Firby
George Arthur Ronald (Ron) Firby aged 84 years passed away peacefully at Davidson Health Centre on Tuesday, August 12, 2014. Ron was born on the farm east of Kenaston to Jim and Eliza Firby on June 25, 1930. He attended school at McCraney School and Horseshoe Lake School. In 1945 he and his family moved to Kenaston where they took over the Y Service Station and Bulk Fuel. He worked there as a fuel truck driver getting an underage driver’s permit which he still had when he passed away. In 1947 his dad bought land so Ron helped him farm as well. In 1948 he met the love of his life Bernice (Bunny) Lindberg who worked at the Hanley Creamery. They married on June 26, 1950 in Rivers, Man. and came back to Kenaston to live across the road from his parents where the rink now stands. After ten months they moved out to the Black farm, east of Kenaston where they lived for another year. They then built a house on the west quarter of 19-30-2-3 where they moved in 1952. By the time they moved into the house they had two boys, Calvin Murray born Mar.31, 1951 and Kenneth Allen on July 11, 1952. They farmed and had chickens, pigs and cows to pay the bills. At this time he also worked for Pete George of Kenaston digging dugouts after harvest. In 1955, April 8, Donna Rae was born. At this time he also worked for D. Hoffman doing line work on telephone lines. He then worked for a contractor on the first four classrooms in the new school in Kenaston. On Aug. 20, 1962 Linda Darlene was born. Ron then worked for Con’s Construction on the next stage of Kenaston School , three classrooms and the gym. In 1964 the family moved to the Willbor Thompson farm on the west side of Davidson. On Dec. 17, 1964 Dale Ronald joined and completed the family. In 1967 Ron was elected as councillor for Willner RM where he served for 21 years, 19 as councilor and two as reeve. That same fall he also started driving school bus which he did for nine-and-a-half years and then worked as a spare driver for one-and-a-half years. He was on the Davidson Hospital Board from 1987 to 1992 and also sat on the District 15 Ag Board for 15 years. He was very community minded and hard working. Ron was predeceased by his parents Jim and Eliza Firby; also by the love of his life Bunny in 1994; and his oldest son Murray in 1969. He is survived by his children Ken (Terry) Firby, Donna (Rick) Rostie, Linda (Terry) Nordmarken, Dale (Patti) Firby; grandchildren Tracey (Dean) Palmer, Colette (Stephen) Webster, Kirk (Mel) Rostie, Kyle (Geri) Rostie, Kristyn (Carlos) Wells, Kory Nordmarken, Kari (Jim Crittenden) Nordmarken, Kalsy (Lindsay) Nordmarken, Dayna Firby, Sarah Firby, Cassie Firby; and great-grandchildren Carson and Emry Palmer, Michelle and Keagan Rostie, Ashtyn and Odin Rostie, Jadyn, Ryder, and Cohyn Wells, Paige, Haley and Larissa Crittenden, and Orrick Schiebelbein.
The funeral service was held on Tuesday, August 19, at 11 a.m. at the Davidson United Church. Private burial followed at the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Saskatoon.