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John R.T. Reid
1924-2004
John Rodman Thorald Reid was born Sept. 8, 1924 in Kinistina, Sask. and spent his childhood there. As a young boy John started developing his carpentry skills by building toboggans out of cheese crates. He enjoyed sliding down the banks of the Carrot River on these toys.
At the age of 11 years, John, his father, younger sister and two brothers moved to the Hythe area where they farmed.
In 1954 John married Jeanine Thibodeault and they took up homesteading in the Whitemud area. Four children were born to them: Betty, Shirley, David and Paricia. In addition to farming, John helped build elevators in Falher, High Prairie, Grande Prairie and Dawson Creek.
In July 1967 John and his family relocated to Joussard and later that fall to Big Meadow where they leased some farmland. In the winter months John worked in bush camps skidding logs in Red Earth. John returned every two weeks (paydays) with chocolate bars and pop in his backpack that he bought at the commissary in camp.
John took up seasonal employment with the railroad and shortly afterwards was working on a full-time basis. They left the farm and moved to Wagner into the railroad house. John worked on the railroad for many years and retired as a result of complications from surgery on his hand.
After retirement John occupied his time by spending many summers at Shaw's Point where they rented a lakeshore lot. John made improvements to the lot and spent a lot of time fishing.
John was always busy puttering around outside; either fixing something, building something, making firewood or maintaining the yard.
Some of John's interests and pasttimes were carpentry, playing horseshoes, fishing, watching hockey games (local and NHL), playing cards, dice and board games, going to auction sales, trapping and ski-dooing, riding his quad accompanied by his two dogs, Ben and Ginger, and later in life bowling with friends from the community.
John was very creative and made many useful contraptions. There was never a problem that John couldn't find a solution for. He would lay down for a short nap to "think on it". When he woke up he knew exactly what to do and how to do it. He made a potato hiller for the garden tractor, a wool cutter for Jean's hooked rugs, card holder for rummy games, a potato gun (maybe John had too much time on his hands!) and numerous boxes for specific storage. Most of the furniture in their house was made by John; from bedroom furniture to gun cabinets.
John always remained on the quiet side but always his humour and jokes surfaced. He loved to have a laugh and often would play tricks on people. He also enjoyed friendly teasing.
The past year and a half of his life was spent dealing with health problems and many doctor appointments and hospital stays. Despite his gradual deteriorating health, John continued to be positive and determined to make the best of it.
On behalf of John, the family wants to thank the many friends and family members who visited and supported him in his time of need.
John is survived by: his wife Jean; three daughters, one son, 10 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and his two brothers, Wilfred and Arnold.
John was predeceased by: his older sister, Victoria; mother Myrtle; father John; and younger sister, Averil.
Interment of cremated remains will take place at a later date in the family plot in Kinistina, Sask.
Art Henkel
1936 -2010
Arthur Allen Henkel was born on a small farm west of Edmonton Oct. 29, 1936 and passed away June 27, 2010 at the age of 73 years.
Arthur was the third of seven children born to John and Bertha Henkel. He had two older sisters at the time, Mavis and Laverne. By the time he was 18 he had two more sisters, Merle and Paulette, and two brothers, Gerald and Brian.
He attended Whitewhale School until Grade 6 or 8 or 9. Whenever one of his children or grandchildren did something reckless he would tell the tale of his flipping the cutter and dumping his sisters in the snow on the way to school one winter morning. Like most farm boys, Dad spent a lot of time working and didn’t go to school much after 15. Off to work he went!
Arthur worked for Propps in lumber camps hauling short logs and skidding during the winter and in construction during the summer. He was part of the crew that built the Jasper Highway, the airport at Nisku and while working for Pollacks did landscaping on Saskatchewan Drive in Edmonton.
In 1959 while working at Propps lumber camp he happened to head into town where he met Evelyn Gould. She must have left a lasting impression because a short year later they were wed and a year after that in August they hadme(Darla Driscoll)!
We lived in an 8 x 28 foot trailer in Grandma and Grandpa Henkel’s yard. That winter they moved the trailer to the bush. In the spring the trailer was moved back to the yard and in July brother Gordon came along. Art and his little family stayed in the farm yard for a few years. Soon another son, Michael, was on the way and a bigger home was needed. He purchased a new 12 x 58 foot trailer and moved it to the homestead in High Prairie. Because there was no gravel on the goat trail road into the homestead the family was moved to Gordon Rich’s property which is where (the Banana Belt Hall) is located.
Dad was working for Indian Affairs at this time with his cat on the Paul Band Reserve near Duffield, Alta. so we all moved back to Duffield and lived in one of Grampa’s houses. During the years we lived there Dad had major surgery for kidney stones, then major surgery for a ruptured appendix and a third son, Mark. It was also during this time that we discovered that both Gordon and Michael were deathly allergic to bee stings. It was on a night of the worst storm I have ever seen that Dad drove like a maniac with the water, wind and hail pounding the car to Stony Plain with Michael going into anaphylactic shock. Gordie, I and baby Mark were in the back seat and Mom was trying to keep Michael calm as Dad careened down the back roads to the hospital. Needless to say, we made it!
In 1972 he moved his family up to High Prairie where we lived on the Phillips place for four years. Dad worked for Buchanan Lumber and Contracting until 1983. He also was working the little homestead. In 1975 he drilled a well on the homestead and built a temporary home which he and Mom lived in until the fall of 1986, when the new house was completed.
In 1983 he started Art’s Consulting and Scouting Service. He supervised the building of drilling leases and roads for many different oil companies all over Alberta and Saskatchewan. During this time Mom ran the farm with nightly debriefings and instructions. In 1999 he retired from consulting and went farming full time at the ripe old age of 63. At this time he switched to organic farming.
By now his family had grown substantially. He had a son-in-law, Brian, a daughter-in-law, Tammy, two grandsons, Tyler and Riley, four granddaughters, Kelsey, Nicole, Michelle and Shelley, and two step-granddaughters, Shannon and Kelly. In 2007 he welcomed his first great-grandson, Cager.
Dad loved to argue. I believe he would often argue against his own beliefs just for the fun of the argument. He also would tell some outrageous story to see if he could get you to believe it, and if you did he would laugh.
Dad was a man of faith but not a man of church. He believed we should all live by the 10 Commandments and the golden rule. He did not believe he needed to go to a building to talk to God. He was just as apt to be heard from his tractor or out in the cow pen.
He believed in the need for government if only we could find someone anyone to do it right.
He had a genuine concern for other people’s well-being. He was extremely compassionate to someone who was ill and always made an effort to visit them or call them. He always seemed to know what to say.
Art loved having company. He didn’t cook much other than fried bologna but he could whip up a pot of coffee in no time flat. His favourite visitors were either the ones who enjoyed listening to his stories or the ones ready for a good discussion about almost anything. His favourite arguments usually involved government ineptitude, cattle prices, or - God forbid - a combination of the two.
Art believed family was the most important thing. He kept in regular contact with all of his brothers and sisters and many of his nieces and nephews. He shared their joys and their sorrows and let them know that whenever they needed to talk he was more than happy to answer the call. When his sister Merle was stricken with Multiple Sclerosis he tried to find out as much as he could about this illness. He felt helpless in her cause. When Colleen and I decided to start riding in the MS Bike Tour he jumped at the chance to do something. No one was off limits. Everyone who walked through the door was asked to sponsor. He was very proud of our efforts to fight this disease.
He was proud of his farm. In 2007 he was knocked off of a lowboy while at an auction sale and broke his wrist and his back. Those injuries slowed him down considerably and a failing hip had almost stopped him completely. It hadn’t stopped him from going to auction sales though. As recent as May 6 he was at a sale in Rycroft. He was starting to talk about downsizing a little, maybe retiring.
He was incredibly proud of his family. He would rarely tell us, but was quick to tell others of our accomplishments and talents. His grandchildren were the centre of his universe. They all held a very special place in his heart and they all made him laugh with their antics - good and bad. His great-grandson gave him such joy he adored him. And Cager adored him back.
He was a son, brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend, and he will be missed.
Lorna Eloise Kemp
19??-2009
Lorna Eloise (nee Wever) Kemp passed away suddenly June 29, 2009, in High Prairie at the age of 88 years.
She is sadly missed by: her children, Marilyn (Lyle) Stewart; Richard Kemp; Roger (Nina) Kemp, all of High Prairie; and Maureen (David) Murphy of Forest, Ont.; 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and one brother, Anson Wever, of Sarnia, Ont.
She was predeceased by: her husband of 60 years, Albin, in 2001; and sister Evelyn Sparling in 2007.
The funeral was held in the High Prairie United Church and the burial in McCue Cemetery Saturday, July 4, 2009.
Lorna was very active in Red Cross work, especially during World War II, the Women’s Institute, and women’s associations and choirs of North Plympton and then Forest United Church.
With three of their four children in the bee business out west, Lorna and Albin moved from Forest to High Prairie in 1973. Her church and community were very important to her and her active involvement continued all her life. Lorna loved being the “Grand Central Station” for her family and was a wonderful hostess. She welcomed visitors and was always able to serve a delicious meal to unexpected company.
She was a high energy person who always had an ongoing project, be it knitting, quilting, China painting, baking or gardening. For many years she enjoyed playing bridge with friends and family. Traveling with her family was another of her great pleasures. Her life evolved around her home and family and she savoured this joy to the very end.
Kevin Jack Konelsky
1954 - 2004
Kevin Jack Konelsky passed away suddenly on Feb. 14, 2004 at the age of 49 years. Jack is survived by: his wife of 30 years, Dawn; four sons, Kevin (Shauna), Christopher, Justin and Darin; grandsons Jordan, Keegan, Connor, Alec and Spencer; his mother, Mary; and brothers Daniel, Lorne, Vern, Wayne, Byron; and one sister, Marilyn. Jack was an involved member of the community, having owned different businesses in High Prairie. He was involved with the High Prairie Lions Club, B.P.O. Elks, Scouts Canada and the 1st Annual High Prairie Street Festival. A private celebration of Jack s life was held on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004, as per his request. Jack was a staunch supporter of the construction of an indoor swimming pool. Donations can be made in Jack s memory to the new indoor swimming pool at the ATB Financial in High Prairie.
Roy Lester Kellie
19??-2009
On May 5, 2009, Roy Lester Kellie passed away.
He is survived by: two sons and four daughters, Laurel Moodie and Cal Augustson, Colleen (Steven) Reid, Dwain Kellie, Carolyn Bell, Bryant (Laverne) Kellie and Doreen Cusiter (Robin); 18 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, four great great grandchildren; two brothers, Earl and Melvin; two sisters, Sadie and Ilene; as well as numerous other relatives and friends.
He was predeceased by one sister, Ruby.
A celebration of life will be held on May 16, 2009, at Serenity Funeral Service North Chapel, 10129 Princess Elizabeth Avenue, Edmonton, AB.
If friends so desire, donations may be made to the SPCA at 12251-67 Street, Edmonton, AB, TSB 1 M8.
Eva Regina Klyne
1914 -2010
Eva Regina (Czelenski) Klyne was born Sept. 19, 1914 at 12 Mile Lake, near Assiniboia, Sask. and passed away in Prince Albert, Sask. May 19, 2010, at the age of 95.
Eva grew up farming with her four sisters and four brothers. She married and moved to Kinuso Nov. 27, 1948 in a canvas covered grain truck with her sister, Mary, and George Armitage family of seven, where the youngest of her four children was born. The nine children ages 3-13 rode in the back with potatoes and quilts. Eva and her husband, Donat Klyne, homesteaded a quarter north of town.
Eva participated in community events, playing broomball, curling and loved dancing. She was a member of the Women’s Institute and the Royal Purple. She was an active volunteer in community events. She operated the old hotel, worked at Boisvert’s store and cooked for boarders. She was a generous, hard-working pioneer; a role model for her family, highly respected and loved by many. She never judged anyone, emulating such values as generosity, honesty, tolerance and forgiveness, selflessness and a great sense of humour right to the end. She plowed straight into life and reaped all of its benefits.
Eva travelled to many countries throughout her life and visited across Canada well into her nineties. Her life’s journey ended in the province of her birth.
Left to cherish Eva’s memories are: her children David (Beatrice), Catherine, Lois (Yvan), and Albert (Norma); her granddaughters Caren (Mark), Richelle, Colleen (William), Colette (Francois) and Melissa (Trevor); her grandsons Todd (Tracy), Scott (Susan), Dion (Yolande), Allan (Janna), Gregoire (Isabelle) and Anthony (Valerie); her sisters Mary and Mary Ann; her brothers Bernard and Peter, 28 great grandchildren, three great great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by: her husband Donat Klyne; her sisters Theresa and Frances; her brothers John and Joseph; and an infant sister, Agnes.
Eva was “Grandma” or “Aunty Eva” to all who knew her. She was a good friend and neighbour and she had countless numbers of friends around the world.
This is not a time of sadness, but a time to celebrate the 95 years Eva lived.
“My life has been full. Don’t grieve for me. God wanted me now - I am free.”
Lewis Thomas Vandermeulen
1906 -2003
Lewis Thomas Vandermeulen of Barrhead, Alta. passed away peacefully on Dec. 5 at the age of 97 years.
Lewis is survived by his family: John (Gail) Vandermeulen of Enfield, N.S.; Hendrika (John) Mast of Barrhead; Agatha (Willis) Toma of Hairy Hill, Alta.; and Dan (Noela) Vandermeulen of High Prairie; 22 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; one sister, Sjoakje Beerda of Athens, Ont; as well as many nephews and nieces.
He was predeceased by: his wife, Frances, and one granddaughter, Heidi Toma.
The funeral was held on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. from the Canadian Reformed Church in Barrhard with Rev. Bert Tiggelaar officiating. Interment followed in Glenreaugh Cemetery.
If friends desire, donations in Lewis's memory may be made to STARS, Edmonton Base, Building 16, 29 Airport Road, Edmonton, T5G 9Z9.
Lily Ann Anderson
1937-2005
Lily Ann Anderson was born on July 16, 1937 to Albert and Mary Cunningham and passed away on Jan. 7, 2005 at the age of 67 years.
Lily had four sisters: Flora, Doris, Rose and Aline; and seven brothers: George, Howard (Jean), Raymond (Irene), Leonard (Ruth), Michael (Pauline), Ronnie and Larry.
She was predeceased by her father, brother Charles, and sisters Yvonne and Eunice.
Lily married Ralph Anderson and they had three children: Randy, Bonnie and Charmaine. She also leaves behind her grandchildren Hayley, Shelby and Chase; her step grandchildren Danielle, Kody, Dale and Andrew. She loved both her son-in-law David and daughter-in-law Audrey as her own. When saying goodbye to David, she said she loved him and asked him to look after the children and also her kids.
Lily worked hard all her life. She stayed at home while growing up and did outside chores looking after the cows. She and Yvonne used to haul hay no matter what the weather conditions were. She was a very strong person and as a young girl she could take anyone on who challenged her. . .there were not many that would dare try again.
She left home as a young lady and worked in Hay River. When she was living in Grouard she used to babysit for a teacher's family. When they moved to Swan Hills she worked in a restaurant until Charmaine was born. Then they moved to Gift Lake in 1969. She worked at the Hot Lunch Program when it first started and worked there until she moved to High Prairie 20 years ago. She found a job as a cook working at the Youth Assessment Centre until December 1986 when she started work at the nursing home until her retirement in July 2002.
What Lily was most proud of was her children. They were always first in her life from the time they were babies and until the day of her death. Because of them she fought courageously and showed strength throughout her illness, hiding her pain so they couldn't see what a struggle she was going through.
Lily taught her children how to love and because of that they loved her enough to say goodbye and tell her that it was OK to go and be with God.
Lily was a beautiful person both inside and out. She was loved by many people whose lives she brightened with just a hello. She was a good friend who would listen to your joys and sorrows. She was a helping hand and always seemed to say the right things and be there for you when needed. She had a special place in her heart for her numerous nieces and nephews.
Some of Mom's favourite things to do was to pick berries, play cards and dance. In her later years she loved to play bingo with her friends and she loved to cook and bake for her family.
We all know that she was a great Mom and she outshined herself when she became a grandmother. She played with them, was proud of their achievements, watched them in their sporting activities and never missed any special days in their lives. She enjoyed being with her grandchildren and they adored her. Hayley couldn't say "Kookum" when she was young and she started calling her "Home" which is what they all call her now. Isn't that appropriate? For in the lives of her children and grandchildren, family and friends, being with her was like 'being at home', comfortable, loved and well cared for.
Her children say they learned a lot from her, to work hard and be proud of their accomplishments. To be kind to others and not to be quick to judge, to be there for each other and most of all to love each other and have faith in God.
Heaven will never be the same now that Lily is there. Now she is able to spread the joy she did on earth among her family and friends up in heaven. And maybe as we speak she's dabbing some bingo cards with Eunice and Yvonne.
For those she left behind let's not live with sadness but with joy in our hearts for we were lucky to have known Lily, to have learned from her and to have been loved by her. We are all blessed and profoundly touched by her and we prayed for a miracle not realizing that we had our miracle for 67 years.
Thank you, God, for lending her to us.
Roger Octave Lizee
1940-2008
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Roger Octave Lizee Aug. 26, 2008 in High Prairie at the age of 68 years. A beautiful life began July 29, 1940 when Roger was born in High Prairie. He was the seventh of 10 children born to Laura and Lucien Lizee. Right from the beginning he was always busy and mischievous with a grin on his face. Roger probably gave his babysitters, Guylaine Lizee and Florence Marx, most of their grey hair. He attended school in Grouard, Peace River, and McLennan. Being in Mission schools, he served at Mass so many times he figured he had enough church credits. That is why Father Tony and Father Abraham may not have seen him in the pews that often. Roger never had much interest in the subjects the nuns were teaching, but he enjoyed making his fellow students laugh. His sister, Yvonne, will tell the story of a time when the children were all standing up in class to tell the grade they received on an exam. Roger proudly stood up and announced his grade was goose egg! Roger was a hard worker when it came to mechanical work and he enjoyed learning from his father. After he had enough of school he started work on the family farm doing all kinds of heavy work such as picking rocks and roots. Roger, along with Boycie Jobin, Keith Stewart and Roger’s brother Harvey, spent one winter logging. It was supposed to have been a way to make some good money. Instead, it turned out to be an adventure in hard work and survival. The four men stayed in a small drafty shack and ate beans and macaroni to survive. They went into the bush with a pair of horses to help with the work. It turns out one of the horses must have known of the conditions they were expected to work under and went home! They were all probably very lucky to have survived and Roger never again wanted to go logging! He worked in High Prairie and learned more mechanical skills on both vehicles and heavy machinery. Roger went to work for his brother, Guy, in Dawson Creek in the 1950s. While in Dawson Creek he met and married his first wife and they had five children: Roger, Marcel, Jason, Dionne and Stacy. Roger loved his children very much. His family returned to High Prairie where he worked for various businesses. He achieved his journeyman ticket in September 1970 and later became a master mechanic. When the marriage dissolved and his children were taken away to British Columbia, Roger was devastated, until later years when he was reunited with all his children, which brought him great joy! In 1980 he started courting Rose and they married June 21, 1981. Rose had two children, Heather and Dan, and they also became Roger’s children. Roger and Rose unfortunately lost their own child, Olive, in 1982. Roger was doing work for others but wanted to be his own boss, so opened his own shop in 1983. Roger did not believe in waste and what someone else thought was trash he could find value in and fix it so others could also see its hidden beauty. Roger’s talents and ingenuity were endless. He loved mechanics, farming, hunting, fishing and enjoyed the outdoors. He loved people and animals and had many friends. It didn’t matter who you were, if you stopped by their farm, Roger always had time to stop for refreshments and a chat. Roger had a soft spot in his heart for children and they would either be taken for a ride or he taught them how to drive the lawn tractor themselves. Roger worked hard but he always found time to make friends with animals, so much so that Katz the dog would announce to lone and Frankie when Roger would pull into the yard. Roger was very patient with dogs and even taught his dogs PupPup and Bear to eat from a fork! Each dog would wait their turn to gently take a bite off the fork. Rose would make Roger a sandwich for his lunch and the next day, Rose would ask if he needed another sandwich, Roger would reply he still have a half a sandwich! Rose couldn’t understand how he could make a sandwich last so long because Roger would always share a part of his sandwich with the dogs! All of the dogs knew when his sandwich container came out they would get a corner of it. All the dogs learned to sit up straight and wait for their treat. One of them would bark or place a paw on Roger to remind him that he was there. Roger hosted a good number of birthday parties for his mother and all his family was welcome. But Rose always made sure that Roger and Joe were included as they were also July babies. Roger was cruelly stricken with cancer in 2007. While the treatments were not successful and only lessened the quality of his life, Roger faced his impending death with grace and dignity. On Aug. 26 at approximately 2 p.m. Roger quietly passed away with his loved ones by his side. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Today if he were here, Roger would be the first to say, “That this would be a good time for a safety break!” He leaves to mourn his passing: his devoted wife, Rose; his children Stacy (Sarah) Seabrook, Dionne (Troy) Nicklin, Jason (Laurel) Seabrook, Roger Lizee, Dan (Gail) Lama and Heather Lama; seven grandchildren; his siblings Guy Lizee, Joe (Carmelle) Lizee, Guylaine (Bill) Hood, Robert (Jackie) Lizee, Yvonne (Jim) Savi11, Denis (Linda) Lizee; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased: by his parents, Lucien and Laura Lizee; and siblings Andre Lizee, Harvey Lizee, and Monique Perry; and his children Marcel and Olive.
Logan Jeremy Lamouche-Willier
1989-2004
Logan Jeremy Lamouche-Willier was born Feb. 27, 1989 in Grande Prairie and suddenly taken away from us Nov. 25, 2004, at the age of 15 years.
Logan was raised by his mother in Grande Prairie. He lived with Edna, his sister, in Grande Prairie for one year, then his father, Rusty, in Grouard for one year. In September 2004 Logan moved back home to his mother's place in Grande Prairie to continue his education. It was important to him to finish school so he could have a good job when he was an adult. Logan was completing Grade 10 at the Grande Prairie Composite High School. He is sadly missed by his teacher, Brenda, and his classmates.
Logan will always be remembered by the hugs and kisses he had for everyone and his caring heart. He made sure that people around him were OK and happy.
"Logan, my baby, I miss you and you will live in my heart forever. I love you, son, " says his mother.
Jeremy is survived by: his mother, Kathleen; stepfather Denis; father Rusty; stepmother Jeannie; brothers Derrick (Wanda) and Quentin; sisters Edna (Moonie), Hailey and D.J.; nephew Levi; nieces K.C. and Angel Rain; his girlfriend, Stephanie, of Grande Prairie. He also leaves behind grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends too numerous to mention.
He was predeceased by his great grandfathers, Dan Lamouche and Sam Willier; his great grandmother, Mary Louisa Willier; grandmother Edna Lamouche; aunts Bridgette and Dorothy; and uncle Wesley Willier.
The wake was held Nov. 30 at the Sucker Creek Recreation Centre. The funeral and burial occurred in Grouard Dec. 1.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any youth program or reading program of one's choice.
