Page 24 - The Battlefords, Thursday, November 30, 2017
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OBITUARIES MCMURPHY: Jack McMurphy closed his eyes and slipped away before breakfast on 12 Nov 2017, at the Riverside Nursing Home in Turtleford, SK, six weeks before his 98th birthday. Missing his presence are his children, Evelyn (Alan) Whitfield, Maxine Tetz (Gerald Relitz), Margaret (Allan) Chisholm, Stewart (Trudy) McMurphy, Shelley McMurphy, David (Shelley) Nichol and Laurie Baskin, his nineteen grandchildren, thirty great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren who always made him smile. Little brother David (Thelma) McMurphy, sisters-in-law, Pauline McMurphy, Alma Cockburn, Jenny Nichol, Pearl Schick and his first wife Evelyn Curtis Russell miss him dearly. He has now joined his parents, stepmother, older sisters Olive and Annie, little sisters Grace, Ada James and Elva Reichel Dopson, brothers, Ron McMurphy Sr and two in infancy, his second wife Bernice Stewart, a daughter in infancy, third wife Betty Mowery Nichol, Betty’s son George Nichol and his wife Kathy Stepanik Nichol, great grandson Zach Starling, nephew Ron McMurphy Jr, niece Anna Ruth James, grandniece Kimberly Conacher, brothers-in-law Howard James, Frank Dopson, Jim Cockburn, Lyle Stewart, Jim Mowery, Stan Nichol and sister-in-law Marion Stewart. The Funeral Service was conducted from the Turtleford Community Hall, Turtleford, Saskatchewan on Friday, November 17, 2017 at 2:00 PM (CST) with Rev. Canon Don Skinner officiating. The eulogy was presented by Shelley McMurphy. The hymns were “Amazing Grace” and “Rock Of Ages” accompanied by organist Bev Meikle. The active pallbearers were Malcolm Chisholm, Tyler Chisholm, Andrew Hinz, Mark McMurphy, Mitchell McMurphy and Kendrick Tetz. The Legion honor guard was present. The interment was held at the Turtleford Cemetery, Turtleford, Saskatchewan. Donations in memory of Jack may be made to the Riverside Nursing Home Residents Fund or Livelong Legion Poppy Fund. Jack was born 24 December 1919 at the homestead near Turtleford. He was the fourth child and first to live beyond infancy of Dugald and Olive Journeay McMurphy. One year and six days later his little sister Ada was born. Jack and Ada’s mother Olive passed away 14 May 1921 from a brain aneurism, she was thirty-two. In 1953, Ada passed away from the same condition, she was thirty-two. Dugald married Christina Hartwick in 1923. Ronald, Elva, baby boy who passed at birth, Grace, who died at three months from diphtheria and little brother David completed his siblings. Christina passed away in 1945 while Jack was overseas. Jack decided to quit school at fourteen to seek his fortune. He helped his Dad farming and was in demand to work on threshing crews. Doug was also a funeral director and Jack helped with funerals until Doug sold out to Ripley and McCaw in 1948. In the fall of 1941, he joined the army, six months were spent training in Canada before shipping out for England. In England while on leave he met Evelyn Curtis, a nurse, they married in April of 1944. Not long after the marriage Jack landed in Normandy. Jack drove trucks with petrol, rations, ammo and the mail as well as driving Bren gun carriers. With the 7th Medium Regiment he made his way across France, Belgium, Holland and finally Germany. In May of 1945, he was granted leave, went to London and met his three-month-old daughter Evelyn for the first time. The German Army capitulated while he was on leave, he had a hard time believing it, not until the normally staid British people started singing and dancing in the streets. They joined the crowd and were swept along to Buckingham Palace where the King, Queen and the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were on the balcony waving to the crowds. Ever irrepressible Jack yelled up to Princess Elizabeth, “How about a date?” Evelyn and Jack made the decision to divorce as Evelyn at twenty-two could not leave her family behind. Jack went back to Canada to farm. He started out with a shack, four horses, two cows, some machinery and a cat who was a good mouser in 1946 on the farm where he lived until last year. He married Bernice Stewart in 1949. Along came Maxine, Margaret and Stewart. Bernice lost her battle with cancer in 1968. Jack met & married Betty Mowery Nichol and they had a daughter Shelley. Betty brought three children with her from an earlier marriage, George, David and Laurie. Betty lost her battle with cancer in 1999. To supplement his farming income, he worked as a clerk for auctioneer Stan Scott and others, shipped livestock for the Pool, loading them onto rail cars, helped to deliver coal around Turtleford by unloading rail cars, threshing, milking twelve cows by hand to sell to the Mervin Creamery, custom hauling cattle to the North Battleford Stockyards with a one-ton GMC and caretaking of the skating and curling rinks with Ed Chambers. He bartended in the winter at the Turtleford Hotel and later the Blackthorn Inn. When he was semi retired he took on guard duty with the RCMP in Turtleford. At the same time Jack was also on numerous boards and belonged to several organizations. The Co-op Board for over thirty years, Credit Union, Agricultural Society, TADRA, Councillor of the RM of Mervin, Library Board, Rural Telephone Board, Wheat Pool, secretary/treasurer for the curling rink for fifteen years and The Royal Canadian Legion Mervin, Turtleford and Livelong Branches where he served in many offices and was awarded a life membership. He delivered Mealson-Wheels to as he liked to say, “the old people”. As the years went by he was older then some of the people he delivered to. He was retired against his will after his second heart attack. Jack led a busy and rewarding life. In 2001, at the age of 81, he took his first trip to Vancouver and Victoria to his niece’s wedding. It was the first time he saw Pacific Ocean. That trip kindled his travel bug. Next on the agenda was Churchill, Manitoba, the tour of the grain terminal was his second as he toured the Thunder Bay terminal with his cousin who worked there in 1942, when he was on leave. He went to England more than once to visit with his daughter Evelyn, the grandchildren and great grandchildren. Several family members went with him to Nova Scotia, to tour and to visit where his mother Olive was born and lived until she came west to marry his dad. In his eighties he took a sail on the Bluenose, was an extra in a mini series on Tommy Douglas whom he met and admired in the 50’s. He and his team took first place in Legion Provincial Bowling. In his 90’s came the big tour of France, Belgium and the Netherlands. He saw Vimy Ridge, Beaumont Hamel, Passchendaele, Dieppe and went back to Juno Beach, Caen, Arnhem, Nijmegen. He visited the grave of Sgt Bacon, the best damn sergeant of the Canadian Army at Beny-Sur-Mer. Jack rode in the back of restored Canadian Army trucks waving to crowds of 100,000 in Wageningen and Apeldoorn. That was the end of the big journeys. There were trips to Water Valley outside Calgary, Medicine Hat, Stettler where the train he was on was robbed by masked bandits, followed by turkey supper and pie. He rode a horse in Jasper National Park, visited Manitou, went several times to Taste of Saskatchewan and of course every Fall Supper around. He never lost his sense of humour, his kindness, his appreciation of life and his mischief making. Farewell Dad, Grandpa Jack, G-Pops, thank you for all the memories. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements. CARD OF THANKS The family would like to thank the staff of the Riverside Health Complex and Nursing Home for the wonderful care Dad received. Thank you Chris, Dad’s amazing niece for the homemade treats, he enjoyed them all. We would like to thank Don Skinner for the beautiful service, Bev Meikle for the music and the choir for the lovely singing. The grandsons and great grandsons, thank you for being the pallbearers. Thank you to all who donated lunch, it was delicious. Dad would have enjoyed those egg salad sandwiches. For everyone who called, visited, sent cards and online condolences, for the flowers, the food and the donations to the Nursing Home and Poppy Fund, you made a very sad experience easier to bear. Thank you Brett, Dave and everyone at McCaw’s for making Dad’s celebration of life possible. The McMurphy, Whitfield, Tetz, Chisholm, Nichol Families _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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BRUNDIGE, Glen Allen Born in Lloydminster, SK Aug. 6, 1928 to Jessie Mildred Westgate and John McQueen Brundige, Glen died peacefully at home in Kelowna, BC Nov. 18, 2017. He was predeceased by sister Charlotte Levailant, brothers Walter Porter, Leslie Zean and William Edwin Brundige. By his side when he departed on his “next exciting adventure” were members of his close family. Left to remember happy times with a dedicated husband, devoted brother, proud father and wonderful grand and great grandfather are his wife Elisabeth (nee Ewald) and step-son John Schmititz and partner Charlotte, brother Gordon Emmett and Pat Brundige, 3 daughters and their families: Linda and Gary Hanson (Dawn Hanson and Matthew Cooke, Sophie; Eric and Kristen Hanson, Graham and Cadence; Callie and Mike Service, Caius and Barrett), Wendy Brundige; Debra and Rick Williams (Myranda and Tyler Matser); his half-sisters: Beverley Brundige, Shirley and Al Highton, Wendy and Frank Pawelko. Also remembering him are his first wife, Patricia Peters (nee Lalonde), and second wife Judy Goodsky and her children Tammy, Adam, and Jon. The world has one less millwright, boilermaker, gardener, dancer, inventor and fabricator – he will be missed. Visitation will commence at 9:00 am on Saturday, December 2, 2017 with a Celebration of Life to follow at 10:00 am, both at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, 2268 Pandosy Street, Kelowna, BC V1Y 1T2 www.kghfoundation.com, and the Kelowna Food Bank, 1265 Ellis Street, Kelowna, BC www.cofoodbank.com. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com, 250-8607077. ____________________________________________________ MCKELLAR: Agnes was born on July 10, 1934 in Regina, SK, to Stan and Lottie Summers. She was their only child. She was raised in Moose Jaw, SK, and she received her secondary education at Central Collegiate and completed business school in Moose Jaw. Agnes met Jack McKellar whom she married on December 12, 1953. They resided in Moose Jaw for 3 years and then moved north to the Brightsand area. In 1969, they moved to St. Walburg, where she resided until her passing. Agnes was a very community minded person who believed in giving back to her family, friends and community. She was very involved in minor sports and the Royal Purple. Agnes’ passions were her family, gardening and yard work, her cabin at the lake and traveling. Agnes traveled throughout Canada and the United States, as well as Mexico and a cruise through the Panama Canal. Agnes was predeceased by: her husband, Jack; her mother, Lottie; her father, Stanley; her son, Kevin; and son-in-law, Bernie. Agnes leaves to mourn her passing: her daughter, Jo-Anne Larre (Terrie) and her children Tyler and his daughter Luca, Lauren (Chris) and her daughter Taylor, Trent and his children Devlin, Ryleigh, Jennifer, Piper and Ryker, Kristan (Jeremy) and their son Beckett; Terry (Dawn) and their children Hailey and Kevin; Barry and his children Ashley (Justin), Darris, Amanda (Colton) and their daughter Makaila; Karen (Dean) and their children Colby and Beau. The Memorial Service for Agnes was conducted from the St. Walburg Elks Hall on Friday, November 17, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. with Donna Hall officiating. Terry McKellar was the urn bearer, and Lauren Larre, Kristan Larre and Taylor Larre-Cross read the eulogy. The Royal Purple catered the lunch, and Marshall’s Funeral Home Ltd. of St. Walburg, Saskatchewan administered the funeral arrangements. CARD OF THANKS The McKellar family wishes to thank all of our family, friends, and neighbors for their support and caring during this difficult time. Thank you to each one who took part in the service to honor Agnes’ memory. Thank you to the Royal Purple and to Marshall’s Funeral Home. Thank you to each one who sent flowers, food or made phone calls to each of us. Your kindness will never be forgotten. ____________________________________________________