Obituaries / Life Stories

October 3, 1937 – March 22, 2019

The family of Natalie Rothery sadly announces her passing.  She is lovingly remembered by her husband Ted Rothery; daughters, Sharon (Bob) Rittinger and Sherry Wiebe; sons Dwayne (Laureen) Rothery and Randy Rothery; 8 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Iris (Patrick) Meehan; brothers, Ernie (Carrie) Kalynka and Terry Kalynka; sister-in-law, Eileen Kalynka; brothers-in-law Mike (Leslie Tutty) Rothery and Bob (Lynn) Rothery; and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her brother Ron Kalynka and her parents Dmytro and Jennie Kalynka.

Throughout working life that included cooking and related food preparation, sewing drapery, and production line work in fabricating fibre optic cable. Natalie was always a popular worker and valued for doing good work and doing it efficiently.  When forced to take early retirement because of poor health, she happily continued using her talents knitting and sewing for the benefit of her grandkids.

At Natalie’s request there will not be a formal funeral.  A private family memorial service will take place at a later date.

We would like to thank all of the doctors, nurses and staff on the Palliative Care ward in St. Paul’s Hospital.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Elva Beth Taylor (Barrons) of Saskatoon, May 24, 1937, beloved wife of David Charles Taylor, passed away peacefully in Saskatoon on Thursday, March 14th, 2019 at the age of 81 years.

Elva was predeceased by daughter Cindy Copeland, son in law Roy Yorgason, parents Joseph & Ruby and brother Mervyn. She is survived by husband David, daughters Donita, Lori, Kim, son Trent, sister Audrey and extended families.

Elva was born in Swift Current, SK. and raised in Neville, SK where she met and married David Taylor, June 30, 1956. The couple relocated to Saskatoon where they continued to reside, raising their family of five and enjoyed being grandparents.

Elva had various positions outside the family home.  She excelled as a Tupperware Manager winning many sales awards. She (and David) were also charter members of the Rambling Rovers Trailer Club and spent many summers travelling and camping with club members. Elva’s focus and dedication to baton twirling and the SBTA led to induction to Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame, 2015, Builder for Baton Twirling.

Family expresses thanks to various staff as she journeyed through levels of required care.

Cremation, Service at a future date.

Joy Lynne Anderson (nee Fredlund) passed from this life on Sunday, March 10th, 2019 at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon at the age of 69. She spent her final days surrounded by her family.

Joy was born on December 9th, 1949 in Whitewood, SK. She was the youngest of seven children, born to Rubert and Lois Fredlund. Surviving siblings are Sonia, Jo Ann, Milton, Alden, Duane, and Vince.

Joy married the love of her life, Garry Anderson, on January 11th, 1968. They celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary this year.

Joy and Garry were blessed with three wonderful children, Donna (Robby), Duane, and Darla (Conrad), and 7 beautiful grandchildren Delanie, Michael, Brianna, Jessica, Zane, Sarah and Hunter.

Some of Joys’ favourite things included watching curling, doing puzzles, gardening, antiques, and conversations with friends (Lois). She had a passion for her work as a Certified General Accountant. A moment of great personal pride for her was receiving the Governor Generals Award after graduating with the highest marks in Canada.

She will be forever missed.

Joy’s family will be celebrating her life with a private memorial at a later date.

In lieu of flowers/gifts to honour Joy, please direct your donations to Parkinson’s research. #110 – 2103 Airport Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7L 6W2.

Photo Credit: Artist Sarah Anderson (granddaughter)

 A Gift from Joy, created in 2009. A picture is worth a thousand words. 

Please click on link below to watch video.

James was born May 1, 1940 and passed away March 8, 2019 in Saskatoon, SK.

James is survived by his daughters Jackie, Andrea (Greg), Terri (Pat), Courtney; 5 grandchildren; 1 great grandchild; his wife Chella and her children Darcy (Heather), Kelly (Patti), Lesley (Darcy); 5 step-grandchildren.  Jim is also survived by his sister Gwen (Doug).

Jim spent much of his life teaching in various schools in the province.  He was an avid hockey player, hanging up his skates at the age of 75.  Jim was also very involved in the children’s programs at Pleasant Hill Church – he will be lovingly remembered as “Grandpa Jim”.

At Jim’s request there will be no funeral service.

Jim is now rejoicing in Heaven.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Close to Home Campaign at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Myrvin passed away on March 2, 2019 at Sherbrooke Veterans Village.  He was born on January 10, 1924 in Regina, SK. He was the last surviving member of six siblings.  They were Don, Glen, Ray, Sid & Marie.

He is survived by his wife Jean; sons Craig (Tracey) and Merv Jr. (Shirley); Grandchildren Troy (Denise), Terri (Ken), Jamie (Davin) and Walker; also many nieces and nephews.

Myrvin served overseas in the army for 4 years with the Essex Scottish 2^ndDivision where he went all through Europe and Holland.

When he came home he worked in trucking for a while, but eventually started his own Contracting business which he had to quit in his 70’s because of some health issues. He built a cabin at Turtle Lake which we had for many years – so he had lots of fish stories and water skiing laughs.

Myrvin loved music, dancing and most of all having family and friends over for big bar b q’s.  He was also the “roadie” for Jean’s band for many years – many good stories there.

We are going to miss his great sense of humor, his sayings and his wonderful smile and laugh.

The family wants to especially thank the wonderful nurses and staff at the Veteran’s Village.  They treated him with so much dignity and respect all the time he was there – he was so fortunate to be in their care.

Service will be held Thursday, March 7^that 2:30 p.m. at the Sherbrooke Community Centre Chapel with Pastor Mark Trew officiating and music by Wes Froese. Donations can be made to the Veterans Village at Sherbrooke Community Centre in Myrvin’s memory.

On March 01, 2019 we lost a brother, an uncle, and a friend with the passing of Terry Collins at the age of 70.

Terry will be forever remembered by brother Wayne, sisters Faye (Terry), Carol, and Lorna, sister-in-law Kelene, brothers-in-law Kevin (Cam) and Brent (Kim), numerous nieces and nephews, and many close friends.

Terry will be joining the love of his life Laura, their partners-in-crime Larry and Rhoda McLeod, and loving parents Mable and Bert.

Terry was born in Saskatoon October 07, 1948. His early years were spent on the farm at Colonsay where he attended the one room school house Sleaford School until grade three. He moved with his family to Saskatoon in 1958, attending Caswell school and Bedford Road Collegiate. Terry worked various jobs throughout his life and recently retired from Connection Point at the University of Saskatchewan where he developed many close friendships.

Terry devoted his life to animal welfare, especially rescue cats. His day centred around the caring for his three cats Wicca, Tiger Lily, and Bijoux.

We will miss his wit, dry humour and those striking blue eyes.

Our lives will be forever changed.

We would like to thank Dr. Andrea Johnson and the staff at SPH’s Palliative Care Unit for the compassionate care given to Terry. At Terry’s request there will be no funeral.

(Thomas) Roger Heard —  husband, father, grandfather, teacher, mentor, sportsman, actor, and friend took his final curtain call at home on February 23, 2019. His love and devotion to his wife, Valerie, and his children Lise, Victoria, and Thom was evident in every aspect of his life. As an educator, he touched the lives of thousands of students in three provinces and on two continents. As a regular fixture on Saskatoon stages, he appeared in both amateur and professional productions, as well as murder mysteries and a late-life modeling career that saw him larger-than-life on local billboards. He was a fiercely intelligent man who started every day with the puzzle section of the newspaper. A prodigious reader and life-long learner, he was always pleased to share his knowledge and insight with others. He will be greatly missed by his family and all those who knew him. A favourite review of one of his roles also provides a wonderful testament to his wit and humour in life: “Heard was hilarious”.

Henry S Thiessen,  92 years of Langham, Sk. passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 18, 2019. Henry was born and grew up on the family farm near Langham in 1926 and was the 12^th  of 13 children born to Jacob and Susanna Thiessen.

Dad attended Edinburgh School in the Langham district and was very active in hockey and baseball. Those passions continued into his adult life. He was known to friends and family as “NHL Hank” and he spent his Saturday evenings with Hockey Night in Canada, cheering for his favorite team, the Boston Bruins and during the summer, the Boston Red Sox.

Growing up, dad helped out on the family farm until he took over in 1963. He continued to farm into his 90’s and could always be found in his garage on the farm going through his treasures until the very end. Dad was always a hardworking man and when he wasn’t busy farming, he worked for many different garages in Saskatoon and Langham, such as Busby’s Esso, Nortons, Roy Epp, Don Huggins, and Czanks, just to name a few. He always had a jigsaw puzzle on the go along with his Sudoku books. Dad’s childhood hobby was his beloved Meccano and collecting hockey cards and in his later years, Lego with his Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren. Dad proudly owned every issue of the “Hockey News”, from the very first one published to yesterday’s issue.

Dad met the love of his life at a dance in the Legions Hall in Langham in 1952 and him and Gloria Stahl were married 2 days before his birthday on December 9, 1955. He said that mom was the best birthday present ever!

Dad and Mom had many adventures and laughs in their 63 years of marriage. He always looked forward to coming home from the field to his wife and family to a meal of his favorite foods, like Roll Kuchen, Plumamoos or Farmer Sausage with lots and lots of Ketchup.

Henry was predeceased by his brothers, John(Mary) Thiessen, Bill(Verna) Thiessen, Jack(Helen) Thiessen, Pete(Anne) Thiessen, Ike Thiessen, and Frank Thiessen; sisters, Susan(Dirk) Tiessen, Helen(Harry) Schmidt, Liz(Adolf) Blushke, Mary(Ben) Epp, Agnes(Frank) Dyck, and Anne Thiessen; and numerous nieces and nephews. Henry is survived by his wife, Gloria; Daughter, Gail(Ken), Grandchild Danielle, Great-Grandchild, Alex, Grandchild, Chantal(Mike), Great-Grandchildren, Dylan and Landon, Grandchild, Tabatha(Chris), Great-Grandchildren, Brooke and Cory; Daughter, Lorna, Grandchild, Terran; Son, Scott, and Grandchildren, Austin and Haley.

A memorial service will be held on March 2, 2019 at 2:00pm in the Langham Hall in Langham, Sk.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Saskatoon Cancer Center, #20 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Sk. S7N 4H4.

The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at both St. Pauls and RUH hospitals, the Cancer Clinic, and the Langham Care Home for the excellent care they gave our dad.

Johnnie William Love passed away on February 17, 2019 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at the age of 84 years. Johnnie was born on April 25, 1934 to James and Nelda Love in Apache, Oklahoma. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

Anthony (Tony) Ambrose Novakovski, 86 of Martensville, SK. passed away peacefully after a long and arduous battle with COPD on February 13, 2019 at St. Paul’s Hospital, Saskatoon SK. Prayer Vigil will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, 300-8^thAvenue S, Martensville, SK. on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 7:00 PM. A Celebration of his life with Mass will be held on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at 1:00 PM also in Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Martensville, SK. with Father Peter Ebidero officiating. Tony will be cremated following the service and buried with a memorial service sometime later this summer.

“Tony” was born on the farm in Melville SK. on May 10, 1932 to Andrew Novakovski and Magdelene Burant. It was there he met and married his childhood sweetheart Anne Kreklewich, August 12, 1950. He was a romantic man carrying in his wallet a picture of the two of them the day after their wedding. They settled down in Melville and raised their family of six children. Tony owned and drove taxi for a few years and then went on to become an Engineer on the CN railroad before retiring in 1996 after almost 40 years of service. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus for over 60 years and was an active member in his church.

He was the most “extraordinary” ordinary man with a beautiful soul and so much more. He loved spending time with his family and was very proud of them and their accomplishments, as well as his own. Tony was a very humble, virile and meticulous man. “If you’re going to do something take your time, do it well and do it right the first time.” He loved playing his fiddle, telling jokes and stories-laughing at them as they were told, fishing, woodworking, country music, crossword puzzles and cryptoquip’s, and avid sports enthusiast, a hat collector – a diehard Oilers and Blue Jays fan, loved watching the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren‘s activities and playing cards-always a deck on the table. Everyone, no matter who or what time, was always welcome.

Tony was preceded by his sons, Blair (1996), Terry (2014) and his granddaughter Kelly (2005).

He is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Anne and their children, Brian (Tanya), Darrell (Wendy), Cheryll (Pat) and Lori (Jeff); 15 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren; his sisters, Rosalie Woloschuk, Pat Stein-Jones and Marge (Joe) Sikora; brother-in-law, Joe (Marion) Kreklewich and sister-in-law, Rose Walchuk.

He will be greatly missed but happily remembered and cherished by family, relatives and friends.

A special thank you to his family physician Dr. Allison Adamus, all his specialists, COPD nurses, Home Care, pharmacist (Ron), as well as the doctors, nurses and staff of St. Paul’s Hospital and Cherished Memories Funeral Services.

As you play your fiddle to the angels waiting through a big haul of fish – all the while debating with St. Peter, the fisherman as to who caught the biggest fish, play a game of cards for all of us. We’ll see you soon. We miss you and love you very much. Loving Husband, Dad, G-Pa and GG-Pa.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our Mom, Grandma, and Great-Grandma, Marjorie Elizabeth Harris nee Tweit on February 10^th, 2019 at the age of 74 years. She has joined her husband in Heaven, our Dad, Grandpa, and Great-Grandpa, Winston Percy Harris who passed away on May 19, 2017 at the age of 76 years.

Winston and Marjorie are survived by their loving children, Rodney, Ronda(Robert), Wendy and Wendell; their beloved grandchildren, Quinton, Chase (Gloria), Courtney(Justin), Logan, Kale, Stacee, Wade and Morgan; and their Great Grandchildren, Bentlee, Pepper, Gracie and Cayde

Dad and Mom will be forever missed, we find comfort in knowing that they are once again fishing together on their beloved East Trout Lake.

As per Mom and Dad’s wishes, no service will be held. A private family burial will take place at a later date.

It is with great sadness the family announces the passing of Dianne Francis McCumber.  Dianne was born January 31, 1946 in Flin Flon, Manitoba and passed away February 7, 2019 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all her family and friends.  Full obituary will follow at a later date.

Chuck is lovingly remembered by, his wife Linda of 39 years; his children Travis Umphrey and Bobbi Umphrey; Granddaughters Brooke and Jordan; Brother in Law Donn Pool (Nicole) and their children Jadon and Dylan Pool; Mother in Law Marj Pool (Ron Fremont); Siblings Gwen Umphrey (Ian Matheson) and Gwen’s children Natalie, Emily and Nolan and their spouses and children, Linda Davies (Richie) and their children Ted, Don and Jennifer and their spouses and children and Janet Small (Ed); and numerous other relatives and friends.

Chuck is predeceased by his parents Ted  and Elva Umphrey.

The family of Ellen Annette Lipinski is sad to announce the death of our dear mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and auntie, on January 29, 2019, after a year-long battle with cancer.

She was predeceased by her husband Peter, son Darren, sister Valerie, her parents Henry and Anne Combres, her sister Linda Tanchak, and her cherished mother-in-law Katie Lipinski.

She is survived by her children: Sandra Lazar (Terry), Barbara Maruschak, Cameron Lipinski (April), Laura Lindsay (Darrell); and her grandchildren Clayton Lazar, Tyler Lazar, Natasha Maruschak, Raina Lipinski (Thomas), Kayla Lipinski, Darren Lipinski, Karen Lindsay, Peter Lindsay, great grand daughter Alice Guenther; sister Darlene Hahn (Richard), brother-in-law Ken Tanchak, brothers; Arnold Combres (Marjorie), Bunny Combres (Yvonne), Clifford Combres (Maureen), Wayne Combres (Norma); numerous nieces and nephews, many other family members and cherished friends.

Mom always talked about her many friends made throughout her life and in her work years. She was an avid gardener – a true green thumb, and loved working out in her yard. She loved her bus and car road trips on her own or with her friends travelling to many different casinos on bus trips as well as her other great adventures which took her to England and France, many states in the US, Mexico, her beloved Hawaii, and Alaska.

Mom’s last year was met with health challenges along with many happy memories and experiences with her family and friends. She was a fiery, independent, fun, and sweet spirit throughout her life and was treasured by all who knew her. Lots of lifelong memories were made, and mom will be missed and loved forever.

In lieu of flowers mom requested that donations be made to: Richard Cemetery Fund: c/o Frances Anderson – 11230 Gardiner Dr. North Battleford SK, S9A 3M6, ph: 306-445-6424, and/or; Alzheimer Society of Sask Inc., 1407 Falkner Cres., Saskatoon SK, S7L 3R5, ph: 306-683-6322.

A celebration of mom’s life will be announced and held in Spring 2019, as she wanted all to gather and think of her at a time of newness and greenery of the spring season (her words). Private interment will be held at a future date at the Richard Cemetery.

Leonelle Brunet passed peacefully in his home on January 25, 2019 in Hafford, SK at the age of 80. Leonelle is survived by his children, Melvina Bear, Leona Towers, Camille Brunet (Morris Phillips), Lyle Brunet (Tania) and Jennifer Payne, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, 19 grand children, 9 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded by his parents Barame and Jeanne “Jane” Brunet, 2 sisters, 4 brothers, 3 grandchildren as well as several nieces and nephews. Leonelle was born February 26, 1938 in Prince Albert, SK and attended Oscar Lake School in Central Saskatchewan. Leonelle purchased his homestead farm in 1962 in the R.M. of Meeting Lake. He continued life as a mixed livestock and grain farmer, father, and husband. He continued to farm until the summer of 2018 on a quarter he purchased just outside of Hafford “for fun” in his “retirement.” Leonelle will be remembered as industrious, brilliant, charming, and loyal with a unique sense of humor and dedication to his family, friends and community. A celebration of his life will be held in Cherished Memories ‘LifeStory Room’ at 7:00pm, January 31^st 2019 with Rick Lane officiating in Martensville, SK with a small luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations to Hafford Home Care, Box 130 Hafford, SK, S0J 1A0 would be greatly appreciated.

 May 21, 1978 ~ January 26, 2019

It is with great sadness we announce the sudden passing of Aimee. She is predeceased by her father, grandparents, and many family members. Aimee is survived by her mother, two brothers, children’s father, daughter, two sons, and numerous family members. Service will be held on February 3^rdat 1:00pm at Cherished Memories Funeral Services.

Joe Dumba, a husband, father, grandfather, coach and teacher who made learning fun and winning even more fun, died peacefully on January 22, 2019 at the age of 86 surrounded by loved ones. Joe was born in Dysart, Saskatchewan to immigrant Romanian parents. The youngest of ten children, Joe was predeceased by his father (Wasyle), mother (Maria) and 9 siblings. Joe’s competitive ways were established early in life with his natural abilities and passion for sports. He played hockey at a high level, tried out for professional baseball and was an unbeatable pool player. In later years he golfed, curled and played all sorts of card games, especially bridge. Even when diabetes took his leg, he still maintained his passion because “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” Joe was a beloved teacher. He obtained a Bachelor’s of Education from the U of S, the first in his family to complete a degree. His first teaching job was in a small country school near Regina. He taught in various capacities in Marcelin, Eston, Davidson, Eatonia, Rosetown, Muenster and Pilger before retiring at 54 years old. He completely enjoyed teaching kids in every subject, helping them grow and reach their potential. Joe was often considered the “best teacher I ever had”. Joe spent many years coaching and officiating sports. He led school teams (volleyball, basketball, gymnastics and football) to regional and provincial titles and coached multiple winning provincial titles in baseball and hockey. Joe found joy instilling a winning attitude in the people he coached.Joe married Doris, his wife and partner of 57 years, in 1961 and they had 3 boys: Darren (Sue), Maury (Darlene) and Jeff (Chantal); and seven grandchildren: Dustyn (Sadie), Josh, Kelsey (Kyle), Jordan (Mashall), Mitchell, Mackenzie and Megan. He was thrilled to learn he has a great-granddaughter on the way. Joe loved being with his grandchildren; cheering, teaching and shaping their lives. Joe and Doris moved to Saskatoon in 1990 where they spent many years singing in the church choir, being active members of their community and cultivating dear friendships. Joe was a kind and generous person who loved his family. He was proud of the family name and successes in education, business, sports and contributions to community by his sons, their children and his extended family. He had an excellent sense of humor and will always be remembered for his favourite jokes. A special thanks to Dr. Fenske and the nurses on the 7th floor at St Paul’s Hospital for your special care and attention. A funeral service will be held to honor his life at Hillcrest Funeral Home at 210 Wess Road, Saskatoon at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 2, 2019.

Thompson, Marion (nee Statler)

August 9, 1918 to January 14, 2019

Mom passed away peacefully at Central Haven Special Care Home in Saskatoon. Central Haven was her special home for the past several years and we thank the staff for their excellent care and many acts of kindness.

Marion was the second of 8 children born to Leroy and Ella Statler.  She was born in Indian Head and except for a period during WWII when she worked at a factory in Ontario, she was a lifelong Saskatchewan resident. She married Forrest (Dutch) Thompson in July, 1946 and began a career as a hard working farm wife and Carlyle and district community member. Marion met all the challenges of farm life with determination and loved the supportive friendship of wonderful neighbors and community members. Dutch and Marion were avid community supporters and were always quick to volunteer and be involved.  This was particularly true to support their children and grandchildren. They were Carlyle Cougar hockey fans and enjoyed many hours at the arena. They travelled many miles to attend the grand kid’s hockey and ball games and special events. Gramma enjoyed every trip and every opportunity to be with her family. She loved camping, being at the lake,  a good joke and sharing meals with family and friends.

Marion is survived by her sister Ida and three children – Judy, Carol (Malcolm) and Neil (Karen); 9 grandchildren –  Aaron, Dawn, Tristan, Katie, Michael, Joey, Patrick, Tucker and Kaelen; and 5 great grand children – Kolten, Erin, Dannie, Griffin, Ben and Finley.

Dutch and Marion moved to Coteau Place in Arcola in 2007. Dutch passed away in 2008 and Marion moved to Saskatoon in 2014. We enjoyed a wonderful celebration of  Marion’s 100^thbirthday this past August. We have many fond memories of our Mom and Gramma – she lived a long and loving life.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Glen Morris Cemetery in Carlyle, SK.

“God saw you getting tired …. So he put his arms around you and whispered come to me……”

It is with sadness we announce the passing of Raymond Theodore Riesinger at the age of 61 years on January 14, 2019. Raymond was a resident of Parkridge Centre in Saskatoon. He is lovingly remembered by his brothers Edward, Joseph and Albert; sister Roseanne; 2 nieces Lyndsey and Brittney; Aunts Laura St. Germain and Dorothy Martin; Uncles Romeo Arcand and Larry Arcand; special friends Murphy and Jane Smith; numerous cousins and friends. Raymond was predeceased by his parents Leonard & Roselda (nee Arcand) and his Grandparents; Aunty Cecile (Ed) Loeffler; Uncle Nap Arcand; Uncle Raymond St. Germain; Aunty Jean Pearson; and Uncle Claude Martin.

Memorial Service was held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 21, 2019 in the Chapel of Cherished Memories Funeral Home, 591 Centennial Drive North, Martensville. Raymond’s Urn will be interred alongside his parents in St. John’s Parish Cemetery in Arthur, Ontario at a later date. A heartfelt thank you to the staff at the Parkridge Centre, the staff at RUH (5311) and a special thank you to Nurse Lisa.