to risk my life to go skiing with my wife’s family. When we were young our family would drive up to Consort quite often to help with the house, the gardens or play in the yearly golf tournament. I’ll never forget the times we had up there and the frustrating hours of putting up Christmas lights with my dad, they always had to be in specific order (yellow, green, blue, red). We spent many hours riding on the lawn mower and raking leaves near the windbreak. One time when I was still a troublemaker, I caught a small garter snake in the garden and chased her around the house with it as she shrieked and yelled at me. When we got hungry, she would attempt to make an egg/bread and butter dish, but it was always full of eggshells, so I always called it her eggshell dish and for some reason I always asked her to make it for us when she came down to Calgary. She wasn’t the best cook in the world but always had the ingredient of love. The Consort golf club was where I probably spent most of my time when we were in Consort. It was like our summer vacation when we got to go out there and spend the weekend in the local club championships. When I was very young, I got to ride around on the golf cart with Nana, pick berries off the bushes and watch as my parents hit shot after shot out of the trees. Then I got a bit older and was able to compete. I would be out until dark repeating the 9-hole course whether it was with my parents, or the older boys and Nana was always working in the pro shop sneaking me an orange crush soda, so I was never thirsty. She was everything a boy could want out of a grandma and when I was little, I didn’t understand the impact that this amazing woman had on my life with all her volunteer and fundraising work. I just thought at the time that it was a little weird for her to be driving us kids around in her car to market mall with Terry Fox’s leg right beside us in the backseat. She affected so many lives in a positive way, I will never forget the memories and love she shared with us all.
LAUREN – Coming out to Consort as a child and following up on David’s stories from the Consort golf course, I must admit, I am the only one in the family who isn’t a golfer. But I still have fond memories of going out there with Nana, driving the golf cart, having BBQ meals on the patio, and playing or babysitting the other children while their parents golfed. I also can’t forget “winning” a sports bag full of candy and pop as a prize when I am pretty sure I didn’t even golf in the tournament. However, some of my favourite memories out here were from the amount of time we spent at the Consort pool, often till our stomachs were raw from playing on the floaties with Nana sitting in the bleachers after she had done her laps earlier that morning. Either way, after a day of activities or a day in the garden working, it was always nice to come into her house, and have some of the delicious cookies that she always kept in a bread bag in the kitchen. Growing up we were lucky to have Nana drive down to Calgary so often to visit us. When she was in the city, we would spend numerous hours laying in the spare bedroom watching CSI, Criminal Minds, or Law and Order. I would always get frustrated with her when she would spoil the end of the show all while she would giggle and justify it by saying there was only 15 minutes left and I should have been able to figure it out myself. I loved watching those shows with her, and I believe it had a large impact on why I went on to study Forensic Science at university. When I first moved to university my email communication with Nana started, I am going to read the very first email I received right after moving away that I believe captures her so well: “Hi Squirt!! I have been thinking about you all weekend.!!! Sure hope you got settled in your dorm and figured out what clothes to keep. I am anxious to hear about your dorm mate!! Remember the Serenity Prayer – accept the things, people or situations and maybe change yourself. On Sunday, I had to drive over an hour to a farm near Provost to install a phone. She was 95 and very spry! No cane or walker and taking one pill a day! The car sure shook until I got the speed up to 110. Must have it fixed! Will be busy this week taking Terry’s leg around to the schools. Sure hope the weather holds out but it will mean that the farmers will be in the fields getting their crops off. Can’t win!! Got to get some paperwork done to mail tomorrow. Take care. Love Nana”
We also had great times traveling with Nana, an infamous story in our house originated when she joined us on a trip to Disney. The first day she was a trooper on so many of the rides, even the Tower of Terror in which when a mirror appears in front of all the riders, she pulled out a comb to fix the wave in her hair. Not only that, but when the rest of us went to a different amusement park the following day, she went back to Disney to experience the rides once again. We also got to visit Aruba together as a family where she enjoyed everything from calm naps in the sun by the pool to socializing with other travellers, doing the New Year’s polar plunge, albeit into the warm Caribbean water, and even going to the dance parties late at night on the beach after most of us were ready for bed. As COVID hit we may have seen Nana less in person, but we made it work through teaching her FaceTime from her beloved iPad and increasing the communication via email. I still get a chuckle from her frequent emails that either started with her Wordle score (only when she beat mom), an interesting story that started with “don’t tell your mother”, or a funny cat video. Living farther away Facetime allowed it so that I could show Nana the new apartments I had moved into as well as give her updates on her cute great-grand cat. David and I are very fortunate that Nana was able to be around to celebrate so many milestones, see our career paths play out and meet our significant others. She will be deeply missed but we know, with Papa by her side and probably lots of kittens, she will always be there cheering us on. We encourage everyone to share their stories and memories of her and thank you again for coming out this afternoon to celebrate the wonderful woman Nana was.

Tribute
by Dave Bruha
Good afternoon. For those of you who don’t know, my name is Dave Bruha and it is a true honour to be asked to share some memories of Robbie as we gather to support her family and pay tribute to her life – a life well lived for 94 years.
Before I share a little about Robbie from my own perspective, I would like each of you to close your eyes for a minute and see what memory first comes to mind for you.
Robbie was one of the first people I met when I moved to Consort about 28 years ago. My first impression was that she was intimidating and a bit bossy. That first impression proved to be correct. But as I got to know her, I learned that Robbie was also thoughtful of others – always willing to help – and zealous about her commitment to community. She was always front and center of fundraising, supporting events, and being an integral part of the causes she held dear.
Robbie was involved with practically everything: curling, golf, Meals on Wheels, the Hospital Auxiliary, Terry Fox, she taught Sunday School and CGIT, for seven decades she played the organ for the Anglican and United Churches, and she was a big promoter of the Red Cross Blood Services donation drive, well into her 80’s, Robbie was installing Phillips Lifeline phones in seniors’ homes, because, as she said, “Those ‘OLD PEOPLE’ need someone to help them.”
Although she got involved with so many events and causes, Robbie was most passionate about three things: Terry Fox, the Hospital Auxiliary Dinner Theatre and playing the organ for church services.
Even though the Terry Fox Walk happens in September, I would hear from her in mid to late July, worried about what kind of event she could come up with, how she could get more people involved, what would the weather be like, who will help with signs and sign up sheets, how will she get something going at the school…. I would always listen, for awhile anyway, then say something like, “For God’s sake Robbie – it’s two months away – chill out.” Her reply, which I heard often, was, “You know me, I like to get my worrying done early…” It didn’t seem to matter what event was coming up – Robbie got her worrying done early. Often it would start with an email message – and always with the same subject line – “JUST ME”. No matter what was going on, her messages always had the same subject line: JUST ME… I have really been missing those emails and I am glad I saved some as a memory of a great friend.
It seemed that as she advanced in years and her ability to participate diminished, her resolve to get others involved increased. She found it very frustrating that not every person shared the same level of passion for the Terry Fox Walk that she did, but that only made her dig in and work harder. Which meant more phone calls, emails and conversations.
Robbie loved to reminisce and tell stories of various Terry Fox Highlights: being duct taped to the gym wall at Consort School; Golf Tournaments and the related antics, walking, collecting bottles and cans – her car always smelled like a bottle depot on a hot summer day!
Wherever it is right now, I’m sure there are beer cans and pop bottles rolling around on the floor, under the seats and maybe even in the glove compartment.
When she was 91, Robbie, with help from Pam, as usual did the Terry Fox Walk – determined to go from the Sportex to Lake Road Cemetery. She pushed her walker – like an obedient aging senior – but then she would spy a pop bottle or beer can in the ditch and abandon the walker to stumble through the tall wet grass down into the ditch to retrieve the prize! Back up on the pavement with her trophy she would again push the walker – which I think was used mostly to appease Pam and the staff at Consort Seniors Lodge. She would push the walker another few yards, then leave it behind again to trudge down into the ditch… “Every little bit helps,” she shouted, emerging from the wet grass triumphantly waving another beer can.
If there is any one thing Robbie was known for by everyone, it was her bottle and can collecting, which bordered on obsessive, but was all about the money it raised for her pet causes. One time, prior to moving into the Lodge, she sent me an email – subject line: JUST ME. Robbie wanted some help loading her little yellow pick-up truck with bags filled with her trophies to take down to the bottle depot. When I got there the truck was already loaded as high as the roof of the cab, but she had more in the garage to throw on top. When she opened the overhead door, hundreds of bottles and cans came rolling out across the driveway. Robbie wasn’t at all phased – as if this was very normal. She grabbed a snow shovel, pushed the escapees back inside and cleared a path to the massive stack of bagged up trophies. There was no way they were going to the bottle depot in fewer than four loads let alone one trip. I tried to explain this to Robbie, but she insisted we could just toss the bags onto the already loaded mini truck and tie it all down with twine – which she produced from her coat pocket in the form of a very large knot. I went home and got my half-ton truck and we got the bottles to the depot by doing two trips each. I think her plan all along was that when she posed the impossible, I would get my truck and do some hauling too.
The Hospital Auxiliary Dinner Theatre was another occasion where Robbie would “get her worrying done early”, often months in advance. In the days leading up to when the play was going to start she would be almost frantic, and her worrying went into overdrive. Once a year, for about a month, I got to listen to all the things that could possibly go wrong, which was quite a long list – a list of catastrophes that never happened. It included power outage, cast members getting sick, patrons getting food poisoning, the show being a flop, and on and on and on. Knowing all these things were out of her control, she focused on what she could control: making sure all the table settings were immaculate and proper. That was Robbie’s daily obsession until the last performance.
I found it quite humorous, although I am sure people on the committee absolutely did not. Setting the tables became a contest. Volunteers would show up at the hall, set the tables and prepare for the upcoming performance. Robbie would come by later and “fix it”. This evolved to where Robbie would know the volunteers would be coming at a certain time, so she would show up two hours before that and get the job done correctly. In her mind, this saved the work of redoing it after – she was helping. She never did understand why this kind of “help” might not be as appreciated as she thought it should be. But the show did go on, with Robbie at every performance flitting around like the sergeant in charge – ensuring everything was done right. Right according to Robbie.
While “The Play” caused her a good deal of anxiety, lost sleep and more stress than a small town dinner theatre should create, she loved it all – from getting her worrying done early, to the final performance when the show closed. She was especially proud of all the equipment and improved conditions for patients of Consort Hospital and residents of Long Term Care that resulted from the hard work by all Auxiliary members and the community volunteers. Her example is a legacy that carries on, with a very dedicated Consort Hospital Auxiliary team.
Earlier I mentioned that Robbie played the organ at St. John’s Anglican and Knox United churches. She took the role of community organist very seriously and planned much of her life around being available to do this. There was more than one Christmas where she left Pam’s house in Calgary before the Garnetts expected her to because she had to get home to play for a church service. Every priest or minister that has served in Consort quickly learned to get the upcoming hymns to Robbie ASAP so she could practice. She didn’t hesitate with letting them know this was their chief job – anything after getting her the music list was almost irrelevant… Did I mention that Robbie could be intimidating and somewhat bossy?
Volunteering and community service was a huge part of Robbie’s life and it came as no surprise to me when she was nominated, and then won, the 2009 Alberta Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award – sponsored by Direct Energy and the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association.
As the newspaper from her community, Consort Enterprise hosted Robbie and a Direct Energy representative at our table for the banquet. Robbie held forth during the meal, entertaining everyone with her many stories. It turns out this was just a warm up for later on.
After the announcement as the 2009 Volunteer Citizen of the Year, Robbie bounded up onto the stage, took over the microphone and continued with her stories. Instead of the usual one or two minute “thank you” acknowledgement, Robbie became the keynote speaker of the evening. She had the crowd roaring with laughter as she shared about being duct taped to the gymnasium wall, having to threaten some people to make donations, stopping vehicles on the highway to solicit donations, and on and on and on and on.
I was starting to wonder how we would be able to wind her down when Robbie told the crowd of her very brief time “volunteering” at Consort Enterprise. “I used to stop in and help out on the day the paper gets labelled and mailed out,” she related to the crowd of newspaper people, who by this time all had tears rolling down their cheeks from the laughter. “Yep, I really enjoyed it. Then they fired me,” she blurted, pointing at me and Carol sitting front and centre of the ballroom. That was how she ended her “thank you speech”.
Which isn’t exactly how her “volunteering” at The Enterprise ended, but the real story didn’t matter by then – every face in the crowded ballroom was staring at our table as if we were the most heartless, ungrateful cretins on the planet. The person from Direct Energy gave me a glare, and made sure Robbie had a seat next to her when she gave up the mic and returned to our table. Robbie thought the whole evening was fantastic!
Many of you here today know Robbie through her various volunteering activities. My own connection with Robbie is the disease of alcoholism, or more accurately living one day at a time sober – without alcohol. Robbie was sober for almost forty years when she passed away, and she helped countless other people find their way to a new life during her time. I feel very blessed that this disease, which we both knew nearly killed us, was the glue to our long friendship. From the perspective of being survivors we shared the ups and the downs of our lives with each other, and could be completely honest with each other too. From our many talks, I know how proud she was of her children Doug and Pam, and of how sorry she was to have been in the grip of alcoholism when they were younger and she missed so much. Seeing the lives they have built and the fine people they have become eased her regret somewhat, and time spent with them as adults was a joy for her.
When Pam finished the Boston Marathon, Robbie was so pumped and excited you would have thought she ran the race herself!
She was also extremely proud of her grandchildren, Lauren and David – she always kept anyone around her up to date on their lives and accomplishments.
When Robbie moved to Consort Seniors Lodge she was a little dismayed that it wasn’t exactly like she envisioned it was going to be. “They’re all OLD,” she complained. “By 9 o’clock the lights are out and they’re in their rooms.” Robbie, who had no aversion to staying up late into the night, was among the oldest of the residents, a fact that never registered with her at all.
She eventually settled in and a new side of Robbie was revealed to me. While she was generous with her time and her talents within the community, she was cheap with her money – a real penny pincher! Many times we would be at a community event or gathering and she would exit and go back to the lodge just when the lunch or a meal was about to be served. Or she would come after everyone had eaten and join a table for the socializing. When I confronted her about this strange new behavior she said that her meals at the Lodge were all paid for as part of her monthly rent cheque and if she paid for it, she was going to eat it! This was not negotiable. Even if the Lodge was serving something she wasn’t overly fond of, she was going to have it. I can only remember one exception, when we convinced her to come with us to Wainwright for a Dairy Queen road trip. I guess ice cream trumps even long held principles.
COVID changed a lot of things, especially for seniors in the Lodge like Robbie. Social outings ended, her beloved volunteer commitments were on hold, contact with the world beyond the Lodge doors ended, and Robbie didn’t take to being cooped up very well.
Subject Line: “JUST ME”. I’m so bored….We are all locked down here. Can you bring me a few things?
This email message was the beginning of regular trips to the grocery store and deliveries of essential supplies to Robbie. Her shopping list was always the same: Strawberry Twizzlers (preferably with the cream stuff in the center) and Cheezies (a jumbo bag of the tiny packages, so she wouldn’t eat more than the daily ration she allowed herself. The only variance to her list was occasionally she asked for a shrimp ring to add to her snack diet.
Regrettably, I, along with her other ‘friends on the outside’ saw much less of Robbie during the COVID years, and by the time things shifted and returned to somewhat normal, Robbie’s zest was diminished and she didn’t stray far from the Lodge very often. I am grateful I had the chance to visit her a few times when she was in Coronation Hospital, although I didn’t get much visiting in. Like usual, as weak and sick as she was, Robbie did most of the talking and I barely got a word in. Why should things change now?
Robbie left us on February 2nd, passing peacefully to the otherside, where I am sure she has already organized a Terry Fox Walk for this September with Terry at her side, but herself undoubtably in charge.
Robbie, I will miss your mischievous grin, your hearty laugh, our one-sided talks, and even your bouts of worrying.
Rest in Peace my friend, you have earned it!

Effie May Thornton
Aug. 16, 1927 – Mar. 5, 2023

Effie May Johnstone was born in Mont Nebo, Sask. on August 16, 1927 to David Johnstone and Fanny Craig/McKay. She was the 8th of ten children.
She attended the Hawkeye School at Mont Nebo with her siblings.
When she was 18, she went to Prince Albert where she had secured her first job cooking for the Prince Albert (All Saints) Indian Residential School. She never talked about her experiences there except to say that she used to sneak food to some of the younger girls, apparently, she was never caught because that of course would have been another story to tell. She had to leave that position after a short time when she came down with appendicitis.
On September 9, 1948, Effie May Johnstone married Joe Thornton at Canwood, Sask. They settled in the Sedalia area and had four children – Joe, Jim, Sharon and Wayne.
They lived on the Thornton family farm with Jack and Eleanor from 1948 until 1963 when the family sold the farm and everyone relocated to Sedalia and Consort.
Having come from a strong faith-based home she was very active in the local church in Consort and eventually, along with other family members had a church pioneered in Sedalia which was active until she and Joe had to leave the area.
Together Joe and Effie ran the Sedalia Post Office for 45 years – she would have stayed in the job longer, but she was having to run back and forth to Consort where Joe was sequestered in the Consort Hospital with advanced dementia. In 2005, Effie received an award from Canada Post acknowledging her as the longest serving and oldest postmaster ever in Canada. When space was available in the Hanna Long Term Care center, Joe was moved there for his care and Effie took an apartment in Hanna where she stayed until she too needed long term care.
She is survived by her sister Joyce (Eugene Kraft) her children: Joe, Jim, Sharon (Bruce Ogilvie) and Wayne; Grandchildren: Sabrina, Ashley, Megan, Erin and Daniel. Great grandchildren: Dimitri, Emerson, and Paislee.
Predeceased by husband Joseph Franklin Thornton in 2009, grandson Christopher Lee Thornton in 1994. Siblings: Winnifred (1937) Charles, Riley, Grace, Mona, James, Clifford, and Howard. Parents: David Johnstone and Fanny Craig/McKay.
If desired, donations in memory of Effie can be made to the Parkinson Association of Alberta, 6835 Railway St. SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2H 2V6.
Hanna Funeral Services Ltd. has been entrusted with the care and arrangements.
A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Hanna New Life Church in Hanna, Alberta.

Richard A. N. (Dick) Bonnycastle
Sept. 26, 1934 – Mar. 8, 2023

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Dick Bonnycastle, on March 8, 2023 at home, with his beloved wife Kathy and faithful companions Ellie and Skunker by his side. Also known as Rich, U.R., Uncle Bones and Tonner, the incomparable Richard A. N. Bonnycastle was a proud Winnipegger, westerner, investor, racehorse owner/breeder, publisher, sportsman, conservationist, philanthropist, lifelong wagerer, brother, uncle, step-father, Godfather, cousin, friend, and loving husband who showed surprisingly daring moves on a dance floor.
Dick was born in Winnipeg on September 26, 1934, son of the late Mary (Northwood) and Richard Henry Gardyne Bonnycastle. Educated at Ravenscourt School, Winnipeg; Trinity College School (star on first team football); and the University of Manitoba (B. Comm. 1956) his first job was as a corporate underwriter for the Great West Life Assurance Company. Concurrently he founded Cavendish Investing Ltd., to which, commencing in 1968, he devoted most of his time and much passion.
Over the course of his working life, Dick was involved with or invested in a long list of ventures. He co-owned and operated Harlequin Enterprises; publisher of Harlequin Romance books, and owned and operated Harlequin Ranches, a thoroughbred horse racing stable and two cattle operations, Goose Lake Cattle Company, and Bar TH Ranching Ltd. He always maintained that he began his investing/ranching career at the age of 9 with the purchase of his first calf, raised at his cousin’s Cross Bar Ranch in Consort, Alberta.
A member of the Jockey Club of Canada and former president of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society, Dick was forever seeking a winner. He owned numerous racehorses over many years and had significant racing success with Gold Strike, 2005 Sovereign Award Champion who foaled Rich Strike, winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
Comfortable in top hat and tails as he was in his cowboy hat and boots in a branding pen and of course in a suit and tie in corporate boardrooms, Dick served on over 50 public and private company boards including as Chairman at the CDIC, and as a Director for TORSTAR Ltd., publisher of the Toronto Star.
An original thinker, Dick loved negotiating and re-negotiating a deal or any transaction, buying and selling stocks on the market, prospecting for gold, iron ore, emeralds, and investing in any new invention – be it a process or a technology.
More than anything else though, Dick believed in giving back. As successful as he was at making money, he was equally as zealous giving it away. Dick gave significant amounts to a huge range of organizations and countless individuals in need including The Nature Conservancy, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (which he helped found), Banff Centre for the Arts, the Calgary Health Trust and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, to name only a few that he supported.
Dick was also an avid supporter of rodeo cowboys, rodeos around Alberta and especially of the Calgary Stampede – always sharing his “best seats in the house” and for years supporting the “Get your Head in a Hat Campaign” donating cowboy hats to be given out for free. He was a legendary host at his annual Stampede Breakfast and Brandings at RR#5, at Bells Island on Lake of the Woods, at Beaufortwood in the UK, at his home in Borrego Springs, at racetracks in California, and at his condos in Lake Louise, Victoria and Ocala.
Dick made friends and fans for life everywhere he went. His kindness, warmth and good humour were genuine, and he remains famous for his epic generosity. He liked to spoil people and Dick was known to give help and support to friends, family, colleagues and strangers. His door was always open and he helped fix things: Broken down cars and broken hearts. A most sublime friend and mentor, he was the guy we all went to in a crisis, and he never failed to give his wisdom and sage advice.
Dick didn’t have airs or an ego. Whether a Sheikh or a janitor, he treated everyone equally and he rooted for the underdogs. His happiest times were spent fishing, duck hunting and card playing, golfing, watching the NFL and MLB, and wagering with friends at rodeos and horse races. Dick was the impetus and creator of many happy times, and he enjoyed the finer things in life: vintage wines, Coca Cola, hot dogs, roast beef, fresh caught pickerel, peas, sushi, scratch and win lotto tickets, books and the ladies.
In 2003 Kathy, who shared his passion for horses, came into his orbit and then he only had eyes for her. They settled into a home life on their acreage east of Calgary with many dogs, horses and a vista of the Rocky Mountains, and Kathy and her “big guy” married in July 2012 and celebrated at the races (of course!)
Dick is survived by his wife Linda Kathleen (Kathy) Bonnycastle and her children Tanya, Natalie, Megan, Kim, Thor and their families. His sister Honor de Pencier and her husband Michael, his brother-in-law Kenneth Burgess (Mary) and his treasured nieces and nephews, Nicholas, Miranda, and Mark de Pencier, Genevieve and Cristina Burgess and their families, an astounding list of dear friends and many extended family members around the world including the Gattey, Bousquet, Hughes and Ogren clans. He was predeceased by his much-loved sister Judith Burgess and nephew Richard Burgess.
His family would like to thank Carlyn Dahl for her 40 plus years of unwavering support, Dr. Susan Lea Makenny for her compassionate care, along with Ben, Chantel and Yukiko for their long-time tending of Dick and Kathy.
No public memorial service will be held and no flowers please. Private services will be held in summer 2023.
We will miss Dick’s infectious smile, booming laughter, and extraordinary can-do spirit. He leaves a massive hole in the world and in a colossal number of hearts, but his lessons, advice and bright light will live on for generations. Remember Dick by enjoying a good laugh, eating a Mr. Big chocolate bar, cheering on the Blue Jays, supporting a rodeo, watching a horse race, mentoring a young person, giving back, or playing a game of Crib. To express condolences and share memories, please visit: www.mountainviewmemorial.ca.

Preston Stewart “Bud” Kelts
Jan. 22, 1933 – Mar. 7, 2023

Preston Stewart Kelts was born January 22, 1933 at Consort, Alberta. He passed away March 7, 2023, at 90 years of age, in Consort Hospital.
A Celebration of Bud’s Life was held on March 20 at Consort Sportex with Pastor Darrel Durksen officiating. The processional music was “Wind Beneath My Wings”. Pianist Pat Durksen played for the congregational hymns “In The Garden” and “Amazing Grace”. A Walk Down Memory Lane video was presented. The recessional music was “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”. Interment will be held at a later date at the Lakeroad Cemetery.

Obituary & Tribute
by Dave Bruha
Good afternoon. For those of you who don’t know, my name is Dave Bruha and I am a nephew of Bud’s. Irene and my mother Jennie were sisters.
It is a true honour to be asked to participate in this celebration, honouring the life of a man who I always looked up to, both figuratively as a role model, and physically as he was considerably taller than I ever stood.
I worked with Bud on the farm for about five years, although it is more accurate to say I worked for Bud, as no one really worked with him – no matter what was going on, when Bud was involved it was obvious that he was running the show, and things would be done Bud’s way – right or wrong. Usually he was right.
Preston Stewart Kelts was born on January 22, 1933, in Consort, Alberta. He was the 6th of 8 children to Marion and Ethel Kelts. Having been born the same year as his younger brother Arley, little Preston often accompanied his dad. Marion referred to his sidekick as his, “Little Buddy”. The nickname “Bud”, was derived from Marion’s pet name, and Preston was known as Bud for most of his life.
I have only ever known two Prestons, the man we are saying farewell to here today, and Rick Kelts’ dog. Both Prestons had similar personalities in that both were loyal, somewhat stubborn, were hard of hearing – or at least “hard of listening” sometimes – and both shared much the same view of cows.
Bud attended school in Consort and one year in Red Deer, excelling in Track and Field. He played in a local band for high school dances but would always put the guitar down and dance the last dance with Irene.In Bud’s own words: “November 22, 1955, was the luckiest day of my life. The next best days were when our children were born, William, Kathleen, Maureen and Joan.”
He was an avid sportsman. The Kelts boys boxed and wrestled. They curled together with their father. Bud was awarded MVP of Highway 12 Seniors Hockey League, along with most gentlemanly player. He enjoyed the camaraderie of his teammates, and hunting and fishing with many good friends over the years. He also coached both ball and hockey. He ran coyote hounds, raised ostriches, and raced quarter horses. He home-raised a colt that won the Alberta Bred, horse of the year – an accomplishment he was proud of.
Out of his many hobbies and interests, he loved baseball the most. He was a sought after homerun hitting pitcher. Teams from the surrounding areas offered $20-$25 a day for his talents.
On one occasion, he was a spectator at a tournament in Killam. The home team’s manager spotted him in the crowd and approached Bud during the pre-game warm up and had him suited up and on the mound for the opening pitch. He was also presented with an opportunity to try out for an American team but declined.
Even though I never saw Bud play ball on the field, I can tell you he brought the same highly competitive spirit to Nintendo baseball, and despite playing hundreds and hundreds of hours with him in the evenings, I never won. Anytime that I had a sizeable lead (which was not very often) and a chance at victory, he would yawn, stretch, and announce that he better get to bed – “got an early morning tomorrow…” and he would turn off the game console.
Story telling was another natural aspect of his character, often being asked to speak at various functions. His sense of humor, smirk and the twinkle in his eyes combined with his antics, proved to always be entertaining.
However, the character trait which was most prominent was the stellar example he set for those who knew him. He truly honored his wedding vows, being a caregiver for 53 years of the 67 years of their married life. While many were impatient and intolerant of the brain injury Irene suffered, he endured.
He wasn’t perfect, at times staggering under the burden of the responsibility he shouldered, but he remained faithful. However, he was grateful for the amazing support from family and friends that helped carry him and his young family through the initial crisis of Irene’s stroke.
The young children eventually pulled together to stay together as a family, following their patriarch’s example of determined devotion.
Although he may have used his hobbies for a coping mechanism at times, his personal and financial sacrifices to his entire family were selfless.
He was plagued with more heartache later on in life with the loss of his son and business partner, Bill.
On March 7, 2023, at the age of 90 years, Bud left this world to meet the creator in whom he believed in since his childhood.
Preston will be forever missed by his loving family, daughters: Kathleen (Ken) Grover, Maureen Gould (Randy Hayworth), Joan (Keith) Wittmack; daughter-in-law Margaret Kelts; family friend Lani Dayag; grandchildren: Jennifer (Graham) Schetzsle, Brad (Stacey) Kelts, Mark (Trish) Kelts, Corey (Tina) Grover, Danielle (Jordan) Jorgenson, Tyler (Krystal) Grover, Julie (Justin) Roth, Lori (Kevin) Lawson, Craig (Renee) Gould, Kolby (Tarisa) Wittmack and Mitchell Wittmack (Kirsten); great-grandchildren: Hayden, Abbie, Aubrey, Paige, Lila, Will, Isabelle, Becket, Cassidy, Jessica, Emma, Chloe, Heath, Luka, Tori, Madison, Brock, Carson, Conner, Chase, Cohen, Keegen, Katie, Kaleb, David, Kirby and Kylan (that’s 27 great-grandchildren – enough for 3 baseball teams!); sisters Muriel Isaman, Eileen Hobbs, Lorna (Gil) Roth; brother Arley Kelts; sisters-in-law Marie Scheffelmaier and Linda Kurek; brother-in-law Pat Wiese; and other family members, along with many nieces, nephews and dear friends.
Bud was predeceased by his loving and devoted wife of 67 years Irene Kurek; son William; son-in-law David Gould; parents Marion and Ethel Kelts; sister Viola Schooler and brother-in-law Loyal Schooler; brother Donald and sister-in-law Helen (Dot) Kelts; sister Jean and brother-in-law Ted Deagle; brothers-in-law Bob Hobbs, and Lester Isaman; sisters-in-law Rosemary Kelts and Avonne Kelts; father and mother-in-law Martin and Mary Kurek; step-father-in-law Andrew Kunderavich; sisters and brothers-in-law; Amelia and Clay Schooler, Jennie and Frank Bruha; brothers-in-law Felix Kurek and Richard Scheffelmaier.
Bud summed up his many achievements succinctly:
“I feel proud of what I have accomplished in my lifetime and tried to set a good example for others.”
Personally, Bud was my example of how a good man lives his life – growing up he was my hero and in my adult years he was a role model and teacher.
Among the many things I have learned from Bud is how to scoop jam from a newly opened jar. Or, rather how NOT to scoop jam from a newly opened jar. A morning ritual on the farm was coffee with the delicious buns he made. One morning, Bud plunked a freshly opened, one pound tin of strawberry jam on the table – making more noise than was necessary, just to make sure I was awake. Without thinking much about it, I stuck my spoon in the center of the jam pail and lifted out a scoop. Before the jam made it onto the toasted bun Bud was hollering, “What the hell are you doing! Don’t you ever scoop jam from the middle – that’s rude. You always scoop it from around the edges first.” And he gave me a demonstration, because I was obviously too dense to understand what he was trying to teach me with words alone.
While it may not be a life altering lesson, I can say with complete honesty that since then, I have never scooped jam, or peanut butter, or margarine, or ice cream, or mashed potatoes from the middle of a container or bowl. And I think of him every time I open a jar and take my jam from the outside edges – leaving the middle intact.
I also learned from Bud how to build a barbwire fence, which is more practical than the jam scooping lesson. He patiently showed me (the kid from the city) how to string out the wire, hang it and tack it in place to make a “good lookin’. fence” I will always remember the day I had just finished putting braces on a new corner post when he came by to inspect my work and said it looked, “pretty damn good”. That is high praise from Preston!
I also learned from him that any piece of equipment, no matter how monstrous in size, could be taken apart if you had a big enough hammer.
An example of this was one spring day when we were changing shovels on the cultivator. I was lying underneath the behemoth, banging away to knock loose a rusted on shovel. Bud, probably amused by my lack of progress, swaggers over with a giant maul, kneels down and gives a mighty swing! CLANG, the shovel rockets off, hits the ground and bounces up, the chunk of steel hitting him in the face. Alarmed, I shouted, “Are you okay?” His deadpan reply, “If it wasn’t for my nose, it would have hit me right in the face!”
During seeding and harvest on the farm, a lot of communication was done over radios and Bud’s hearing impairment was a challenge for him, and for everyone else. It did lead to some very strange conversations though, and anyone listening in would find it very amusing.
I would click the mic button and say something like, “I have to refuel the truck on the next trip. I’ll be longer getting back.” I would hear the radio crackle as he clicked the mic button on his end and reply with something like, “No thanks, I have a sandwich.” We had many of these conversations that were like snippets of entirely different conversations randomly merged together.
Like most of the challenges in his life, Bud didn’t balk, he met the reality of his limited hearing head on. He was constantly experimenting with new technology to improve his ability to hear. New headphones for the TV, different telephones, new radios, anything that might help was tried. While his many different hearing aids eventually improved the situation somewhat, hand gestures were a big part of my communicating with him and we could work together for an afternoon without me needing to say a word. Of course, he would have plenty to say, and it was always clear just how he wanted things done.
Here are a few stories from his time as a child at home that Bud has reminisced about over the years. These reflect his recollection of some events that suggest Bud and brother Arley were a mischievous young pair who never seemed to be too far away from trouble. Like the time they were found blasting away at the chickens with a gun loaded with salt.
I wish I had known of this event about 50 years ago when Bud caught me and cousin Joan in the chicken coop, tossing the laying hens into the air, trying to teach them to fly. This story would have been good information to have on that occasion.
Although not verified, rumor has it that on another occasion they locked the hired man in the barn. He was inside going about his business and they slipped the latch closed to trap him inside. The poor guy was left in there for an hour and a half. The boys thought this was very entertaining.
Not surprisingly, they often played hooky from school, leaving home innocently in the morning and would stop over in a slough. They spent the day playing, eating their lunches and would return home when they heard the dismissal bell ring at the end of the school day. Life was good.
Until the fateful day their teacher showed up at the door of the Kelts home. They had been found out! They paid the price. And they attended school more regularly afterwards.
On another occasion, Little Bud had misbehaved at the dinner table. He knew he was in trouble and made a run for it with his father in hot pursuit. He managed to escape, fled out the door and around the house, finding refuge by diving through a hole under the step. His dad caught up and peered in at him chuckling, “don’t ever do that again…” was all his father could say after the foot chase, and Little Bud escaped the punishment he was fleeing from, this time.
Bud recalled the time his sisters Jean and Eileen were being disciplined. He thought his dad was really struggling to hold the girls over his knee for a spanking, so little Bud, being helpful, went and got a chair for him to sit on. He stood back smirking while the girls received their punishment. The chair was made use of, but the task was not completed until the helpful young lad found himself sprawled over his dad’s knee receiving the same punishment.
Bud learned the lesson – never make fun of someone else’s misfortune. He never forgot it.
On yet another occasion, The Little Rascals (Bud and Arley – in case you didn’t guess) were in flight mode from their father once again and ran a half mile north of the farmyard as an escape route. They were hiding in the bush and in suspenseful anxiety one of their blonde heads popped up exclaiming, “Here he comes!” It blew their cover and they were spotted by their father, who was hot on their trail and quickly caught the boys.
In winter months, after school, the young brothers on horseback, herded the cattle for water. They chopped a hole in the ice and then skated on the slough while the animals drank. The bull was being a bull and bellowing to the cows. So Arley and Bud started bellowing back at him.
After a half hour or so of this, the bull tried to get after them but couldn’t walk on the ice – slipping and sliding. Bud said it was great fun to watch.
The time came for the boys to head home and the bull was still aggravated and they couldn’t get off the ice. So Bud teased him around to the far side of the slough. Arley got to his horse and chased him away. The bull had a long memory though, and later that night he jumped the fence, came to the house yard bellering and pawing the dirt banking away from the house.
Arley and Bud slept on a make-down chesterfield in the front room, which was only 6 feet away from a big window. When they woke up, the bull was standing a foot from the window looking in at them and bellering. They ran to the kitchen and found their dad (who had listened to the bull beller most of the night) looking for a baseball bat he had in the closet. The boys couldn’t believe it when their dad found the bat and chased the bull back out to the pen with the once wide-eyed bellering creature walking away like an old milk cow. Bud said, “When we came home from school, the bull had been castrated – to change his way of thinking.”
There is one story that Bud shared with me that didn’t end with him in trouble with someone.
I don’t recall what age he would have been, but he was taking swimming lessons at Gooseberry Lake. By the end, he fancied himself quite the swimmer – perhaps even ready for the Olympics! He was excited to show his dad what a great swimmer he was and they went to the slough out back of the house. Little Bud took a running start and flew through the air and splashed into the slough, where he promptly sank like a rock and his Dad had to fish him out before he drowned. Because the water wasn’t super buoyant like at Gooseberry, Bud discovered he wasn’t the great swimmer he thought he was.
This last is a story that was written down by Bud.
In his own words:
“Arley and I were great Cowboys. I’m not sure what age we were, but one day we were playing Cowboys and Indians about a half mile east of the house in the pasture. We decided to send some smoke signals up, so we climbed a tree to start a crow’s nest on fire. They make great smoke!
We soon got tired of the venture and tried to put it out, but it wasn’t working too well and it fell to the ground burning. By the time we climbed out of the tree the grass was burning very well. Our smoke signals were a great success as sister Jean spotted them and came to see “what the hell those boys were doing this time.”
We saw her coming on the double, carrying dad’s razor strap, which she had used on us a couple of times before. So we ran. Of course Jean could run backwards faster than we could forward and caught us in less than 200 yards. She drug us back and we fought the fire. She had to send me to the house for water and gunny sacks, running the whole way there and back again.
Preston Stewart Kelts made an impression on all who were touched by his life, a life that was an example of hard work dedication, loyalty, generosity, and perseverance.
Rest in peace Uncle Bud, rest now in peace…

Tribute
by Kathy Grover
Dad always had a story or two to tell on friends and family when asked to speak on different occasions, so we felt it only fair….
After Maureen, Joan and I were married we would each take a turn hosting holiday dinners. Now Dad, being helpful, informed us that although he appreciated the meals, we all ‘overcooked the DAMN bird!’ Well this seemed a little insulting to us, so we appointed Dad the task of roasting the turkey at the next family get together. You know, showing us how to do it the ‘right way’.
Christmas came along and Dad gladly took on the task and informed us all of what time dinner would be served. The golden hour came to bring out his ‘perfectly cooked’ turkey, so we all jumped up to get the meal on the table. The table was set, the potatoes were mashed, veggies were buttered and sauced, salads prepared and dressed. The turkey came out. Dad picked up his finely honed and sharpened carving knife, which he always took pride in keeping that way. With mouths watering in anticipation we put everything into bowls on the table, when from behind us we heard, “Oh-oh, it’s not quite ready yet”. We turned our attention to the cutting board where we saw bloody colored juice running out of the turkey. Well, we all looked like a movie reel on rewind: the turkey went back into the oven (with the temperature cranked up), potatoes and veggies back into pots to reheat later, and salads into the fridge. One and a half hours later, nearing starvation, we ate our Christmas dinner! We never let Dad live that one down, nor was he ever allowed to cook another turkey. Although he would offer to, with that smirk on his face.
Mom and Dad would look forward to driving to Redding, California to spend a week or two with dad’s sister and brother-in-law, Eileen and Bob and their family. Maureen, Joan and I went in to pack them up and see them off. It was decided it would be a good time, while they were away, to clean the house so it would be nice to come home to.
Now, dad had this OLD, UGLY, worn out recliner. Before I tell you the rest of the story, you have to understand it also didn’t match anything in the room. So we chucked that chair and thought he could darn well go and buy a new one.
Two weeks later, when Mom and Dad returned home… I’ll just put it this way, Dad was NOT the least bit happy, nor impressed, that we threw out his good chair. It took him two or three days to forgive us and after the dust settled we each received this poem he had written.
My Darling Dotters Three
They care for me at times you see
Like washing, cleaning or feeding me
And help put up the
Christmas tree.
It’s wonderful to have these three
They fuss and iron and pack for me.
They make my jelly and pickles too
This house is sometimes like a zoo!
They cut my hair and pluck my nose
Scratch my back and
massage my toes.
They tell me what I’m
supposed to wear
My Darling Dotters seem to care.
But sometimes my temper flares
At those for whom I most care.
Sometimes I am in great despair
When Darling Dotters chuck my chair.
My neck gets sore and my back goes out.
No sympathy for all I pout!
They change my rooms and hide my things
To hunt and find makes my head ring.
But I’ll excuse these naughty deeds,
They seem to know what Daddy needs.
They come to talk and to discuss
Sometimes to scold and even cuss.
It’s wonderful to have
these three
They’re all the world to me.
I love you all and really care,
But please, please DON’T chuck another chair.
Growing up in our house after mom’s stroke was interesting and at times chaotic. We learned homemaking skills from our dear aunties, Mom when she could, but a couple from Dad were doozies. For example:
• How to hem a pair of pants with a stapler or a piece of tape.
• A stapler can also come in handy to hold a shirt together when a button is missing, or to hang a photo on the wall.
• Ketchup was a “seasoning” that would fix up any dish that needed flavor.
Dad had a few rules:
• When you get up in the morning, make your bed, get dressed and comb your hair before coming to the breakfast table.
• He didn’t like us sitting around when there was work to do.
• Dad was more than willing to help a neighbor or a family member when going through a difficult time.
We have always been proud of Dad’s athletic abilities, either watching him play ball or hockey and by others telling us about him. But the Dad we knew and, what we are most proud of, was his personal sacrifice and keeping his young family together after the stroke Mom suffered when she was only 34 years old and Dad just a young man of 36. Bill was 12, I was 11, Maureen 8 and Joan 4. His devotion to Mom was remarkable.
Was he perfect? Who is?
Was he critical? Yes, but he thought he was helping.
Did he have a softer side? Absolutely.
He did his very best and we will always and forever love and admire him for it.
We celebrated dad’s 90th birthday in the Consort Hospital where he was a resident in Long Term Care. He looked around the room full of family who were there to celebrate with him and he said, “I may not know all your names, but I want you to know I am proud of you and I love you all very much.”
We all love you too Dad.

Tribute
by Maureen Gould
For those of you who don’t know, I’m the middle child, Maureen. I have a few stories to share about my dad, his adventures and his misadventures.
Bud and Arley, ‘the old Rascals’, had one last adventure together. Leaving their walkers behind, they slowly loaded into dad’s truck from the Lodge and headed out to Joan’s for coffee. Budsie was driving, without wearing his portable oxygen, each brother equally concerned for the other, and for good reason. They had a wonderful time though, it was heartwarming. However, Uncle Arley complained about Budsie’s “BEEP-BEEPING driving!” Hearing of this, after family constantly reminding Dad NOT to drive without his portable oxygen, I just had to say, “What the hell were you thinking?” Literally, this time he was physically unable to run from trouble as he had as a child. He just smirked with that twinkle in his eyes.
Truly notable was the adrenaline rush after a wild ride with Budsie behind the wheel. Years ago, little Julie summed it up perfectly, pulling her thumb out of her mouth to scold him, “Grandpa, you drive like a flipping idiot!”
There was the time I was in my preschool days and I had watched the TV series Bonanza. The character Hoss was in a brawl and had punched someone in the nose. I got wondering how that feels – to punch someone in the nose… Curiosity got the better of me and Dad just happened to be reclined in his chair sleeping. I marched over there and gave him a right hook as hard as I could. I must have packed quite a punch because it woke him up. He didn’t look too happy. I did notice his eyes were watering, before he reactively ‘jack-hammered’ my head with his fist. I staggered out of the room bawling and I haven’t punched anyone in the nose since. And just to clarify, it wasn’t me who broke Dad’s nose. It was ELBOWS ELLERBY at a hockey game – isn’t that right, Mom?
While on the subject of noses, one evening as Mom and Dad were sitting in the living room watching TV, Mom broke out in laughter she had her eyes fixed on dad. He looks over at her and says, “What’s so funny?” Through her snorting, shoulder shaking laughter she said, “Bud, I can’t believe our children didn’t have bigger noses!”
On the morning of my 9th birthday I was in tears and didn’t want to go to school. When I had gone to bed the night before I knew all my school clothes were dirty. Consoling me, Dad went into the laundry room and pulled a clean outfit from the dryer. He wiped my tears and sat me on his knee, pulling the socks onto my feet. I still remember the sound that his chapped, work-worn hands made as they snagged on the fabric. I don’t ever remember having a birthday party after my mom’s stroke, but I still remember the tenderness and comfort my daddy blessed me with on that day.
When I was living in Edmonton as a young adult, Dad had come to the city and we were on an escalator at the mall. He grabbed a hold of my hand as he pointed to a sign that said, ‘Hold on to your child’s hand while riding the escalator’.
Touring the nursing res someone asked if he was my brother. We share the same sense of humor and had fun together.
Preston ‘S’ Kelts. We dubbed the ‘S’ to stand for sarcasm. However, he was of old gentlemanly etiquette around the ladies. He would not allow us to disrespect Mom or speak negatively of people. Private matters were not discussed in front of his young children.
Feeling sorry for Mom and Dad, we children could plainly see the void Mom’s sickness had left in our home. We set out to make life easier for them. As young girls we learned to cook, Dad always offered advice. And then we started to do the laundry. We washed a red garment of Dad’s with his long johns. He sported an ear to ear grin as he paraded around modeling his new pink underwear. I remember pulling one of Dad’s wool sweaters out of the dryer, horrified at how small it had shrunken. I nervously presented it to him and he burst out in laughter.
Our family had only lived in the new home for a year when Mom suffered her stroke. We girls thought we did an okay job of keeping it clean, however dad would point things out, saying “Wipe the front of that oven off. It looks like pigeons were nesting on the handle”. Or, “Why don’t you take a shovel and shovel the floor out”.
He supplied us with ponies and said they were the best babysitters he ever had. We would get our work done quickly and head out to catch the horses.
Dad had the measles as a child and suffered damage to the auditory nerve. He was hard of hearing from a young age, but he chose to make light of his handicap. We had many good laughs over him repeating back to us what he thought we had said. He pronounced words as he saw them. For instance, pizza he called ‘pissa’. The hockey player, Ovechkin, he referred to as ‘Ovi-Chicken’.
Dad was also color blind and couldn’t see the color red (unless he was really angry). One spring while planting the quarter by town he had decided to bump up his rate on fertilizer and seed, “so people would think I’m a good farmer”. Upon completing, it was discovered that he had done so with an alarm ringing which he couldn’t hear and a flashing red warning light that he couldn’t see… It was only a few acres that had to be reseeded but Dad laughed about it.
Once before a hockey game on TV, as dad was adjusting the color settings, brother Bill muttered, “Oh great, the Martians are playing again tonight!”
Dad spent countless hours mentoring, coaching, hunting and working alongside his only son. In winter months there was a backyard rink where young Billy worked on hockey skills. During summer months, the popping of a baseball hitting the gloves echoed in the air. The death of Bill in 2006 was a devastating loss for Dad. He wrote a tribute entitled “Bill and I”, which he read at his son’s funeral.
With time, Dad’s hearing continued to decline. He relied upon Mom and his expertise in lip reading. A cochlear implant in November of 2013 opened up a whole new world for him. Following a period of recovery we accompanied Dad back to the Glenrose Hospital to have the device switched on and activated. Before leaving the hospital to head home, Dad had visited the washroom. He came out astonished. “That’s the first time I’ve heard water running in years.” His silent world had become bombarded with sounds, some of which he did not recognize and his brain had to be retrained. Hearing the ‘click, click’ of a woman’s heels approaching where we stood in the corridor, he looked to us inquiring what the sound was. We pointed the woman out to him.
He no longer had to be looking at your lips, but could now understand someone speaking even from behind him. Kathy and Joan soon learned they had to be careful what they said.
Budsie texted, FaceTimed and eventually with his implant, could even have short phone conversations again. Unfortunately he had a mishap with a lawn mower, amputating the tip of his ring finger and cut his thumb to the bone. The implant had shut off, his world had gone silent and he did not realize the mower was still running. We gave him a plastic Fisher Price mower for Christmas that year.
Dad was blessed with good health and mobility up until the final two years of his life. He fought the decline with defiant, stubborn determination. At 86 years of age he broke up headlands, pulled wire, picked rocks, pro-tilled, pushed bush and cleared fence lines. He bought an older combine which he was familiar operating and treasured his time operating it during harvest. When the dinner wagon rolled in we would shut down. I would dish two plates and join dad for supper in the cab of his combine.
He was a valued member of our silage crew. Swathing, napping, back swathing, back napping…. Then he would climb on the tractor to pack the pit, because nobody else could do it right.
Last fall, at the age of 89, he would slowly roll into the field in his red truck (we called him The Governor). Short of breath, he would slowly make the trek up the stairs and perch on the buddy seat beside me in my combine. He loved to combine.
And try as he did, for as deadly of a shot as he was, he never could eliminate the entire gopher population. He enjoyed many an afternoon last summer shooting literally thousands of gophers.
Dad’s reliance upon us for support became a part of our lives from an early age,

continuing on until he took his last breath. In return, he had walked alongside each of us – across every mountain top and through every valley of our lives. It is hard to imagine a world without him in it.
Some may remember Bud Kelts as a farmer, or a hunter, or for his sense of humor, or his freely given advice, or his athleticism. We believe he deserves the Award of Excellence for his honorable character. He is crowned the champion of our hearts for the example he lived out before us – it was remarkable. And to think he said that he loved Mom so much that he would do it all over again for those few good years.
He was tested and tried. He stayed the course. He finished the race. He has won the prize. Well done Budsie, well done.
You were a good and faithful man.

Tribute
by Joan Wittmack
On behalf of our family we would like to say a special thank you to Lani for her patient and loving care to our parents. You were like a daughter to them. You have been a part of the family for over 13 years. We love you and really appreciated what you did.
I’m the crusty little one of the family. I came by it honestly. It all started in about 1970. Every morning Dad would call us for the day. Some would get up, and some of us wouldn’t. Out in the kitchen Dad would be singing O’Canada at the top of his lungs, spinning the dishes, accomplishing to have all of them spinning at the same time, making a heck of a noise. You could smell porridge or pancakes, which apparently wasn’t enough to get me out of bed. After dad noticed I wasn’t surfacing yet, he’d head back down for my second wake up call. He’d pop open my eyelids and say, “Hoss, is you dead?” So when my third wake up call came, he would appear with a big grin, and would flip my mattress and myself on the floor. I’d stomped down the hallway, cranky as hell, and find the closest heat register to park myself on. You would have thought the routine (being dumped out of bed every morning and hitting the wall), I would have clued in. No wonder I became the crusty one.
We all know Dad was a big coyote hunter. He would come home from skinning the flea infested things, plug in the vacuum cleaner and vacuum his hair, in hopes of getting rid of them. One particular night I was ready to go out, makeup and all. I sat down at the supper table and he gets a smirk on his face. He started scratching his head and pulling his hand out of his hair with pinched fingers. He exclaimed, “Oh, there goes the little bugger!” I was horrified. Back down the hallway to rewash my hair I went. Not very pleased I might add.
We will always remember Dad’s one liners.
• I’ve got gas. Mom would say, “Save it Bud.”
• Now look son…
• Whenever Dad came to one of our houses he’d open the door and call out: Anybody live here?
• Here’s to some of the nicest people I know.
• Well if it were me….
• What are you having for supper? I’ll be right there.
• If you can play all night, you can get up in the morning.
• Jump into your duds.
• Blacker than the inside of a cow.
• Colder than ol’ Billy outside.
• It’s easy to get out of bed, just put your feet on the floor (unless you are me).
• It’s easy to get down, all you got to do is just fall.
• When asked if he had breakfast during his early morning visits he would say: I had breakfast at breakfast time.
• When asked, have you eaten? He’d reply: Lots of times.
• Don’t you know people die in bed?
• What the hell are you doing?? Followed by, What the hell were you thinking??
• And finally: Grover, I got a problem!
Thanks for the memories Dad.
Love you forever!!
Please give Mom a hug.

Tribute
by Roger Johnson
I’m Roger Johnson and I had the good fortune to be a good friend of Bud Kelts. Together, we played a lot of ball, hockey, golf and hunted. He was one of the best teammates I could wish for.
I travelled many places with Bud and Irene. We played hockey in Saskatoon, Regina, Disneyland, and Hawaii, plus many more.
He was not only a good sportsman but he was also a very good speaker. He could put together a speech about all the players with humorous comments about each one.
Hunting birds was one of his favorites and he always out shot everyone. Bud would settle in one end of the goose blind and while we were blasting away from our side, he would shoot from the other end. Once the noise stopped he would ask how we did, knowing we got a couple of birds. On his own, he’d have dropped four or five…
One hunting trip in the mountains, we would all be back in camp early, having a few, except Bud. He always stayed out until dark. Eventually he wanders in and says, “Hey boys any luck?”
“Nothing. How about you?”
“Yea, got an elk, just a ways over there,” he says pointing over his shoulder.
So, the next morning we all head ‘just over there’ to help him pack it out. It was miles away!
One trip, Dona and I were down in Arizonia and Bud flew down to do some golfing. During that trip, Bud decides we should sign up for some golf lessons. The instructor watched him hit a few balls and asked him how old he was. Then says, if you can hit the ball that far and straight at 82, you don’t need to be taking lessons from me!
While we were staying at View Point, Stan Tumoth was managing a fastball team. He had played ball with Bud in Consort so arranged for us to play a game on his team. I was first to bat and hit a short ball and took off to first base, but tripped and dug a big hole on baseline. Bud was up next. He hits a long fly ball and took off to first… and tripped also. When he got back to the dugout he looks at me and says, “Roger, if you hadn’t dug such a big hole I would have had a homerun!”
One of my favourite hunting trips was going to New Zealand with Bud, and John and Cindy Gattey and Dona to hunt red stag. Bud wanted to shoot one but said he had no place to hang a mount. We decided that him and I would both shoot it together. When we found the one we wanted I said to Bud that he could count 1 to 3 and we’ll shoot at same time. We got it lined up, Bud counted, and on the count of three, it had 2 bullet holes about 6 inches apart. The red stag is hanging in the appliance store where I see it almost every day. Good bye my friend, until we meet again.

Tribute
by Dona Scheible-Johnson
I wasn’t around Consort to share all the wonderful memories that most of you have, but you didn’t have to know Bud long to enjoy his sense of humour with that little smile and twinkle in his eye with a touch of mischief. But most important is that he was an honorable and kind person. Bud was a great cook and we always enjoyed his lunch invites for his potatoe soup and fresh buns. Travelling with Bud was a good time and lots of fun and laughs. There was one very special trip in 2013. He had expressed an interest in joining us to go to New Zealand. Bud wanted to go hunting and visit a sheep station and watch the sheering process. We did both of those and he also joined us on a jet boat race on a river, lobster fishing and hiked up to Frans Josef Glacier. This was about 3 km. up a pretty rugged trail. He even took in some wine tours with me which was the biggest stretch for him. He always teased by sitting there with a beer and told us not all of these adventures were on his bucket list. Whenever we were driving on the coast he’d call the ocean the ‘whale pasture’. He was a good sport and enjoyed it all. The trip to New Zealand was a long flight from San Francisco to Christchurch: 12 hours. We arrived in Christchurch about 11:00 a.m. their time. It was suggested that we carry on a normal day to help adjust to time change. So the plan was to have lunch, freshen up and go tour a little. When we got to the hotel they had Bud’s room on the floor directly below us. There was no air conditioning so all the windows were open. When we were ready to leave we called Bud and we could hear his phone ringing from our room, but he didn’t answer. Roger went down and called him and there was still no response, so he went to the office and talked them into giving him a key to Bud’s room. The key worked. BUT Bud had put the safety chain on and still didn’t answer us. Roger put his shoulder to the door and when the door flew open the whole frame came off. But we didn’t disturb Bud’s sleep and we were happy he was still breathing. His phone was right beside him so we took his picture and left him sleeping. Roger did stick the frame back together. After a couple of hours Bud called and did meet us for dinner. Everyday with him was a pleasure and we will miss him but know he is in his happy place.

Card of Thanks
We, the “Girls” of the late Preston Kelts wish to convey our warmest heartfelt gratitude:
To the nurses and staff at Consort Long Term Care Centre for your kindness and patience to our entire family.
To everyone for the kind words and condolences expressed through text messages, emails, cards and phone calls, flowers and donations.
For visitation to our homes with delicious food.
To the setup crew for assembling tables and chairs.
To the community lunch group – those of you who provided lunch and to those that organized and volunteered their time.
To Dave and to Roger and Dona for their tributes to Dad.
To all who attended the celebration of life.
To Dean and staff at Parkview Funeral Homes for their professional and kind assistance with Dad’s final arrangements.
Last but not least to Pastor Darrel Durksen and Pat for their comforting presence and special touches to the afternoon service.
This is truly a wonderful community. Thank you all so very much.
Kathy and Ken Grover
Maureen Gould and
Randy Hayworth
Joan and Keith
Wittmack
and families

Dorothy Faye Heather Rosenau
Jan. 11, 1945 – Mar. 20, 2023

It is with great sadness the family of Dorothy Rosenau (nee McClellan), announces her passing at the age of 78.
Born in Consort, Alberta, she, and her sister Marguerite, were raised in Kirriemuir, Alberta by her mother, Dollie and stepfather, Henry Hoen.
Dorothy moved to Calgary, where she raised her three children, Heather (Craig), Sheri (Chris), and Lyle (Claire). Dorothy was a strong, independent woman, who devoted her life to raising her three children. Her grandchildren, Ethan, Ella, Grayson, and Lucy will miss her dearly.
Her good nature, vibrant personality, and energy attracted many. She embraced Calgary and all the many events it had to offer. She enjoyed life to the fullest!
Dot loved country music and dancing, rodeos, and Las Vegas.
As a survivor of breast cancer, and someone whose life was affected by osteoporosis, in lieu of flowers, Dorothy would have appreciated a donation to either the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation or Osteoporosis Canada.

Larry Andrew Kjearsgaard
May 30, 1949 – March 31, 2023

It is with profound sadness that the family of Larry Andrew Kjearsgaard announce his sudden passing on Friday, March 31, 2023 at the age of 73.
A beloved husband, father, papa, brother, uncle, colleague, and friend; Larry’s zest for life was expressed in the form of numerous musical performances, extensive community involvement, officiating many levels of volleyball, playing old-timers hockey, travelling, exploring his Danish heritage, watching his beloved Edmonton Oilers, and of course revelling in every family activity and milestone. His positive outlook and engaging personality will be sorely missed by everyone who knew and loved Larry.
Larry was predeceased by his father Anders Kjearsgaard, mother Betty Kjearsgaard, brother-in-law Bill Kure, as well as several beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins on both the Kjearsgaard and Nielsen sides of the family. The memory of Larry will be cherished by his wife and life-long partner Faye; sons Ian, and Joel (Rachel); daughter Dana (Andrew); grandchildren Zachary (Miranda), Maeghan, Carson, Lydia, Remy, Sage and Anders; sisters Linda (Larry), Sonja, and Sharon (Perry); nieces Deanna (Jarett), and Karina (David), nephews Jess (Christiane), Landon, and Mitchell (Amber); great nieces and nephews; many cousins, relatives, and an immeasurable number of friends and colleagues.
Larry was the first of four children born in Edmonton to Andy and Betty Kjearsgaard. He was raised and attended all levels of his schooling in Edmonton, culminating in his graduation from the University of Alberta with his Bachelor of Education and teaching certificate. The first stretch of his professional career began at Consort School in Consort, Alberta where he eventually rose to position of school principal before moving in 1997 to assume the principalship of Spruce View School in Spruce View, Alberta, where he remained until his retirement in 2004. Education was more than a career to Larry; it was a passion that stayed with him long after his full-time career ended, prompting him to remain a ready and eager substitute up until the time of his passing.
However, it was in amidst the backdrop of the turbulence and societal changes of the late 1960’s that Larry found the two greatest loves of his life – music and his life-long partner Faye Anne Taylor. The varied sounds and impassioned messages of the ‘60’s music inspired Larry to join five close friends in forming the Edmonton-based band St. James Infirmary, contributing to a thriving local music scene, and cementing a life-long relationship with music and performing. Concurrent with his growing passion for music was the growing relationship with Faye that would result in the greatest accomplishments of Larry’s life, his marriage and his children.
It was during their time in Consort that Larry and Faye welcomed their three children: Ian, Dana, and Joel. It was also during this time that many of the other interests that came to define Larry took root. He undertook the role of coaching the Consort Stingers senior girls volleyball team, starting a relationship with the sport as a coach and official that stayed with Larry for life. He also took to community service, joining the local Kinsmen and volunteering with many projects and community events. Larry also started playing golf, and eventually men’s recreational hockey by working on his skating and quickly realizing that his key to ice time was honing his goalkeeping skills.
A few years following the graduation of Larry and Faye’s two oldest children, the opportunity to work in Spruce View near the site of the Kjearsgaard family homestead in the Dickson area, prompted the family to move and settle in the rural community of Markerville. It was here that Larry and Faye began the earnest journey of exploring the family’s Danish heritage and the impact of Scandinavian culture on the region to which they moved. It was in Markerville that Larry made some of the closest friendships that would endure for the remainder of his life.
Following his retirement, Larry embraced many community activities and committees, volunteering and serving with organizations including the Danish Canadian Museum, Red Deer Danish Canadian Club, Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society, and many more. It was also post retirement in 2007 that Larry and Faye immersed themselves at the Kalø Højskole near Rønde, Denmark. This time exploring his ancestral homeland resonated deeply with Larry who incorporated many Danish customs and traditions into his life and rejuvenated his connection with his family tree. It also provided several meaningful friendships from around the world for Larry and Faye that they continued to foster to this day.
A celebration of Larry’s life will be held later this spring followed by the placement of his ashes at the Tindastoll Cemetery near the community of Markerville. An announcement to the community will be forthcoming when the final details are arranged.
The family is grateful to the many first responders that attended and provided compassionate care and support. Thank you also to the Red Deer Funeral Home for their guidance during this difficult time.
Memorial donations may be made in Larry’s name to the Danish Canadian Museum or the Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society.

Raymond W. Kuhn
Aug. 3, 1946 – Apr. 14, 2023

In loving memory of Raymond W. Kuhn. On April 14th, 2023, at the age of 76, we lost a wonderful man who was taken too soon. Ray was a devoted husband to Gloria, loving father of Tyler and Trevor, doting grandfather of Austin, and a true friend to so many, many more. 
Ray was a kind, caring and giving person who always put the needs of others before his own. He was a strong, brilliant, hardworking man who faced every challenge in his life with courage and dignity. Ray was always there for us, and instilled in us the importance of family, and doing what is right. He was a true role model who taught us how to be the best of ourselves, and see the best in others.
Although Ray gave so much, and had so much more to give, his passing will have come as a great relief of pain and suffering to him. For those of us he leaves behind, a high toll remains, that of devastating sadness and loss, only time, fond memories and tears can ever pay. Ray will be deeply missed by everyone whose lives he touched, and we can’t thank him enough for being such a huge part of ours.
Dad, you will always be in our hearts and we will never forget you. We love you so much. Rest in peace.
At Raymond’s request, no funeral services will be held. Cards are welcome; in lieu of flowers or gifts, please donate to a charity that has touched your family, in Raymond’s name. Thank you.
Arrangements entrusted to Connelly-McKinley St. Albert Funeral Home.
To send condolences, please visit www.connelly-mckinley.com

Martha Fugard
Mar. 25, 1934 – Apr. 08, 2023

Martha Rose Fugard (nee McCullough), 89, of Consort, Alberta died April 08, 2023. She was born March 25, 1934, to Ella and Gordon McCullough.
Martha, the most gentle and caring woman, was a steadfast and devoted Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, Wife and friend, who is survived by her children Ross (Melanie), Lee, and Lynne (Andreas); grandchildren Aurelia and Elke; sisters Adah (Doug), Carole (Gord) and Lillian; her brother Grant (Joyce) and her multitude of nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her loving husband Cyril; brothers Robert and Bruce.
After graduating from the Nursing Aide course in Calgary, Martha began her nursing career in Bonnyville, Alberta. That kept her busy, but she desired to be stationed up north. She succeeded and was posted to Kugluktuk. It was there, she asked a dashing young RCMP officer for a dogsled ride. Martha and Cyril were married for 56 loving and adventurous years.
Martha quickly mastered anything dexterous, and the results were nothing short of phenomenal. She was proficient with baking, mastering the art of Pysanky eggs, crushed glass art, tufting and sewing. She shared this knowledge with her children and often showed them how to “patch” themselves up with first aid. Additional pursuits included Scottish country dancing, volunteering at the local museum, being a member of the Girl Guides of Canada, and being extremely deft with clearing out spiders and bats at the family’s most beloved cottage in Quebec.
Martha was a truly loving and accepting woman, whose knack to make anyone feel welcome will continue to inspire, and this impact will be forever felt by her family that loved her dearly.
A service will take place on May 26, 2023, 2 p.m. at the RCMP Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan (5907 Dewdney Ave., Regina, SK).
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Consort Hospital Auxiliary Society, Box 276, Consort, AB, T0C 1B0 or online at (https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/id/96921).

Bruce Murphy
1958 – 2023

Bruce Monroe Murphy passed away suddenly on May 12, 2023, at 64 years of age.
Bruce will be sadly missed by his brother, Patrick (Elaine); sisters, Ellen and Marianne; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bruce was predeceased by his parents, Albert and Frances; half-brother, Freddie; and his younger brother, Tim.
Bruce was born at the Consort Hospital and grew up on the family farm outside of Altario, Alberta. Bruce was the second of five children and grew up taking care of cattle and riding horses.
Bruce spent most of his adult life living in a group home for the mentally ill, where he received the care and support he needed to live a happy and fulfilling life. He formed close bonds with his caregivers and fellow residents, and he always looked forward to spending time with them. The staff at the group home loved him like family, and they will miss him dearly.
A Memorial Service will be held on June 17, 2023, at Connelly-McKinley Edmonton South Funeral Home at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery, 4820 Meridian Street, Edmonton Alberta. Interment will be at a later date at the Altario Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Everglades Lodge, 53215 RR21, Parkland County, Alberta T7Y 0C5 in Bruce’s memory.
To send condolences and get directions to the Edmonton South location, please visit www.connelly-mckinley.com

Vernon Harold Dempsey
Apr. 24, 1933 – May 14, 2023

Vernon Harold Dempsey of Stettler, Alberta, passed away on Sunday, May 14, 2023 at the age of 90 years.
Vern was born in Cabri, Saskatchewan on April 24, 1933 to Robert and Dora Dempsey. He was the second of four children (Hugh, Evelyn, and Floyd).
In the fall of 1949, Vern started Barber School in Regina, he was just 16 years old. After completing Barber School, he moved to Consort, Alberta, where he met his first love, Mae, at a local dance. They were married in Stettler, on May 20, 1953 where they raised their family. They were together for 57 years until Mae’s passing on October 10, 2009.
In 2017, Vern celebrated 65 years of barbering and was awarded with the Heritage Award at the Stettler Awards gala. He continued working until his retirement in October 2019.
Throughout his life, Vern enjoyed antique cars, dancing, and old-time music. He also had a passion for heavy horses and competed in pulling contests with his Belgians, Jim and Judy. Over the years, he was often awarded for his horsemanship and was the president of the light horse association of Botha.
In 2010, Vern started dating his long-time friend, Barb Jamieson, and on July 23, 2012, he was thrilled to marry the second love of his life. Vern and Barb did some travelling and enjoyed dancing, wagon treks, and attending Dinner Theatre.
On May 16, 2021 Vern suffered a major stroke and was moved to Heritage House where he lived out his remaining days.
Vern is survived by his loving wife, Barb Jamieson; his sister, Evelyn (Dale) Kroeger; his brother, Floyd (Val) Dempsey; his three daughters: Lynn Dempsey, Verna (Albert) Pakay, and Jo-Ann Dempsey; his two sons: Bruce (Laureen) Dempsey and Lee Dempsey (predeceased in 1984), as well as his three grandchildren: Cory Ingram, Rique Dempsey and Cole Dempsey, all of whom Vern adored.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alberta Heart and Stroke Foundation (100-119 14th Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1Z6.)
Funeral services were held Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 1:00 P.M. at the Stettler Funeral Home, 4707 – 70th Street, Stettler, Alberta.

Jack Philip Trieber
Nov. 28, 1931 – May 15, 2023

Jack was born in Schuler, Alberta on November 28, 1931, the seventh child of Philip and Bertha Trieber. Jack passed away peacefully on May 15, 2023 at Castor, Alberta.
He grew up in Redcliff and worked at the brick factory before becoming a relief agent with Canadian Pacific Rail. He married his wife of 68 years Mary Anne Schuster in 1955 and their growing family moved a total of 24 times over the next 10 years before Jack left the CPR to become the municipal administrator for the Village of Calmar. They moved to Consort in 1969 where he was the Secretary-Treasurer and established Consort Insurance Agencies. They stayed for 36 years, moving to Castor in 2005.
Jack was a devoted, supportive father to his seven children; Randal (Joy), Brenda (Terry Hepp), John (Jo-Anne), Dennis (deceased), Cathy (Richard Rothery), Alan (Brenda), and Miles (Tracy). He also leaves behind several grandchildren; Larissa (Robbie Lindmark), Natasha, Amberly, Alex, Mary, Nikole, Wy-Anne, Jack, Teddy, Annalisa and Austin; great-grandson Landon; younger brother Jim; brothers-in-law, Father John Schuster, Les Vachon; sisters in-law Lucille Schall, Darleen Schuster and Janice (Willis) Spencer and numerous nieces and nephews.
He will be greatly missed by us all.
Jack was predeceased by his son Dennis, daughter-in-law Jo-Anne; sisters Lillian, Emma, Florence and Sally; and brothers Ray and Howard.
A Funeral Mass for Jack was held on Monday, May 29, 2023 at 12:00 Noon in Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Castor, Alberta, with celebrant Father Roger Niedzielski.
Memorial donations in memory of Jack may be made to Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital Extended Care, Box 329, Castor, Alberta T0C 0X0, the Paintearth Lodge Foundation, Box 209, Castor, Alberta T0C 0X0 or a charity of your choice.
Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium were entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements. Friends of family wishing to send condolences may do so by visiting www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com

Rose Caron
June 7, 1961 – May 29, 2023

Rose May Caron was born June 7, 1961 in Calgary. She passed away May 29, 2023 at 61 years of age at the Coronation Hospital.
Rose was the daughter of Kathy Cluver and the late Hans Cluver. She is survived by her husband Mario Caron, her children Wayne (Angela) Dunnington, Pam Doiron, Terri (Mel) Mullet, grandchildren Nataysha, Ashley and Davin Dunnington, Christian Dafoe, Jorden, Tanner, Rylan Doiron, Vance and Emma Mullet, sisters Christine (Todd) MacDonald and Kathy Tidman, brother Steve Northam, as well as Aunt Maria Bognar and many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Tribute
by Jorden Doiron
My name’s Jorden, I am one of Rose’s grandchildren as many of you know.
My Grandma had a big impact on me and always taught me to do the best things. I’ve always looked up to my Grandma and I would do anything to hug her one last time. She’s helped me through things I couldn’t do without her and without my Grandma, many people wouldn’t have the amazing grad and wedding dresses they have today.
Every day with her was special. I’ll miss picking out ingredients for our dairy-free cookies, helping her clean her sewing room, I’ll miss her hugs and her telling me to stop talking in my sleep. She never judged and always helped everyone.
My Grandma always made everybody around her laugh. She made sure everybody was alright. My Grandma was the the most sweet and caring woman I’ve ever met. She always made time for you even on her busiest days.
I loved her so much and I always will.

Donald Cornelius Fawcett
Jan. 29, 1941 – June 17, 2023

Donnie was born at the Consort Hospital on January 29, 1941, the third son to Neil and Allison Fawcett in a family of six children.
Don passed away in Consort on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at the age of 82.
Donnie was predeceased by his wife Laura, his brothers Charles Fawcett and Keith Fawcett, sister Jean Fawcett, sister in law Donna Fawcett and brothers in law Leonard Golby and Edward Golby.
He is survived by his sons Myron (Tracey) Fawcett and Robert Fawcett, daughter Heather (Ryan) Gilmer, grandchildren Jared (Ashley) Fawcett, Robin (Kyle) Bye and Alyssa (Layne) Ference, great grandchildren: Eve, Fletcher and Raylene Bye, brothers Doug (Adah) Fawcett and Alan (Janice) Fawcett and his sisters and brothers in law Inge Fawcett, Annette Golby, Clarence (Donna) Golby, Allan (Cheryl) Golby, Larry (Donna) Golby, Roger (Sherry) Golby, and Brian (Kathy) Golby and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service for Donnie was held on Friday, June 23 at 1:00 p.m. at Knox United Church, Consort, Alberta. Memorial donations can be made in memory of Donnie to the Consort Hospital or the Lakeroad Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family; please visit www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com.
Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Eulogy
by Kirk Sortland
Thank you all for being here today as we’ve gathered to honor the life and legacy of Donald Cornelius Fawcett. For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Kirk Sortland, and it’s an honor to be up here to say a few words about a great man.
To each of us here, Donnie was either Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Donnie, Donnie, or simply Don. No matter what we called him, he held a special place in each of our hearts that will always be remembered with great fondness.
Donnie was born in the Consort Hospital on January 29, 1941, the third son to Neil and Allison Fawcett in a family of six children. From an early age this curly blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy was drawn to rural life and all things related to ranching.
Donnie loved his family and friends deeply, but his passions were his ranch and animals. Donnie was happiest when he was out in nature, surrounded by his farm animals and wildlife. He really was a steward of the land.
Donnie attended Consort School from Grades 1-12 and graduated in 1960. Soon after that, he attended Olds College and graduated with a diploma in Agriculture.
After finishing college Don started working on the family farm. Then after his father died in 1964, he, along with his brother Doug, bought the family farm and worked together there until 1972 when the farms parted as the families grew.
On November 30, 1963, he married Laura Golby and they moved from their house in town to the family farm about four years later. Donnie and Laura went on to have three children: Myron, Robert, and Heather.
In 1975, he bought the Evan Price place down in the Hemaruka area. Donnie loved to stay there in the spring to check the calves and fix fences. He said it was so peaceful down there and it was nice to get away for a while.
Donnie always embraced ranch life and was an extremely hard worker who was dedicated to doing things the right way. Life on the ranch required total commitment in Donnie’s eyes, keeping everything running smoothly on the ranch was a full-time job. When Donnie was a young man, his father would tell the boys that he would take them out fishing to Long Lake if they finished their work in the fields. It was always great motivation for Don and his brothers to work hard so they could have some fun. It was always a work first, play later mentality.
When someone could pry him away from the ranch, which wasn’t often, it was usually to head out on a short fishing or hunting trip. He loved to take his horse or quad into the mountains with his friends and he’d always have a good time, but would worry about things at home. He never stayed away too long.
Luckily, one year Laura was able to convince him to travel up to Yukon and Alaska with their very good friends Jim and Diane Bailey. Donnie loved it there and he said the scenery was spectacular. That trip also gave him time to let loose a little and relax; he was quite impressed with the turn of the century costumed dancing girls and was able to pose for a picture with them. With the help of a couple friends that picture even made it into the Consort Enterprise. Donnie and Laura also went on a couple of trips to Vegas and Montana with friends but mostly, he was a homebody.
I never had the pleasure of joining in on one of those trips, but I heard many of the stories. I’m sure you all know that Donnie was a world class worrier. One time they had driven quite a way into the bush on a dirt trail and then packed in the rest of the way on the quads. Donnie had mentioned that if it rained, they would be stuck in there as they’d never get out on those roads if they were muddy. Sure enough at the end of the trip it started raining at 2:00 in the morning. Donnie tried rousting everyone out of bed so they could pack up and get going. It didn’t work, I’m sure he laid there fretting until daylight when he was able to gain some cooperation. They managed to make it out but it wasn’t easy.
On another one of those trips Robert had gotten bored with looking for the ever elusive elk, and decided to spend some time fishing the Brazaeu River. Donnie went with, and I’m just guessing here but I assume it was to make sure Robert didn’t fall in and drown. Robert was peacefully gazing out over the river when a rifle shot scared the daylights out of him. Two bull elk had walked out 250 yards away and Donnie had shot one of them. Robert never got an elk that trip….. or a fish. He never took his fishing rod along on another hunting trip.
His worries weren’t always unfounded of course as when you are ranching there is a never ending source of things to go wrong, and when something did, you may hear him pose the question, WHY, WHY, WHY!
One of Robert’s fondest memories of his dad was when Don gave him his first single shot .22, which had been Don’s father’s. He was 11 or 12 and I’m sure the sermon was lengthy before he was allowed to head out with it on his own with strict instructions to “be careful or else”. Like many kids at that age Robert was quite the know it all and headed on out. The second or third time using it he managed to narrowly miss shooting his big toe off his right foot, he knew well enough to keep that a secret and doctored himself up. Don never did find out about that one.
There are many things we inherit from our parents. I think Donnie has passed along some good traits for sure. Not that he wanted to, but I think Myron is taking over the worrying for him. Now it’s Jared trying to ease Myron’s worries, instead of Myron trying to ease Don’s. Whether Jared takes over in years to come we will have to see, but there is one story that makes me sure there are similarities between them all. The three of them were headed down to the Price place one day. Jared was around 10 and they hadn’t made it very far before he had fallen asleep. Myron was getting dozy himself but didn’t realize how tired he was until he woke up at the correction line south of Veteran. Donnie had pulled the truck over and the three of them were having a heck of a nap on the side of the road. Myron was plenty awake after envisioning Dillon coming along and catching them all there sleeping, so he took over and drove the rest of the way.
Don was an avid hunter, fisherman, and photographer. His collection of guns would impress any gun collector. He was a long-time member of the Nose Hills Gun Club and had a great affinity for auction sales which I believe has been passed down to his son Robert. Don made many additions to his desired inventory and collected vast amounts of arrowheads, ammunition and knives, and assorted western memorabilia. I remember coming home from gun shows or Bud Haynes auction sales and as we pulled in the yard being instructed not to tell Laura about any of his purchases because she had told him clearly that he wasn’t buying any more guns until he bought her new cupboards!
Don was a lover of animals and had many loyal horses and dogs throughout his lifetime. He said he didn’t really like cats much but during his time at the Long-Term Care he told Laura that she needed to bring in some cat treats for the resident cat “Felix”. Felix could often be found hanging out in Don’s bedroom there. Heather tried to shoo him away from his bed one day and her dad got mad at her and told her to leave Felix alone! This was a bit out of character because Don was usually a man of few words unless of course it involved the bulls, or he was dealing with an unruly cow and then there were several colorful words used.
He had a strong character and was well known for being difficult at times. Donnie was a seriously determined and stubborn man. When he had made his decision, he stuck with it till the bitter end! And when he felt strongly about something, it was unlikely you were going to change his mind. Once when they were shorthanded in the field, Heather was asked to drive silage truck. It was one of the first times she had hauled anything in a big truck. It was all going swimmingly until she side swiped the silage cutter. Donnie relieved her of her duties immediately. I don’t believe he ever asked her to drive silage truck again.
Don was extremely loyal to those who knew him. Honesty was always important to him too. Uncle Jim (Sortland) always said that he was 110% honest. Honesty was something he respected above all else, he practiced it himself and expected it of others. There may have been a time or two when his kids were caught in a lie and it was not forgotten easily. He did not suffer fools or liars.
Like many older ranchers, I’m not sure he shared his feelings with his kids but he was proud of them, and he even had to admit that even though he didn’t agree with all the farming going on on the ranch, Myron’s farming practices were a vast improvement over the previous ways.
Donnie felt blessed to have three wonderful grandchildren and three great grandchildren and was so happy every time one of them was in his presence. It was always a treasured treat when Robin would stop in with the grandkids at long term care for a visit.
When Alyssa was small, she would always turn one of those clear carpet protectors with the sharp little points upside down before Don came in for supper. Even when he wasn’t in the best of moods, he’d never get mad or upset with her after stepping onto her trap. He’d always just give her a smile, he would however get even sometimes.
Family was important to Don. I think he always felt an unwavering responsibility to his family name, with the Fawcett’s being one of the pioneer families in the Consort area. He felt a deep responsibility to always do the right thing and act in a respectable way to uphold his family name. And he expected that his kids should pay the same respect. Donnie’s legacy will continue to live on through his family.
Donnie moved into Consort Long Term Care in August 2018, when he could no longer stay at home on the ranch. This was an extremely difficult time for him. The family would like to extend their gratitude to everyone at Consort Long Term Care who helped with this transition and provided such great care for him during his time there.
I knew Donnie my whole life I guess, I remember as a preschooler tagging along with him and dad to farm sales, seeing him at brandings, (once watching in amazement as he came off his horse fighting mad at what he thought he’d heard one of the ground crew say). I helped a time or two at his brandings and at silage time. I’ve travelled to gun shows and sales with him and visited at their kitchen table. He was a heck of a guy. He could be hot tempered, maybe even go blind with rage occasionally but heck, cattle can bring that out in the best of us. We had many shared interests and I respected him a lot. He was soft spoken and had a humorous and mischievous side that I was lucky enough to see a time or two. I’m sure he would have done anything he could to help a friend.
Rest easy, Donnie. You’re going to be missed!

Thank you from the family of Donnie Fawcett
Thank you to our family, friends, neighbours and the community for all of your kindness and generosity during this difficult time. We appreciate all of your visits, calls, texts, flowers, food and donations to the Hospital Auxiliary and Lake Road Cemetery in Dad’s memory. Thank you to the staff at Parkview Funeral Home, Reverend Kwon, Adah Fawcett and Kirk Sortland for the beautiful service. We also want to acknowledge Pat and Charlotte Gilmer for their lovely music, the pallbearers – Kit Sortland, Kale Sortland, Gerald Fawcett, Jared Fawcett, Kyle Bye and Layne Ference, and the Knox United Church ladies for providing the delicious lunch. We are so grateful to you all!
Sincerely,
Myron & Tracey Fawcett
and family
Robert Fawcett and
family
Heather & Ryan Gilmer

Jean Thornton
June 10, 1931 – July 4, 2023

Born on June 10, 1931, in Myrnam, Alberta to Mary and Harry Ferbey, she was the sixth of eight children.  Due to hard times, she went into an orphanage in Edmonton, Alberta at the age of just two years old. She was adopted by Jerome and Emelia Keller in December of 1939 and moved to her new home on a farm near Compeer, Alberta.
Jean attended school at Compeer where she rode her best horse Trigger to school every day. Upon completion of school, she gained employment teaching correspondence at the Farming Valley, Upland, and Naco schools.  She then moved to Consort and worked in the restaurant where she met Ralph Thornton in the summer of 1953. They married on June 29, 1954, and then resided in their first 4-room house on the farm near Sedalia Alberta. They built a new house on the same plot of land where she resided until moving into the Oyen Lodge in 2018.  They quickly welcomed their first child Lorrie followed by Ralph, Dallas, Tracy, and Tanice.
Mom was always knitting, cooking, or cleaning, usually with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. She was well known for her famous perogies and was scolded by her grandsons if she ever forgot them at a holiday supper. She loved to follow Ralph around the world watching him play hockey; she particularly enjoyed Japan. She did not, however, like it when someone hurt Ralph on the ice and can be remembered hitting players with her purse a time or two. She was a huge fan of all sports; there was not a hockey night in Canada she missed as I am sure the neighbours could hear as she yelled at the screen. She has gone to her grave with the secret of whether she was a true Oilers or Flames fan.
Family was by far her greatest accomplishment; family gatherings were the highlight of her life. Not a holiday ever went by when her house was not full of laughter and food. Her home was always welcoming to all visitors, and you were guaranteed to leave with a full stomach and a caffeine high.  As technology evolved, she was so excited to join the world of Facebook where she could see friends and family new and old. There she learned the new skill of facetiming and as long as she had a way to communicate with her family, she was happy.
Jean was well known at all the local craft shows for her beautiful, knitted sweaters and as she aged, and her eyesight started to fail, reading the patterns was no longer possible so she would knit small blankets and toques for the NICU as well as special items for the kids at the New Brigden School.
She was a shopaholic and was probably Avon’s #1 customer. A trip to Medicine Hat was never complete without a vehicle full of wool and chocolate bars. Then trying to sneak it into the house into the secret hiding spots before Papa got home from the field (usually with a bouquet of wildflowers) sometimes presented a challenge.
Jean was 92 years old but if you asked her, she was working on her 93rd year at the time of her passing. She was an amazing wife, mother, daughter, sister, auntie, grandmother, and great Granny Goose as her great grandchildren affectionately nicknamed her.
She will be missed not only for the way she made everyone feel welcomed and loved, but also for her infectious and sometimes inappropriate sense of humour. She told us her goal at the Lodge was to leave every resident she encountered during the day with a smile, and I can guarantee she did just that.
She was a woman of strong faith but quietly practiced her Catholic faith in her home never missing her nighttime prayers and always making the sign of the cross as she passed any cemetery on her travels, a trait that has been passed down to many of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. 
She leaves to cherish her memory her children: Daughter Lorrie (Nelson) Tye, Son Ralph (Michele) Thornton, Daughter Tracy (Shawn) Nunweiler, Daughter Tanice Thornton and Son in Law Pat (Kay) Craney. Her grandchildren: Riley (Savanna and children Quade, Keller, and Cabrie), Branden (Lauren), Quinten (children Keilan, Sloane, and Griffen). Kendall (Diana), Garret (Andrea and children Braxton, Paisley, and Kiptyn), Aaron (Karen Ann and children Talen, Kailyn, Georgia, and Lily), as well as their mother Vickie Christianson. Carley (Josh) Faba, and Tanner (Brianne) Thornton.  Sayler (Dustin and children Madison, Emily, Rylan, and Owen) Steinke, Eboney (Ryan and daughter Monroe), and Katlin (Angel and daughter Thea).  Alex Neill (daughter Emily), and Dana Neill (children Bentley and Brezlyn).  Tyson (son Beckett), and April (Jackson and son Duncan) Giroux.  As well as sisters-in-law Jean Skeich, Shirley Sortland and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was welcomed with open arms as she crossed over by her loving husband Ralph, daughter Dallas Craney, as well as great grandsons Elijah and Noah.  Her siblings Nick, Anne (Metro) Hruschak, Kay (Urban) Knabel, Dorothy (Andy) McGaughey, Marie (Albert) Schedlosky, Bill (Tillie) Ferbey, Otto Skeich and sisters-in-law Elaine (Henry) Durksen, Eileen Carless, and brother-in-law Don Sortland.
Memorial tributes may be directed to New Brigden Community Association, Box 43, New Bridgen, Alberta T0J 2G0, etransfer to newbrigden@gmail.com
Mass of Christian Burial took place on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Oyen, Alberta with Father Rodel Abanto presiding. 
To leave messages of condolences please go to:
ofsmacleans.com 
Funeral arrangements in care of MacLean’s Funeral Home, Oyen, Alberta.

Leslie Joseph Carey
Feb. 27, 1941 – July 22, 2023

Les was born in Cabri, Saskatchewan February 27, 1941. As a young boy, he moved with his parents, to a farm in the Little Gem/Hemaruka area where he grew up and attended Lothain school. He had many eventful days with his brother Allen and father on the farm, riding horses, pulling wagons, and chasing other barn yard animals. When he was 17 he went to SAIT and received his welders license as well as his Heavy Duty Mechanic license. He worked as a heavy duty mechanic in Chinook at the garage, McFetridge Motors and Kroeger Bros. in Consort, Stettler and Eckville. He stayed with Massey Ferguson the longest out of his jobs and always loved the Massey Ferguson red of the tractors.
Les spent many years working around the community that he grew up in. He was also a volunteer firefighter and served his community for years. Les settled in Stetter and spent many hours out in the fields fixing tractors and cultivating friendships with all the farmers around the countryside. He spent hours enjoying the outdoors that he loved so much by gardening, playing with his grandchildren, puttering around his garage, bird watching, partaking in his grandchildren’s activities such as brownies, scouts, cadets, and music and dance functions, and square dancing away many nights with his late wife Joan.
He met his second wife, Joan in 1982, through a news paper ad he answered. They went out square dancing, and three months later were married. Together they spent 41 years, dancing, raising many children, fosters and grandchildren, gardening, talking, laughing and sharing their favorite summertime snack of rhubarb.
He is predeceased by his wife Joan; parents George and Hazel Carey and brother Alan. Survived by sister Marcene (Jerry Kraft); daughter Leanne Carey; son Colin Carey; step children: Elaine (Brozny) Betts, Greg Brozny, James Brozny, and Kevin Brozny; twenty grandchildren; thirty three great grandchildren; one niece; three nephews as well as numerous cousins and many dear
friends.
Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady Of Grace, Catholic Church, Castor, Alberta on Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com
Parkview Funeral Chapels and Crematorium entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Donald John Gramlich
June 9, 1930 – Aug. 11, 2023

Donald John Gramlich was born on June 9, 1930 in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan, to parents Anton and Eleanor Gramlich. Don passed away peacefully on August 11, 2023 in the Long Term Care center of the Consort, Hospital, at the age of 93 years.
In 1956, at age 25, Don married Gwen Hagen, his wife of 65 years. After a short stay in Saskatchewan, they relocated to Altario, Alberta – where they settled permanently and raised their family. Don and Gwen retired to the Consort Seniors Lodge in 2017. After Gwen’s passing in 2021, Don continued to live at the Lodge right up until he was relocated to the Consort Long Term Care facility.
Don spent the vast majority of his life in Altario. Over those years he was a husband, a father, a Grandfather – and most recently, a three time Great Grandfather. And over that same time he was also a friend to many, as well as an active community member. Don was born into a farming family, and after a short stint of the same livelihood, he switched gears and began a lengthy career in automotive mechanics. Don began apprenticing in automotive garages in Altario and Compeer, and after several years (of apprenticing and attending SAIT in Calgary, while at the same time supporting a family) Don became a licensed automotive mechanic. Don eventually purchased the garage in Altario, and formed his own business which he very proudly named East Country Motors. Don was mechanically industrious and creative, and with the aid of a few very basic shop tools, he mastered all projects from the small to the large (including complete engine rebuilds to building his own snowplow to building his own tow truck). Aside from routine in-house automotives, he also spent years making trips to the fields to repair and revive broken down agricultural equipment, winch vehicles out of ditches and snowbanks, or tow those vehicles back to his garage. Don also upgraded his driver’s license and for twenty years he drove school bus for the Altario School (and over those years also made many trips taking school kids on field trips and to sport competitions). Don was also Altario’s first volunteer firefighter and fire chief, a capacity he served in for decades – and he even renovated his automotive garage to provide a dedicated storage area for the first few firetrucks provided by Special Areas to the Kirriemuir, Altario and Compeer (KAC) region. Don even had a stint at bartending when he and Gwen ran the Altario Hotel for a few years. Don was also an active community member, involved with little league baseball coaching and driving kids to games, community hall operations – and was instrumental in getting the residences of the town of Altario connected to the municipal wastewater lagoon. He enjoyed the game of disking and literally for decades would concoct a team and travel to bonspiels in the area. Deer hunting season was always something he enjoyed. In his younger years he often went with Gwen’s family (the in-laws) or longtime friends from Altario, and in later years with his own family and their friends. For Don, these trips afield were as much about getting out and observing the countryside as they were about hunting deer. In fact, up until the last couple of years, Don would just get in his vehicle and embark on leisurely drives simply to check out the countryside. And while describing Don’s life, it would be remiss not to mention his favorite pastime – which was always a good card game. And now that Queen of Spades has called upon Don.
Don leaves to mourn his passing, Son, Rod (Ann) Gramlich (Edmonton); Son, Doug (Bonnie) Gramlich (Kimberley, B.C.); Daughter, Anita Ference (Dave Jakubec) (Camrose); Granddaughters, Melanie Gramlich (Edmonton); Janelle (Jorge) Campo (Calgary) and Great Grandchildren, Kalila Campo and Alarik Campo; Grandson, Matthew (Nicole) Ference (Consort); Granddaughter, Chantel Ference (Breylan Videsjorden) (Edmonton) and Great Grandson, Jace Videsjorden; Grandson, Dakkota Gramlich (Altario); Brother, Joe Gramlich (Saskatoon); Sister, Jovita Schiebelbein (Kindersley); Sisters-in-law, Ann Hagen (Provost), Gertie Gramlich (Saskatoon) and Jackie Gramlich (Red Deer); as well as scores upon scores of nieces, nephews and lifelong friends.
Don was predeceased by his Wife, Gwen Gramlich (2021); Daughter, Marcella Gramlich (2011); Son-in-law, Ervin Ference; Parents, Anton and Eleanor Gramlich; Sisters, Mary Schiebelbein, Minnie Farr and Irene Rieger; Brothers, Anton, Wendlin, John, Willie and Les Gramlich.
Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at the Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in Consort, with Father Christopher Selvaraj Rayappan SAC officiating. Private Family Graveside took place at the Altario Cemetery.
Don’s Service was livestreamed for those who were unable to attend in person, and is accessible through the GFH website.
Gregory’s Funeral Home entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Alfred D. Cook (Unk)
Nov. 5, 1940 – Sept. 5, 2023

The family of Alfred is saddened by his passing on September 5 at the Kindersley Hospital surrounded by family, after a short but courageous battle with cancer.
Alfred was born November 5, 1940 to Albert and Margaret Cook. He grew up on the family farm along with his five older brothers, north of Loverna. As a youngster, he attended school at Antelope Park, was involved in 4-H, and helped out on the farm. He was a horseman, a rancher, and a farmer, and he enjoyed farming with his brother Dave and his nephew Les immensely.
Alfred had ten nephews and nieces, and even more great-nephews and great-nieces, all of whom he was very close to. He was affectionally called “Unk” by Les when Les was very little, and the name stuck with him throughout the years.
Unk was always involved and proud of the Loverna community. He was a member of the Loverna Sports Club, and was a volunteer at the many rodeos and sports days that were held over the years. He curled at the Loverna rink. He was always eager and willing to help out wherever needed, including at the Hall and the Cemetery.
Alfred married Fern and together they spent their time travelling to various destinations including a trip to the Maritimes, bus trips to several states, and a cruise to Alaska. In the winters they enjoyed watching curling on TV, and even attended the Brier.
After Fern passed away, Unk retired to Kindersley where he spent his time visiting with family and friends. He enjoyed working in his little garden, watching curling, reading, and going to Humpty’s for lunch.
Alfred will be missed dearly by his brother Bert, sister-in-law Helen, and his nephews, nieces, and their families: Ron (Jackie), Bernie (Bonnie), Elaine (Lyle), Les (Lisa), Colleen, Glen (Linda), Sylvia (Bill), Ted (Shelley), Gloria (Cliff), Doris (Eldon).
Alfred is predeceased by his parents, Albert and Margaret, brothers George, Joe, Ab, and Dave, sister-in-law Myrtle and Fern, who was sister-in-law, friend, and later wife.
His family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at Kindersley Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital for their kindness and compassion.
Donations in memory of Alfred can be made to the Loverna Cemetery, Box 30 Loverna, SK. S0L 1A0

Paul John Evaskevich
Oct. 9, 1930 – Sept. 8, 2023

Paul John Evaskevich, beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, passed away peacefully on September 8, 2023, at 92. He leaves behind a legacy of love, generosity, and community involvement that touched the lives of many.
Paul was born on October 9, 1930, in Kirriemuir, Alberta, the youngest of fourteen children to Anna and Alexander Evaskevich. His life journey led him to Grande Prairie in 1953, where he found the love of his life, Coreen Hotte, whom he married on July 15, 1961. Together, they embarked on a remarkable journey filled with love and adventure with their three children, Dorothy, Maureen, and Grant. Paul was a dedicated husband and father who worked tirelessly to provide for his family, ensuring they felt cherished and cared for every day.
Paul’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to obtain his real estate license shortly after moving to Grande Prairie. He founded Granco Real Estate and, by 1965, had acquired Alberta Lands and Rimrock Realty, expanding his ventures into building houses and apartments. Paul and Coreen realized their dream when they purchased Hidden Valley Ranch and built their dream home in 1991. The ranch became a hub of joy and celebration, where they hosted sled rides, barn dances, and unforgettable gatherings for friends and family.
Family always held a special place in Paul’s heart. He was unwavering in supporting Coreen, their children, and their grandchildren. His warmth, hugs, attention, and generosity knew no bounds, and he never asked for anything in return. He reveled in playtime with the children, eagerly embracing each opportunity for fun and laughter. He served as a pillar of strength, offering guidance and encouragement to his children and grandchildren, leaving an indelible mark on their lives.
An avid outdoorsman, Paul’s love for adventure and the great outdoors was contagious. He shared his passion for hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, and trail riding with his children and grandchildren, instilling a deep appreciation for nature in them. A true cowboy at heart, having grown up on a ranch, he cherished his Wapiti Lake trail rides with friends.
Paul’s wanderlust led him and Coreen to explore every corner of the globe. Music played a central role in the Evaskevich household. The melodies of cowboy songs, sung in harmony by Coreen and Paul with their guitars, filled the home. He even attempted to teach everyone the art of yodeling, without much success.
Despite the demands of raising a family and building a successful business, Paul remained deeply committed to giving back to his community. His dedication was evident through his involvement with the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, as founding chairman of the Downtown Association, and in leadership roles with various organizations, including the Grande Prairie Real Estate Board, the Home Builders Association, and the Northwestern Polytechnic (formally Grande Prairie Regional College). Paul’s philanthropic spirit extended internationally, as he volunteered in Warsaw twice with Canadian Executive Services. His dedication was recognized with awards such as Kinsman of the Year and Rotarian of the Year, NWP Award of Distinction, and the Centennial Award. In 2022, Paul and Coreen generously established the Paul and Coreen Evaskevich Health Education Scholarship at Northwestern Polytechnic.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents and his thirteen siblings. He is survived by his loving wife, Coreen Evaskevich; his children Dorothy Evaskevich, Maureen Evaskevich, and Grant Evaskevich; as well as his cherished grandchildren Zachary MacDonald, Jessica MacDonald (Alex Kucey), Drew Cameron, Kate Cameron and Brielle Evaskevich (Brielle’s mom Kim), and niece Marilyn Stenvall, along with many nieces and nephews.
The service will take place at Bear Creek Funeral Home on Saturday, September 30, at 1:30 p.m., followed by a reception. The interment will take place in the Kirriemuir Cemetery in Kirriemuir, Alberta on Monday October 2 at 11:00 a.m. Instead of flowers, a donation can be made to the Salvation Army or a charity of your choice.
To join the service by livestream please follow the link on Paul’s obituary on Bear Creek Funeral Home website: bcfh.ca
Care entrusted to Bear Creek Funeral Home, 780-830-7742.

Joyce Cressman
Sept. 27, 1934-Sept. 21, 2023

Joyce Cressman of Camrose, Alberta, was born September 27, 1934 and passed away on September 21, 2023 at the age of 88 years.
She is survived by her daughter Shauna Cressman (Dwayne); son Darin Cressman (Marcelin); two step-sons Richard Hagen (Michelle) and Darin Hagen; grandchildren Daniela Hagen, Maria Hagen, James Hagen, Charles Hagen, Richelle Hagen, Andy Cressman, Jon Cressman, Zack Cressman, and Jack Monroe; great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, relatives, and many friends.
Joyce was predeceased by her husband Ron Hagen and daughter Gail Cressman.
At her request, no funeral service will be held.
Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Care entrusted to Weber Funeral Home.

Marion Muriel Coulton
April 2, 1934 – September 17, 2023

We are celebrating the life of our beloved mother and grandmother Marion Muriel Coulton (nee Schieman). In her 89 years, Marion became a respected and cherished member of the Consort community.
 Born in Saskatchewan and raised on a family farm near Rosenfeld, Manitoba, Marion married William Coulton in 1960. Bill left us in 2017. Together they ran their Consort-area farm where they brought up two children, and are survived by, Jean (Tim le Riche) and Rob (Cindy). She also leaves grandchildren Jeremy (Alex), Garrett (Julianne), Dylon, twins Alexander and Gillian, and Megan. She has two great-grandchildren, Jackson-Jai and newborn Bodhi.
 She is also survived by her brother Len (Lil) Schieman as well as seven nieces and nephews. But she was predeceased by her sister Irma, brother-in-law John and his wife Mary, and sister-in-law Betty.
 Marion was a steadfast community volunteer only stepping back in the last year. Her garden, orchard and flowerbeds were well-tended and loved. Travelling – far and near – with Bill and friends gave her joy. So did painting and crafting.
 Marion was a faithful member of Knox United Church in Consort, where her service was held on September 30, 2023, with Reverend OhWang Kwon officiating, and grandson Alexander Coulton giving the tribute. Grandson Jeremy le Riche was the urn bearer while the other five grandchildren were honorary pallbearers. Marion and Bill now rest together at Lakeroad Cemetery.
 We know she would appreciate donations to the Lakeroad Cemetery or Consort Hospital Auxiliary.
 Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium were entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements. Condolences may be viewed or sent to the family through them at https://parkviewfuneralchapels.com

Tribute
Presented by Alexander Coulton
Grandma Marion never wanted to be the centre of attention, but we’re here today to talk about her – which might not please her, but we think we can get away with it.
She was the eldest of three children brought up in the era of rationing and having to make do, which had an influence throughout her life. The Schieman family instilled a deep sense of faith and community that were also core to her being.
After finishing school, she moved to Winnipeg with sister Irma where she worked various jobs – including being a ward aide at the Princess Elizabeth Municipal Hospital. Then, in her mid 20s, she decided to travel the country, but needed to fundraise along the way. She headed west, answering an ad for domestic help on a farm in Alberta. And that’s where the trip ended, because she met my Grandpa Bill on that farm.
But it wasn’t the end of travelling. My auntie remembers Grandma telling Grandpa that she’d saved enough money for her to fly to England – having banked the same amount Grandpa had spent on cigarettes, and that if he quit smoking maybe he’d have enough money to go with her. It was their first trip abroad, but not their last, because Grandma kept organizing holidays for them – travelling quite a lot with tour groups and friends. Happily, Grandma also eventually got to see most of Canada, although she regretted not making it to Newfoundland.
On the farm, Grandma’s garden, orchard and flowerbeds were her pride and joy. She did a lot of work to beautify the yard and won an award for it. As I’m finding out, it really is a lot of work, but I promise to do my best to keep it up to her standards. Marion also worked in the fields, including driving the combine despite being terrified of hills – which didn’t exist in southern Manitoba.
Fear of being in front of an audience was another challenge Grandma overcame to teach continuing education courses in crocheting and other handicrafts. Over the years she also demonstrated spinning at the school, and helped teach sewing to 4H kids – as recently as a couple of years ago. As well, her sewing talent morphed into upholstery, helping Grandpa make buggies and sleighs. She also took courses to learn how to refinish furniture, improve her bread baking and oil paint (to name a few). We’ve been inspired by her talents and some of us have even learned to be a bit crafty. Our family is all glad to have keepsakes she sewed, tatted, crocheted, or painted.
We treasure her recipes for cinnamon buns, donuts, inside-outside pants (trust us they’re deep-fried deliciousness) and perogy dough. We grandkids were all taught at a young age how to form a perogy – with varying degrees of enthusiasm and success. Thankfully, our skills have improved, and perogy-making day continues as a tradition in our house and my auntie’s.
Grandma has been a steadfast member of this church for more than 60 years, volunteering with the UCW throughout – organizing and contributing to more fall suppers and luncheons than we can count. She taught Sunday school too. The hospital auxiliary and food bank were other groups she gave her time to. For years she scheduled volunteers at the New to You Store and continued to work there herself until recently.
Her Sudoku puzzle and a book were constantly at hand. Grandma was always up for a rousing game of Scrabble with her brother or daughter, building a puzzle with friends at the lodge, or a card game with as many of us who were around the table.
No more rows to hoe Grandma; we will miss you.
Card of Thanks
To everyone who sent cards and flowers or visited Marion at the hospital – know that you warmed her soul. In her words, “I am so lucky.” The compassion of the care teams, at both the Coronation and Consort hospitals, was very much appreciated. Special recognition goes to Reverends OhWang Kwon and Darrel Durksen, who gave spiritual support. In particular, Mom would’ve been pleased that Reverend Kwon came back to officiate her service. A heartfelt thanks to the Knox UCW who provided a lovely luncheon (Mom would’ve definitely approved) and to everyone who came to honour Mom.
To those who reached out to our family with cards, texts, calls, flowers, and hugs – we send back our love and deep gratitude.
Jean, Tim and family
Rob, Cindy and family

Diane “Peggy” Forrester
July 2, 1946 – Sept. 29, 2023

It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we say goodbye to Peggy Forrester. She will be deeply missed by her husband of almost 58 years, Dave; her three sons Greg (Charlotte), Darcy (Evelyn) and Dean (Terri); brothers Alan (Laurie) Code, Lorne (Karen) Code; brother-in-law Larry Olson; grandchildren Tamara (Peter) Rutz, Kimberly (Marco) Sutter, Mark (Kourtney) Forrester, Sierra, Ashley (Daniel) Bayliss, Chantelle, Rebecca, Josh, Samantha, Taylor and Madison; as well as 14 Great Grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Peggy was predeceased by her parents Charlie and Doris Code; sister Linda Olson; parents-in-law Ernie and Muriel Forrester; brother-in-law Glen Forrester and sister-in-law Barbara Pooley.
Peggy will be remembered for her passion for quilting and watching curling (and sometimes doing both at the same time).
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Peggy are gratefully accepted to the Stettler Health Services Foundation – The White Rose Program.
Condolences may be sent to the family, please visit www.stettlerfuneralhome.com.
Stettler Funeral Home & Crematorium entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Wayne John Sieben
Aug. 31, 1956-Oct. 27, 2023

Wayne John Sieben passed away peacefully with his family by his side at the Lacombe Hospital and Care Centre on October 27, 2023 at the age of 67, after a short battle with cancer.
Wayne will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 46 years, Joan; and his children: Amy, Rebecca (Luke), Sarah (Johan), Nicholas, and his beloved grandson Lucas. Wayne is also survived by his sisters and brothers: Mary Ann Bazylinski, Cecilia (Gerry) McEachern, Diane Brough, Dennis Sieben, Karen (Danny) Wildeman, Lucy (Larry) Schroh, Terry Sieben, and Caroline (Darryl) Tkach; in-laws: Vern (Barb) Schiebelbein, Bernadette (Barry) Stubbington, Gerri Olfert, Marian (Randy) Chotowetz, and Maynard (Debbie) Schiebelbein; numerous nieces, nephews, friends and coworkers. 
Wayne was predeceased by his parents August and Caroline Sieben; in-laws Jacob and Paula Schiebelbein; brothers-in-law Lorne Bazylinski, Dean Brough, and Bert Olfert; and his niece April Tkach.
We would like to thank the doctors and nurses at the Lacombe Hospital, Wayne’s oncologist Doctor Sawyer, and special Nurse Jamie for the exceptional care that Wayne received these last seven months. 
As per Wayne’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lacombe Palliative Care Society:
https://www.lacombepalliativecare.com
Condolences may be made by visiting www.wilsonsfuneralchapel.ca

Mylinda Klarer
May 20, 1964-Oct. 30, 2023

Mylinda was born May 20, 1964 to parents, Ralph and Mary Morris. She was born and raised in Consort, Alberta, the second youngest out of eight.
My Heart, Our Legacy, Our Life:
(Written by Mylinda herself)
Our girls are the most wonderful thing in life. My grands hold my heart in the palm of their hands. Tristan Ryan, Reid James, Victoria Raine, Madison Avery, Thayne Harvey, Russell Fred, Brock Joseph, Grayson Robert and Haylee Chezele. The love of my life, Robert Klarer, I married on January 22, 1984. We have had quite the adventure along the way, so many great times with our own and extended family that we are blessed to have, but no other than our OWN. I can’t count on one hand the places we have gone and the things that we have experienced along the way and raising our babes to the best of our abilities. They were born relatively close. We welcomed Krystal Lea in 1984, Sarah Elizabeth in 1987 and Alisha Kathleen in 1988. We lived in a few different places over the years as Bob’s work took us around, but we always seemed to end back in Consort and raised our girls. From working the odd job here and there while the girls were little, to milking cows, to helping Roy and Maryetta out in the Meat Shop, to going on rig moves with Bob.

 Mylinda lived for her family and there wasn't a thing she wouldn't do for them. She had an enormous heart and she was always willing to lend a hand when someone needed one. The stories of her kindness, generosity and love are endless. Her smile and kind personality will always be remembered and never forgotten. She had a passion for fishing, baking, working in the garden, and spending as much time as she could with her family.
 Mylinda was predeceased by her father Ralph, mother Mary, sisters Marilyn and Maryetta, brother Al, brothers-in-law Roy and Karl, nephews RJ, Timothy and Burdette.
 She is survived by her loving husband Robert of 39 years and their three children: Krystal (Tyler), Sarah, Alisha (Jon), brother-in-law Albert (Rita), sisters-in-law Sandra, Linda (Lyle, Drew, Brayden) and Edna, brother Johnny (Mary), sisters Marjorie and Marcia and her grandchildren, Tristan, Reid, Russell, Victoria, Madison, Brock, Thayne, Grayson and Haylee, along with numerous nieces and nephews and a host of many friends she made along the way in her life.
 Mylinda passed away peacefully on October 30, 2023 with her loving husband by her side.
 She is going to be greatly missed by all, as she was one of the most selfless, loving, most amazing wife, mother, friend and grandmother anyone could ask for.

June Kathleen (Crisp) Day
July 9, 1933 – Nov. 2, 2023

With heavy hearts the family of June Day wishes to announce her passing on November 2, 2023 at the Long Term Care Centre in Coronation, Alberta. She will be sadly missed as a loving mother and grandmother.
June was predeceased by her husband Robert Day on November 21, 2020. She leaves to mourn her son Rob and daughter-in-law Kathy; son Tom and daughter-in-law Donna; grandchildren: Travis (Destiny), Mackenzie (Jake), Candace (Dustin) Menger, Danelle (Trevor) Blanch, Ryan (Al); great grandchildren: Khalen, Olsen, Trey and Dara.
As per June’s wishes, there will be a private memorial for the immediate family.

Hildegard Hedwig (Felske) Losing
July 5, 1919 – Nov. 3, 2023

Hilda Losing, born on July 5, 1919, in Ardrossan, Alberta, was the fourth child of Wilhelm and Christina Felske. She peacefully passed away on November 3, 2023, at the age of 104, surrounded by her family at the Consort Hospital and Care Centre.
Growing up as the middle child in a family of three brothers and three sisters, Hilda’s childhood was filled with activity and cherished memories. After attending Glen Garden School, Hilda remained on the family farm, helping with the demanding household tasks and farm chores required to sustain a farm livelihood, in the challenging 1930’s.
Seeking greater opportunity, Hilda secured work in Edmonton where she met the love of her life, Bill Losing, who became her husband in April 1945. Together, they raised a family of four daughters, creating a life filled with love, joy, and laughter.
Following their retirement in 1976, Hilda and Bill settled in Consort. Retirement brought new adventures as they explored destinations far and wide, making memories that would last a lifetime.
Hilda remained in the home after Bill’s deeply sorrowful passing in 1990. She continued to travel and kept up with her active involvement in diverse activities including floor curling, card games, volunteering, reading, solving puzzles, crocheting, gardening, and, above all, treasuring time spent with her family, including her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In November 2011, Hilda transitioned to Consort Seniors Lodge, where she spent 12 happy years in the company of friends and continued participating in various activities and events. Her vibrant social spirit continued to shine. At the age of 103, she moved to Consort Long-Term Care, cherishing visits from her family, friends and occasional outings.
Hilda’s remarkable energy and unwavering love for life served as an inspiration to all who knew her. She leaves behind a legacy of love, resilience, and a deep appreciation for family and community. Though she will be deeply missed, her memory will forever live on in the hearts of those she touched.
A Celebration of Hilda’s life was held Thursday, November 9, 2023 at the Knox United Church, Consort, Alberta. She was laid to rest beside her husband at the Lakeroad Cemetery, Consort.
Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium were entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.
Eulogy
by Dianne Losing
Ladies and gentlemen, family, and friends,
Today, we gather here to celebrate the extraordinary life of an amazing woman: Hildegard Hedwig Losing.
Are you wondering where the name “Hedwig” came from? It’s an old High German name that means battle, combat, fighter, and that she surely was. Mom said that she never knew where her parents, Wilhelm and Christina Felske, ever got such a god-awful name, and she sure was glad it was shortened to Hilda from the very beginning.
That beginning was July 5, 1919, when she was delivered at home on the family farm outside Ardrossan by neighbor and midwife Mrs. Lueders. This tradition of home births, which was typical 104 years ago, marked the humble beginnings of her remarkable life.
One hundred and four years. Think about that for a minute and let’s put it into context. If you’re under 52 years old and you live to be 104, you haven’t even lived half your life yet.
So many people would ask Mom what her secret was to longevity, good health, and happiness. And she would always reply, “One day at a time.” Well, in Mom’s 104 years, she lived 38,081 days before she peacefully passed.
As one of her four daughters, it is both an honor and a privilege to invite you to take a journey with me to explore some of those remarkable days that shaped her extraordinary life.
Mom grew up as the middle child in a family of three brothers and three sisters, providing her with much activity and fond memories throughout her childhood years. She does have one surviving sibling, her little brother Eric Felske, who just turned 100 this January.
When asked about childhood memories, she wrote, “All I can say is I was a happy, healthy child, well-loved, and cared for. I got along real well with my brothers and sisters. We all cared for one another, although we had to work hard to help Mom and Dad.” “Sometimes,” she said, “I got mad and didn’t do what I was told to do. But one look at Mom or Dad, and I knew I better get moving, or else.”
Among her most cherished childhood memories, Christmas held a very special place in Mom’s heart. The annual Christmas school concerts, the festive musical celebrations with family, and the tradition of receiving a brand-new Christmas dress each year, usually sewn by her mother. It was a tradition that she carried on with her own four daughters for many years. She grew to be a very talented and accomplished seamstress.
Another cherished moment that lit up her early years, as Mom fondly recalled, was, “On Sunday mornings we would sit around Mother, and she would sing to us. Oh, how we loved that.”
After her time at Glen Garden School, Mom remained on the family farm helping with the demanding household tasks and farm chores required to sustain a farm livelihood in the challenging 1930s.
Mom’s upbringing instilled in her Christian values and a willingness to lend a hand to those in need. In the early 1940s during World War II, a neighbor dairy farmer had an ailing wife who was hospitalized, and with his two sons away at war, Mom accepted employment in a housekeeper role until one of the sons was able to return.
In pursuit of better opportunities, Mom relocated to Edmonton, where she secured employment at Gainers Meat Packing Plant. She said her chance probably arose due to the fact that many men were away, serving in the war.
She continued her job at Gainers until 1944, and it was at a neighbor’s Christmas party back in Ardrossan that year where she would meet the love of her life, our father, Bill Losing. A whirlwind courtship led to their marriage in April 1945 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Ardrossan, surrounded by family and friends.
Following a honeymoon at the once luxurious Strathcona Hotel in Edmonton, the very next morning, they embarked on a train journey to Coronation, which is approximately 250 miles from Mom’s home in Ardrossan. Up until that time, Edmonton was the farthest she had ventured in her 26 years of life, and she also didn’t know anyone there, making it quite a leap of faith and incredibly courageous. After an overnight stay, they ventured out to Dad’s farm located in the Loyalist area, where they would call home for over thirty years.
Mom’s life took a new direction as she and Dad settled on the family farm. Her domestic skills and experience as a homemaker and pioneer in farm life served her well. It was where they raised their four daughters, Evelyn, followed by Shirley, Ellen, and lastly, me, Dianne, all born four years apart.
Life on the farm was hard work but rewarding. Sunday was a day of rest for family time and visiting. It was not unusual to hear a chorus of voices singing out the open windows of the family car going to and from church and other social events. Time was always made for gathering with friends and neighbors for birthday and anniversary celebrations, dances, sports, and other community events, all of which provided an endless source of fun and entertainment!
In 1976, Mom and Dad retired to Consort where they enjoyed their roles as doting grandparents and engaged members of the community.
Mom often reminisced about the most memorable times of their retirement filled with travels to Dad’s horseshoe tournaments. She relished the competitive play, forged lasting friendships, but treasured the evenings at the campsites most, where the camaraderie, singing, and musical entertainment brought her the most joy.
They were also fortunate to have the opportunity to travel both nationally and internationally. Their diverse travels took them to Europe, Hawaii, the Atlantic provinces, Arizona, and an Alaskan cruise to name a few.
Sadly, in 1990, Dad’s health began to decline, and he passed away. Mom remained in their home and, over time, resumed her travels and active engagement in a wide range of activities. In fact, one of her excursions was to fly out to see me in Toronto. She would have been in her early 80’s and was asked if traveling on her own was such a good idea, to which she promptly replied, “All I have to do is get someone to get me on the right plane and get off at the other end.”
Another amazing adventure unfolded when Mom treated all four of her daughters to a captivating Caribbean Cruise. It was a boatload of fun, and we all came home with suitcases full of treasured memories.
Mom’s days were filled with floor curling, card games (how she loved to play cards and was good at it too). Funny though, if you ever played a card game where you needed to bid for tricks Mom was not so quick to risk bidding so that when she did we would all say, “Whoa… Hilda must have a great hand, we’re going to pass.”
She enjoyed volunteering at “New to You,” reading, solving all kinds of puzzles like jigsaw, word, and Sudoku (which she always cheated at), crocheting, gardening, and, most importantly, cherishing the moments spent with her family, including her grandchildren and great-grandchildren attending dance and sporting events, especially baseball. She really enjoyed baseball, often watching her Blue Jays on TV. If a player made an error at a critical point in the game, she would say, “dummkopf!” Now, you might not know what that word means, but it’s a German word, and the English translation is quite simply “fool.”
In November of 2011, Mom embraced a new chapter in her life when, at 92 years of age, she decided to transition from the responsibilities of house and yard care and moved into the Consort Seniors Lodge.
For the next 12 years, this period brought her immense happiness. Mom’s inherently social nature thrived as she immersed herself in the lodge’s events and activities, where she had the opportunity to form cherished friendships with many wonderful people. Her energy and zest for life remained a source of inspiration to all who knew her, and she continued to be a vibrant and engaged member of her community.
As the years went by and Mom reached the age of 103, she required more assistance, prompting her move to Consort Hospital and Care Centre in May 2022. Throughout her time in long-term care, visits from family and friends and occasional outings became the highlight of her days.
Each time we would take Mom on outings, she expressed boundless gratitude. Upon returning home, she would shower us with thanks, reiterating that she would never forget the wonderful day we had shared. Our most recent excursion was to the windmill farm near Sedalia. She stood in awe of these monstrous windmills, expressing her astonishment at witnessing something she could never have dreamed of in her lifetime. Upon our return to the long-term care facility, she once again overflowed with gratitude for the incredible day, saying she would never forget it just like that other trip when we went to… “where was that we went again?” she asked.
Many people say that you only live once, but I heard it said that, “No, you only die once, and you live every day of your life.” Well, Mom certainly did that pretty much right up to her peaceful passing on November 3rd, 2023, surrounded by her loving family.
We were all extremely proud of our mother, her ferocious independence, and her marvelous sense of humor. She leaves behind a legacy of love, resilience, and a deep appreciation for family and community.
Though she will be deeply missed, her memory will forever live on in the hearts of those she touched, guiding us through our own journeys, just as she did during her lifetime.
It will undoubtedly be sad and maybe even difficult without her, but we will find the strength to carry on. And you know how, Mom? By taking one day one at a time, just as you always showed us.
Thank you.
Card of Thanks
The family of Hilda Losing extends heartfelt thanks for the condolences shared through phone calls, cards, emails, texts, flowers, donations, and the presence of those who attended the Celebration of Life services, both in-person and online. Your support during this time of remembrance for our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother means a lot to us.
We deeply appreciate the presence of Reverend Ohwang Kwon, who officiated at her service, and the beautiful music provided by Hilda’s niece, Irene Mosher. Special thanks to Irene and her daughters, Louise Coulombe and Sandy Hofer, for their moving rendition of “The Rose.”
A special acknowledgment goes to the Knox UCW for coordinating the lovely luncheon and delightful spread of food.
Lastly, our immense gratitude extends to the staff at Consort Long Term Care, especially during our mother’s time in Palliative Care leading up to her passing. Your compassion and care were invaluable during this final time.
Evelyn & Ron Webb
and family
Shirley Losing
and family
Ellen & Don Bogen
and family
Dianne Losing

David Charles Fawcett
March 3, 1959 – Nov. 5, 2023

Dave was born March 3, 1959 at Consort, Alberta and grew up on the family farm near there. He was the youngest of three children. Since other Fawcett relatives farmed nearby, he grew up close to aunts, uncles, and cousins. His grandfather Neal died when Dave was very young but his grandmother Allison lived nearby and was a strong presence in all the grandchildren’s lives. There were always family birthday parties and other occasions to celebrate. Like his sisters, Lynda and Joanne, Dave helped out on the farm from an early age – feeding calves after school in the winter, haying in the summer, etc. Unlike them he wasn’t all that interested in school but enjoyed sports.
It was probably a bit hard on him growing up with two older sisters. One day Lynda came into the house and asked, “Is Dave supposed to be walking on the roof?” When Donna ran outside, she saw him happily strolling along the ridge while firing both of his toy pistols and wearing his holster. Apparently, he’d managed to climb the pine tree next to the house. He was pretty upset when she climbed up to get him and made him throw his guns down first. That was perhaps the first sign of the adventurous person he was to become.
When his father Charles started competing in gun shoots around Alberta, Dave went as well. He became a skilled marksman and won many medals and trophies for target shooting and axe throwing. In later years, he enjoyed attending gun shows and visiting with the vendors. For years he went deer hunting in the fall. Gophers in the fields didn’t stand a chance. He hunted with bow and arrow for a while.
Like Charles, he enjoyed driving motorcycles, old trucks, quads and snowmobiles. Dave developed an interest in motorcycles in his teens and that continued throughout his life. There were some very close calls though. One time he ended up in hospital, pretty banged up and with a broken collarbone after a deer suddenly came out of long grass in the ditch right in front of him. Chasing cows was also hazardous. When he was a teenager, Dave was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after his horse tripped for no apparent reason. One cold winter day the family was a mile north of home loading bales. It was getting dark when Dave started complaining that his feet were freezing, so Charles told him to drive the snowmobile home and take me with him. That was one of the scariest rides of my life; there was no slowing him down. But no serious frostbite occurred. Another close call – Dave had just bought a truck and was driving it home on a gravel road when it somehow ended upside down in the ditch (another deer?). Luckily, he was able to crawl out and walk away. He bought a paraplane (motorized parachute) and flew it around for a while. One day Donna was out in her garden when she heard Dave call to her as he flew by overhead. I think she strongly encouraged him to give it up. There were probably many more incidents and close calls that we never heard about.
Dave married Wanda Homan in 1980. They bought a lot in Consort and moved a trailer onto it, but divorced a few years later. Dave followed in Charles’ footsteps and became a welder; that was his occupation for many years. He covered a lot of territory including northern Alberta and into Saskatchewan doing welding for oil and gas companies. After Charles’ stroke Dave took over running the farm but continued to do some welding as well. He could create anything out of metal and people still tell us what a good welder he was.
Dave was happiest outdoors. He loved the land and took after his father, grandfather and great-grandfather in that respect. He liked all animals but especially dogs. He had several during his lifetime but his favorite was Jake, an easygoing Border Collie. Since they went everywhere together people were used to seeing Dave driving his truck with Jake sitting happily on the seat beside him. Jake wasn’t very good with cattle but he was a loyal friend and companion to Dave. They were both very fond of A&W. Dave had a cat for a while, but Frank was soon given to a new home as Dave said he didn’t like cat hair in the house. For some reason dog hair never seemed to bother him though.
One of his favorite pastimes was to hook up his boat and head to a lake for some fishing, but because of the demands of the farm he didn’t get away often enough. Dave had many interests and hobbies. He liked to create very unique knives – forging their blades from steel or cable and carving their handles from beautiful pieces of wood. He also enjoyed metal detecting, photography and the violin. A few of his cousins who also farmed became good friends as they had many interests in common. Dave really enjoyed spending time with his friends – playing cards and sharing a laugh. He enjoyed a good joke, telling a story or pulling a prank. You knew things were going well when you saw that twinkle in his eye.
Dave had a new house built on his lot in Consort and he and his girlfriend Lori moved into it in the spring of 2020. They shared a love of dogs, photography, antiques, and visiting friends. For quite some time they would join Donna for Sunday dinner at the Lodge and then go on a drive to spend the rest of the day with friends, Dave on his motorbike and Lori taking the dogs in the truck.
Unfortunately, Dave had some serious health issues which included a benign brain tumor which was operated on in the 1990s. In 2021, he spent a few months at Centennial Centre where he was diagnosed with dementia and became dependent on a wheelchair. He moved into Long Term Care at Villa Marie, Red Deer in 2022. Amazingly, he was able to adapt to being indoors all the time and he accepted his new life and circumstances without making too much of a fuss. A couple of Health Care Aides might disagree on that point though. I think it’s safe to say that his favorite activity there was when the Recreation Therapist would bring her little dog Stella in to visit the residents. He really enjoyed individual music therapy over the past several months. Dave was admitted to Red Deer Regional Hospital October 30 and passed away November 5 in the hospital’s Palliative Care Unit at age 64.
Dave was a good friend, a caring son and a wonderful brother. Although he changed so much because of dementia, he would want you to remember the person he was before that: his sense of humor, kindness and generosity. His talents and strengths. His determination to live life his way.
He was predeceased by his grandparents Neal and Allison Fawcett and Tom and Ivadelle McNally, by his parents Charles and Donna (McNally) Fawcett and by other family members. He will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by his sisters Lynda and Joanne Fawcett. He is also survived by his brothers-in-law Dave Wilson and Rick Momney, his girlfriend Lori Hanna, and many friends and extended family members. Following Dave’s wishes there was no funeral service. A private burial at Lakeroad Cemetery took place November 16. We would like to thank the staff at Parkview Funeral Chapels for their care and arrangements, especially Shannon Shirley for her compassionate guidance. Thanks to Dave Wilson, Rick Momney, Myron, Jared, Todd and Gerald Fawcett for being pallbearers. A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring – the date will be announced in The Consort Enterprise.
Thank you to all those who have reached out to us in sympathy. We are grateful for your kind words, cards, texts and hugs. We have appreciated the stories, pictures and remembrances you have shared with us.
Joanne Fawcett

Graham Ross Gallaway
May 27, 1941 – Nov. 13, 2023

Ross Gallaway was born May 27, 1941. He spent the first 13 years of his life growing up on the North side of the Neutral Hills with his parents Tom and Jean and his sister Diane. Following the unfortunate death of his father, the family moved to his uncle’s place south of Consort.
When Ross finished school he went to work for Rob Polson, on the farm east of Consort. For 18 years he worked alongside Rob. He got married to Susan and his 5 children were all born during the time at Rob’s. After the untimely loss of Rob, the family moved back to the original Gallaway homestead north of the Neutral Hills. For the next 6 years he drove the school bus to help supplement the farm. In 1984 Ross went to work for Peter Adams at the feedlot north of Czar, then Harvey Adams east of Czar and finally Allan Johnson north of Amisk. Whether he was in the tractor, the feed truck or the silage cutter, Ross was content and happy. He could spend endless hours doing what he loved to do, operate equipment. Late in life he drove taxi to fill his days of retirement.
When his health started to fail, he moved into the lodge in Consort. After a few short years there, Ross made his final move into the Consort Hospital and Care Centre, where he spent his final years and passed away November 13, 2023.
He leaves to mourn, his sister Diane (Terry) Crisp and their families; daughter Lynn (Jack) McKinlay and their children Jaclyn, Jason (Hanna and Felix), Curtis (Kelsey), Justin (Ashley); son Kevin (Shelly) and their children Ethan, Skyla (Kris), Robert (Charyna), Emily (Rhys); son Kim (Crystal) and their children Shayanne, Savannah, Ryley, Connor, Ryleigh, Ashlyn; son Keith (Jennifer) and their children Alex (Rylan), Sarah, Mathew; daughter Stacy DeVos and her children Austin (Layla), Destiny and Sienna; as well as numerous cousins and extended family.
Ross was predeceased by his parents, Tom and Jean Gallaway.
If friends so desire, memorial donations are gratefully accepted for the Consort Hospital Auxillary, c/o Box 276, Consort, Alberta T0C 1B0.
Eulogy
by Kevin Gallaway
Thank you for taking the time to be with us today. Whether you travelled many miles, took the day off work or maybe you just skipped your afternoon snooze to be with us, we thank you.
82 years, 5 children and 20 + grandchildren/great grandchildren. How do you pay tribute to someone in a short period of time? Let’s give it a try.
Ross had many titles, Son, Brother, Uncle, Father, Grandpa, Great Grandpa, Cousin, Neighbor, Friend, or maybe you simply knew him as Ross.
Three words come to mind to describe Dad. Dedicated, Helpful and Stubborn.
Graham Ross Gallaway was born May 27, 1941. He spent the first 13 years of his life living on the North side of the Neutral Hills with his parents Tom and Jean Gallaway and his younger sister Diane. I don’t have a lot of details about his early life, however I know he attended school in a small one room school house not far from home. He talked about riding a horse or walking to school, uphill, both ways in deep snow. Possibly a stretch on the details, but who am I to argue. After the unfortunate death of his father, the family moved to Uncle Stuke’s place south of Consort and he lived there until he finished school. It was after he was finished with school that he went to work with Rob Polson on the farm east of Consort. He worked alongside Rob for 18 years. During this time, he married our mother and the 5 of us were born. Lynn being the eldest, with myself, Kim, Keith and Stacy joining the family over the next 10 years. As the kids were growing, he would help us and guide us along the way. Feeding the baby lambs, riding around in the tractor. Riding on the feed rack while feeding the cows. Carrying pails of grain to the calves. He would let us learn as we went along and pick us up when we fell. We didn’t do a lot of travelling while we were growing up. Annual trips to Regina to visit our grandparents and camping trips throughout Alberta. We did go to Disneyland as a family. There was no way we were getting dad on a roller coaster. He was content to wander around and wait for us, but he would not join us. We convinced him that the Thunder Mountain Railway was just a train ride. Imagine his surprise when he discovered what we did. It was too late, he was already on the roller coaster at a high rate of speed. He brought that up numerous times in the years that followed.
Dad wasn’t much of a sports fan. He didn’t watch hockey or ball on the TV. Watching paint dry was more entertaining. He did go to the Sportex for Kim’s hockey games and to the Sportsgrounds for July 1st Sportsday but I think it was more for the socializing than the games. Bowling was dad’s sport. He bowled in a league in Consort and later on in Hughenden. Karaoke was another thing dad enjoyed. His version of The Tennessee Flat Top Box didn’t match Jonny Cash, but now anytime we hear it on the radio, it will spark a memory.
Dad was a member of the Anglican church, always available to help out when needed. He was a member of the Lions Club, spending hours with the projects they were working on. I remember him being a part of a welcoming committee that was set up in Consort to help welcome new families to the community. We would go meet with new families that arrived in Consort, taking baskets of gifts from local businesses and spending time getting to know them. It didn’t seem to matter where we were, he would strike up a conversation with someone, getting to know them. Not just locally, but anywhere. If we were travelling down the road or highway and someone was stopped on the side of the road, he would stop to ask if they needed help. Again, not just locally but anywhere we happened to be. Always available to help if needed.
Daylight savings time seemed to be a pet peeve. Every year, spring and fall, he was very vocal about changing the clocks. Come to think of it, change of any kind did not sit well. It seemed any time that the government implemented something new (the seat belt law is one that sticks with me), he made a point of letting everyone know his disagreement. Did I mention he was stubborn?
In 1979, the family moved to the original Gallaway homestead on the north side of the Neutral Hills. He drove the school bus to help supplement the farm. It became obvious that the little farm wasn’t enough to support the lifestyle that we had become accustomed to, (you know, food, clothing) and in 1984 he started working for Peter Adams at the feedlot north of Czar. It started out that he was just working through the summer but then became a year round position. I don’t recall how many years he worked at Adams Ranch, 12-15 I believe. I do know that he enjoyed every minute he spent there. He worked a short time for Harvey Adams east of Czar before going to work for Allan Johnson north of Amisk. Spending endless hours in a tractor, feed truck or silage cutter, that’s where he was happy and content.
He would take time to spend with his family, birthday parties, Christmas, weddings, etc. He would ask about the grandchildren, how everyone is doing and wanting to know what they were doing. The conversations always reverted back to memories of his working days. Jennifer reminded us of his sense of humor, he always had a joke to tell someone. Unfortunately, I can’t share them with you because most were not family rated. Whenever we visited or had a phone conversation he always ended with “Don’t work too hard”, which we found ironic coming from a man that didn’t know anything else but working hard.
In 2015, he moved into the lodge in Consort. He still had his truck and drivers license so he would make numerous trips out to the farm and drive around, checking on the cows, picking saskatoons, checking up on what was going on. He even offered to feed for me one time when I was going to be gone for a short vacation. I was able to convince him that Robert was going to be home, not to worry about it.
After moving into long term care in Consort, he tried numerous times to convince Stacy to bring his truck in to him. He needed it so he could go places. We cancelled the insurance two weeks ago. Remember earlier when I mentioned he was stubborn.
There you have it, the condensed version of the life that Ross lived. I’m sure everyone here has a memory or a story and we look forward to you sharing them with us downstairs following the service.
Rest in peace Dad, don’t work to hard.

Thank You
The family of Ross Gallaway would like to thank everyone for the phone calls, emails, texts, cards, flowers and donations in his memory. Your support during this time means a lot to all of us.
Thank you to Rev. Kwon who officiated the service. Marilyn for playing the piano and the United Church choir for your contribution.
Thank you to those that coordinated the lunch following the service.
Thank you to the wonderful staff at the Consort Long Term Care for looking after our father over the last 5 years.
Thank you to Gregory’s Funeral Home for all your guidance and support, and for helping us through this time of need.
We are grateful to live in a small community where everyone cares so deeply.
Lynn and Jack McKinlay
and family
Kevin and Shelly Gallaway
and family
Kim and Crystal Gallaway
and family
Keith and Jennifer Gallaway
and family
Stacy DeVos and family
Terry and Diane Crisp
and families

Arley Wayne Kelts
December 5, 1933 – December 28, 2023

Arley Wayne Kelts was born on December 5, 1933, in Consort, Alberta to parents Marion and Ethel Kelts. Arley passed suddenly on December 28, 2023, at the Consort Seniors Lodge in Consort, Alberta, after several wonderful days with his family.
Arley married Rosemary (Vetter) on April 11, 1952. Shortly after, they bought the Brown farm north of Loyalist. They had two children, Brian (1956) and Bruce (1963). Arley and Rosemary had so many happy years together camping, fishing and travelling. Their early married years were spent building their family farm they were so proud of. Arley loved working the land alongside his sons, and actually enjoyed cattle! He took pride in a nice-looking herd. Arley and Rosemary built her dream house and moved to Consort in 1990. Devastatingly, cancer struck shortly after, and Rosemary passed away in 1995. Arley filled his time at the farm, with the cattle and golfing. He eventually met Avonne Kennerd, and they were married in 2004. They spent 10 happy years together before cancer also took Avonne in 2014. Arley moved to the lodge in 2017 and remained until his passing. Arley took great enjoyment in teasing, joking and being grumpy with the staff and homecare ladies. Many of them were very dear to him.
As a young man, Arley was very athletic and was an avid baseball and hockey player. He continued playing hockey later in life too as a Consort Old Timer. Arley enjoyed a good game of golf in his “retirement” years as well as camping, fishing and visiting with good friends. Arley was a gifted mechanic and carpenter. He could fix pretty much everything much to the delight of his daughters-in-law! As the grandkids and great grandkids started showing up, he took pleasure in watching their activities and of course teasing.
Arley is survived by son, Brian Kelts, wife Susan, and their family; daughter Ashley (Oren), Braiden, Cassidy and Virgil; daughter Breanne (Garrett), Sadie, Wyatt, RJ and Colter; and son Coleman (Kate); son, Bruce Kelts, wife Corinne, and their family; daughter Whitney (Steven), Logan, Maddox, Bryer and Quade; son Rory (Kaylee), Lennyn; Avonne’s children: TJ Kennerd, Rick Kennerd, Treena Fitton and their families; Avonne’s sister Fran; brother Terry and families; sisters, Muriel Isaman, Eileen Hobbs and Lorna (Gil) Roth and numerous nieces and nephews.
Arley was predeceased by his wife Rosemary; his wife Avonne; daughter-in-law Deborah (Weaver) Kelts; parents Marion and Ethel Kelts; sister Viola Schooler; brother-in-law Loyal Schooler; brother Donald and sister-in-law Helen (Dot) Kelts; sister Jean and brother-in-law Ted Deagle; brother Preston (Bud) Kelts and sister-in-law Irene (Kurek) Kelts; brothers-in-law Bob Hobbs and Lester Isaman.
As per Arley’s wishes, there will be no funeral. A private family service will be held later in the spring.
Memorial donations may be made to Consort & District Seniors (Gem Center) c/o Box 618, Consort, Alberta T0C 1B0.
Condolences may be sent to the family, please visit www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com

Arley Wayne Kelts
December 5, 1933 – December 28, 2023

Arley Wayne Kelts was born on December 5, 1933, in Consort, Alberta to parents Marion and Ethel Kelts. Arley passed suddenly on December 28, 2023, at the Consort Seniors Lodge in Consort, Alberta, after several wonderful days with his family.
Arley married Rosemary (Vetter) on April 11, 1952. Shortly after, they bought the Brown farm north of Loyalist. They had two children, Brian (1956) and Bruce (1963). Arley and Rosemary had so many happy years together camping, fishing and travelling. Their early married years were spent building their family farm they were so proud of. Arley loved working the land alongside his sons, and actually enjoyed cattle! He took pride in a nice-looking herd. Arley and Rosemary built her dream house and moved to Consort in 1990. Devastatingly, cancer struck shortly after, and Rosemary passed away in 1995. Arley filled his time at the farm, with the cattle and golfing. He eventually met Avonne Kennerd, and they were married in 2004. They spent 10 happy years together before cancer also took Avonne in 2014. Arley moved to the lodge in 2017 and remained until his passing. Arley took great enjoyment in teasing, joking and being grumpy with the staff and homecare ladies. Many of them were very dear to him.
As a young man, Arley was very athletic and was an avid baseball and hockey player. He continued playing hockey later in life too as a Consort Old Timer. Arley enjoyed a good game of golf in his “retirement” years as well as camping, fishing and visiting with good friends. Arley was a gifted mechanic and carpenter. He could fix pretty much everything much to the delight of his daughters-in-law! As the grandkids and great grandkids started showing up, he took pleasure in watching their activities and of course teasing.
Arley is survived by son, Brian Kelts, wife Susan, and their family; daughter Ashley (Oren), Braiden, Cassidy and Virgil; daughter Breanne (Garrett), Sadie, Wyatt, RJ and Colter; and son Coleman (Kate); son, Bruce Kelts, wife Corinne, and their family; daughter Whitney (Steven), Logan, Maddox, Bryer and Quade; son Rory (Kaylee), Lennyn; Avonne’s children: TJ Kennerd, Rick Kennerd, Treena Fitton and their families; Avonne’s sister Fran; brother Terry and families; sisters, Muriel Isaman, Eileen Hobbs and Lorna (Gil) Roth and numerous nieces and nephews.
Arley was predeceased by his wife Rosemary; his wife Avonne; daughter-in-law Deborah (Weaver) Kelts; parents Marion and Ethel Kelts; sister Viola Schooler; brother-in-law Loyal Schooler; brother Donald and sister-in-law Helen (Dot) Kelts; sister Jean and brother-in-law Ted Deagle; brother Preston (Bud) Kelts and sister-in-law Irene (Kurek) Kelts; brothers-in-law Bob Hobbs and Lester Isaman.
As per Arley’s wishes, there will be no funeral. A private family service will be held later in the spring.
Memorial donations may be made to Consort & District Seniors (Gem Center) c/o Box 618, Consort, Alberta T0C 1B0.
Condolences may be sent to the family, please visit www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com
Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Wayne Allan Letniak
Mar. 6, 1959-Dec. 15, 2023
Wayne Allan Letniak was born March 6th, 1959, the third of four children to Dan and Fran Letniak.
Wayne grew up on the family farm south of Loyalist. He attended Consort school; it wasn’t something he overly enjoyed. He was much happier cruising the countryside on his motorbike or, once he was old enough, in a truck, the yellow Toyota being the first. Once he reached the age where he was able to leave school and join the work force he did so. He built a successful life on hard work, with his wife Barb and their three daughters. His first job was laying pipe for the village of Veteran, from there he went to the oil patch, apprenticing under several different businesses. He attended NAIT for his first- and third-year schooling and SAIT for his second year. In 1979 he started WAYVET welding earning the nickname Wayvet. He chased drilling rigs day and night for several years. In the mid 80’s he started more structural and fabrication work as well as pipelining. For a few years in there he also had a water hauling business to make sure he had no idle time. In 1998 he built himself a new deck out of polished stainless steel. He was very proud of it and it was truly a one of a kind welding rig for a one of a kind man.
In 2010, after a work injury causing a busted pelvis, Wayne slowed down for a while and started up an oil change business on the side, which many people affectionately referred to as the “Weiner lube” referencing another nickname of his. The purchase of a bobcat led to many hours doing dirt work and snow removal in the oil patch and around town and for farmers, as well as sinking many bin anchors and drilling a few holes for burials in the cemetery. Many people will be missing their visits with Wayne after this overdue snowfall.
In 1976 Wayne met Barb, and they were married in 1977. Wayne’s love of the outdoors and fishing helped him form a bond between him and his father-in-law Clarence Aske. Many great memories were made hunting and fishing up north with Clarence and Wayne’s brother-in-law and nephews.
Wayne and Barb brought three beautiful daughters into their lives. And he instilled his love of the outdoors in all three of them. The girls all grew up to be hardworking women and married local men, and so they stayed close to home. Melonie Jane married Kirk Sortland in 1999, and brought the first two grandchildren into the family, with Daphnie Allan being born in 2001 and then Kale Stanley born in 2004. Sherri Anne married Mark Mohr in 2000 and added Claire Anne in 2006, Kasey Edward in 2008 and Lilly Justina in 2010. Jacky Leane married Kent Heistad in 2015 and completed the family with Isabella Rae in 2011 and Olivia Marie in 2015. With the birth of the grandchildren and as they grew up Wayne became easier going and loved to have them come and join him and Barb at the lake lot, where they spent most of their free time through the last few summers, for visits. Many great friendships were made, and many great times had up at the lake.
There wasn’t much time for holidays in early years other than close by camping trips, but more recently Barb managed to get him onto a cruise to Alaska which he thoroughly enjoyed, and a few trips to Mexico which were great fun as well. Wayne never forgot a face, although he couldn’t say the same about names, and on one of the trips to Mexico he recognized one of the couples they had met on the Alaska cruise, and they had a good time catching up. A few years ago, he went on a boy’s trip to Louisiana gator hunting and that was a real highlight.
Wayne always appreciated nice vehicles and was one of the first members of the Consort Car Club. He enjoyed going to the shows with his mint 70 Ford ½ ton and his fully restored Road Runner, he took great pride in. Wayne was an active member of the Veteran bow club while it was active as well, enjoying the camaraderie and the competition as well.

Tribute
by Graham Schetzsle
Thank you, Barb, for asking me to say a few words about my good friend Wayne. I am honored to do so. I’m going to ask everyone to please have patience here, as this could be difficult for me. 
Our condolences go out to you, Barb, as well as Melonie and Kirk, Sherri and Mark, Jacky and Kent, and all seven of his treasured grandchildren.
Wayne and I really began to become close about 20 years ago, as it became clear to both my Dad and myself, that if we were going to keep building stuff, and breaking stuff, we were going to need to have someone like Wayne on our ‘first call’ list. Whether it was an equipment breakdown, a random piece of steel that needed welded, or just about any other type of problem that we needed fixed, inevitably, one of us would end up saying, “we better call Wayne”.  As the years passed, I required Wayne more and more, and he was always quick to respond, with never a complaint.  He was always happy to hear from me, and was genuinely excited for each little task that I would present him with, or else he was really good at pretending to be!!? He looked at all these different jobs as a challenge, and usually it would require a pre job, strategy meeting over a coffee in his office, with his beloved dog, Lady usually in attendance as well. He would bring out a small piece of paper, and draw out his plans on how he was proposing to construct, or fix. Most times, his illustration made zero sense to me, but I would go along with it anyway, because I knew he had a clear picture in his mind on what to do, and I always had the utmost faith in Wayne. I always felt, that if “Wayne can’t do it, then it simply can’t be done”.  Not only is his handiwork visible everywhere at our feedlot, I was always pestering him to help me at the ball diamond. He was more than happy to help, and under his supervision, and direction, we (he mostly!) built the bleachers, batting cage, dugout screens, and erected the scoreboard on a frame that he built.  He donated so much of his time to these community projects. He took great pride in his work; he really loved the camaraderie of working together. There was a running joke at our place with Brant and Kevin. When Wayne was tasked with a job, someone would generally say, “does Wayne really need help, or is he just looking for someone to go and have coffee with him?”
On the odd occasion, a little more time would be necessary at our strategy meetings, and drinking coffee may have morphed into a beer or two. It was during these lengthier “meetings”, that Wayne’s true life passions would shine thru the brightest. He loved to tell me about Daph and Kale’s latest cow purchase, or car fix, or calving adventure. I got to hear many fine details of 3Cs hockey games that one of Kasey, Claire, or Lilly had starred in. It was always funny listening to Wayne talk about hockey, because I certainly wouldn’t call him a hockey fan, but he definitely was, when one of the Mohr kids suited up.  The Bella and Liv stories, of which there were many, came from school, their fishing expeditions, and other stories from the lake. Speaking of the lake, he usually would begin any story from the lake, with ‘The Cousin’. It was always, “The cousin wanted to cut some firewood, or “the cousin” wanted to go into town. I never knew who he was referring to exactly, but I am assuming “the cousin” is in attendance today. It’s nice to finally meet you!!
I think that I have seen his entire iPhone photo library. He was always searching for a picture to provide the visual effect to back up his stories of the grand kids, and also his fishing exploits, potential boat and motorhome purchases, used trucks for sale, and latest bobcat attachments. I have seen all the alligator hunting pictures of his Louisiana trip a few years back, more than once. That was certainly a lifetime highlight for him. He was always threatening to procure some gator meat and cook it for me, and if there is any silver lining to Wayne’s passing, it has to be that he never got the opportunity to make me ‘enjoy gator meat’ with him.
Wayne never had a bad word to say about anyone, he really didn’t. Even if a topic were to arise about someone, or something that I knew he was uncomfortable talking about, he always chose the high road, and kept his opinions to himself. I would describe Wayne as a ‘character’.  He is the type of person that is rare, and becoming even rarer. I am going to miss Wayne, greatly. Our business is going to miss Wayne greatly, and our community is going to miss him just as much. His passing leaves a large hole. He has been one of those ‘bedrock’ people of Veteran for many years, and sadly, we are losing these pillars of our community, and someone like Wayne Letniak simply cannot be replaced in our community. 
Wayne cared for and loved Barb deeply. I was shocked to learn that they were married 46 years. It was always obvious to me that it was her, and her opinion, that mattered the most, above all else.
Wayne’s passing was sudden. He called me, three days before he left us, to tell me he had a Christmas bag that he wanted to drop off, and wanted to have coffee. I thought I was too busy at that moment, so I told him I would have to catch up with him in a day or two. I never got that chance, and that is something I will always have to live with, and forgive myself for. I am guessing there are many other family members that similarly got caught by surprise with his death. I encourage all of you to forgive yourselves, just as I will try to do.
Barb, our thoughts are with you and the entire family. I hope you can all take some solace in the positive impact, and legacy that Wayne leaves behind.

Memories of
Wayne Letniak
from your Lac Bellevue Friends/Family
First of all, condolences to Barb and family. Wayne you will be truly missed. There will be a big void left by your passing, not only with your family but your lake family as well. You had an impact on all our lives in many ways and your passing has had a large impact on all of us. Wayne opened his heart to everyone and now we are going to open our hearts to him by sharing all of our fond memories.
Wayne was known for his 4 o’clock happy hour where he would always ring the bell. It was a daily ritual which we looked forward to. We would hear that bell and drop everything as it was Happy Hour at Wayne’s. Wayne always had different and unusual beverages for all of us adults to try. We all had to try whatever he was pouring, as Wayne would not accept ‘NO’ for an answer. For all the kids that would come running over, they would go straight to Wayne’s fridge for his famous homemade pickles or pickled garlic. He kept the rocket candies hidden for himself as those were his favorite. The entertainment and the laughs were definitely enjoyed by all at Wayne and Barb’s. Sometimes we took the entertainment to the park where there was some intense bocce, bean bags, or bones being played. On one occasion, the bean bag game led to a party in the park, where it started off with six people sitting in lawn chairs and then we had a circle of 30 people with Wayne serving his famous cream beverages and others serving snacks until the wee hours of the morning. Oh what great memories.
Wayne was also known to get coffee ready the night before so that those of us could stop by in the morning for a picker upper, gather up our belongings and laugh about the night before. We could also hear Wayne’s sneezing, like a bird call in the morning. I’m sure that was his way of telling us he was up and come over for a coffee.
Wayne loved his yearly fishing trips with his friends and loved telling us the stories after. He loved when his family came out to the lake, taking out his pontoon boat, going for quad rides, picking berries, enjoying the scenery, playing tricks on his friends by buying them chicken socks (Wayne, it was you), taking friends for wheelbarrow rides, talking to you about whatever was on your mind or just helping out whenever someone needed something done. His arms were always swinging back and forth as he was helping, he would be whistling and then offering little snacks for everyone. Always a true friend. The annual appy event at the end of the season was always the best event with the lake family. Wayne hosted it. It was the highlight of closing up and saying goodbye to everyone. Sometimes in life however, our goodbyes are forever. Wayne, Weiner, Bud, Dumb Ass your goodbye was not supposed to be forever yet. We were supposed to all celebrate our 65th birthdays together. Well guess what, we will have a cheer for you, but most of all, we will miss you. We are truly grateful to have had the time we did with you. Take care up there as we will take care of Barb down here. We will look forward to the day we meet again.

Card of Thanks
Thank you for showing your support in our family’s time of mourning. We know Papa Wayne would have appreciated the great deal of comfort and support provided to us by families, friends, and the community during this difficult time. We would like to Thank Gregory’s Funeral Home for the outstanding support during our time of grieving.
Forever Grateful,
Barb
Melonie, Kirk Sortland
and Family
Sherri, Mark Mohr
and Family
Jacky, Kent Heistad
and Family