All posts by Tara de Ryk

Obituary

Pavelich, Emelia cropped

Pavelich
The peaceful death of Mrs. Emelia “Amy” Caroline Pavelich (nee Schneider), 82 years of St. Mary’s Villa, Humboldt and formerly of Davidson and Bladworth, occurred on Monday, November 18, 2013. Amy was born on May 14, 1931 at Allan to Michael and Catherine (nee Feist) Schneider. She grew up in a family of nine and attended Limestone Hill School. Following her education, she worked at domestic jobs for various families in the area. Amy met Lawrence Pavelich at a dance in Allan and they were married on October 16, 1950 in Seltz, Sask. Their only son, Peter was born in the same house in which Amy had been born. They operated a mixed farm in the Bladworth area. Amy loved gardening and tending to her many beautiful flowers, especially her red poppies, which were not only decorative but used in her baking as well. She was gifted at cooking and baking, with her specialties being buns, apple pies, kooka, cinnamon buns and perogies. Peter remembers coming home from school almost daily to a freshly baked apple pie. Amy enjoyed crocheting, making afghans and doilies. She was very meticulous with her cleaning and she kept their home spotless. Amy was a statistician, keeping accurate records of the weather for many years. She was vocal about her political views, writing many letters to the government officials, feeling that you couldn’t be heard, if you didn’t write. She also filled many little books with the many poems she wrote over the years. Amy and Lawrence loved to dance, belonging to several dance clubs and attending dances throughout the province. In 1995, they retired to Davidson, where they lived for 12 years before moving to Humboldt. In January 2013, due to Alzheimer’s, she made the move to St. Mary’s Villa. Amy’s family meant everything to her, they may have been few in number but they shared a very special bond. Amy will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her husband of 63 years, Lawrence Pavelich; son Peter (Debra) Pavelich; granddaughter Carla (Michael) Barlage and children Logan, Noah and Paige; and grandson Cory (Janelle) Pavelich and children Carter and Kenzie, all of Humboldt; two brothers and two sisters: Pius Schneider of Aberdeen, SD, Marcella Mitzel of Sunnyside, WA, Terri (Ed) Haberman of Victoria, B.C., and Lawrence (Kaye) Schneider of Stony Plain, Alta.; sister-in-law Grace Schneider; in-laws of the Pavelich family, Vincent (Pat) Pavelich and Shirley (Dale) Weisner, all of Kenaston; and numerous nieces and nephews. Amy was predeceased by her parents, Michael and Catherine Schneider; brothers and sisters: Andrew (Shirley) Schneider, Elizabeth (Ken) Christopher, Ray (Lucy) Schneider and Jerome Schneider; brothers and sisters-in-law: Pete Mitzel, Francis (Jim) Irvin, Mary (John) Howard, Ann Pavelich, John Pavelich, Helen (Bill) Kardish, Joe (Mary) Pavelich, Steve Pavelich and Andrew Pavelich. The Funeral Mass was held on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, Humboldt celebrated by Fr. Gregory Roth. Interment followed at the St. Augustine Parish Cemetery. Memorial donations in Amy’s memory may be directed to the St. Mary’s Villa Foundation. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Malinoski & Danyluik Funeral Home, Humboldt (306-682-1622).

Davidson, featured

Turning wood into wings

Some local folks carved up the competition at the recent Reflections of Nature 2013 wildlife art competition, show and sale in Saskatoon.
Davidson wood carvers Eileen McRae and Jenny Scott and Austin Eade of Craik won awards at the annual show that showcases some of the best wildlife artists in western Canada.
The show is the largest in western Canada, so the quality of the carving is high and the competition stiff.
McRae won ribbons in the novice level for her elf owls carving which won first place for birds of prey class. Her morning dove won first place for the mid-sized birds class and the morning dove also won third place in the division.
She is particularly pleased that her Happy Bull won first place in the wildlife caricature category and then went on to win best in show.
McRae said when a show organizer first wrote down the name of the piece, he called it “Happy Cow”. She quickly corrected him. “Turn him over,” McRae told the man. “It’s not a cow.”
Scott brought home a first-place ribbon in the decorative miniature bird carvings division for her downy woodpecker, which took first place in the class and third in the division. Her kestrels won second in the birds of prey class for life-size bird carvings.
“Saskatoon has the toughest show going,” says Austin Eade, who has entered his carvings in shows across Canada.
He credits Saskatchewan’s long, cold winters for the prowess of the province’s wood carvers.
Eade enters his carvings in the open level, the toughest at the shows. Every minute detail is judged from the quills, feathers to barbettes. Every feature must be carved, including the branch or driftwood on which the bird is posed. Eade says the only allowance to this is the carvers may use glass eyes.
Eade’s pine grosbeak won second in the decorative life-size bird division in the songbirds class and third in the division. His Bairds sandpiper was first in its class and won second in the division.
He started carving birds almost seven years ago. He took classes to learn the craft. Eade says he only carves birds because that is what he started carving and has learned about bird anatomy.
He begins by sketching and creating his own patterns to get an attitude and habitat he likes. Then he gets ready to whittle.
He spends many, many hours on his carvings, which he enters in competitions throughout Canada.
“When you take all winter to carve something, you want to dig it out and show it,” Eade says.
He also judges competitions.
Carvings are judged on how closely the carving resembles the live bird. They also look at the presentation.
McRae said it can get pretty detailed.
“At the show they really will critique them. It can get down to them counting feathers on them,” she said.
To read more please see the November 18 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Obituary

obit Kretsch

Kretsch
Leonard William Kretsch of Elbow, Sask., age 86 passed away peacefully on Monday, October 28, 2013 at the Davidson Health Centre, Davidson, Sask.
Leonard is survived by his loving family: wife Doreen; stepdaughter Linda Butcher; niece Sharlene Theede; brother Milton (Helen) Kretsch; sister Bernice (Norman) Monich; sister-in-law Donna Kretsch; also numerous nieces, nephews and other family members.
The Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 1 p.m. from the Bethel Lutheran Church, Elbow, Sask. with celebrants Rev. Father Stephen Ripplinger and Rev. Father Joseph Gyim-Austin officiating.
Interment in the family plot, Elbow Community Cemetery, Elbow, Sask.
For friends so wishing memorials in memory of Leonard may be directed to the charity of your choice.
Hanson’s Funeral Home, Davidson, Sask. in care of arrangements. Phone 306-567-2020; fax 306-567-2000. Email: hansonsfuneralhome@sasktel.net

Davidson

Laughter helps raise the roof of a new Hanley fire hall

Fire is no laughing matter, but the folks in Hanley found much to chuckle about Oct. 26 at the Hanley/Rosedale Fire Department’s steak supper and comedy night.
The event featured comedian Dez Reed who gave people a case of the giggles.
It was all for a good cause: to raise money to build a new fire hall in Hanley.
The new building is needed because the fire department has outgrown its current facility, which was built in 1977.
The current fire hall has two bay doors, making it a tight squeeze for the Hanley/Rosedale Fire Department’s three trucks, says Hanley administrator Darice Carlson.
When the vehicles are in the hall, it doesn’t give much room for the volunteer firefighters to move around.
The Town of Hanley has dedicated a parcel of land to build the new fire hall and has allocated $13,500 from its 2013 budget.
The new building will have three main bay doors with a fourth additional bay, giving the fire department much more room to store equipment as well as incorporating a training room in the facility.
The steak and comedy night raised $5,000 towards the new hall, adding to the current $12,800 that’s been raised so far. This total includes donations from Millsap Fuel Distributors, $1,000; Brightwater Blackstrap Wildlife Federation, $2,000; Thall’s Service, $2,500 and the Hanley and District Ag Society, $5,000.
If they continue adding to the fund, Carlson said they hope to build the new fire hall starting in June 2014.
The steak supper was well supported with the community selling 134 tickets for the event that included a silent auction and 50/50 draw.
Carlson gives credit to Darren Grindheim for organizing and overseeing the steak night as well as all the volunteers who helped out.
As well as a new hall, the fire department is also looking for new volunteers. More members are always needed. If anyone wants more information, they may contact Fire Chief Les Kroeger, Darren Grindheim, emergency measures co-ordinator, or the town office.

Obituary

obit Remmen

Helen Remmen
April 25, 1925 – October 30, 2013
Helen Remmen passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 30, 2013.
Left to mourn are her husband of 59 years, Rolf; daughter Marilyn (Gerald); son Arnold (Wendy) ; daughter Betty (Derrick); daughter Cathy (Dwight); son David (Tammy); and son Murray (Cathy); 16 grandchildren and one great-grandson; sister Nellie Ballard; sister-in-law Lillie Schultz; brothers-in-law Allen (Lil) Toles, Patty, Ivar and Punch Remmen, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Helen was predeceased by her parents, Ernie and Rosa Harbor; her parents-in-law, Tom and Anna Remmen; her brother Stanley (WWII); her sisters, Doris Toles and Catherine Suttie; her sisters-and brothers-in-law, Lyle Ballard, Jim Suttie, Stella (Sveinung) Trulsred, Torger (Bertha) Remmen, Irene Remmen, Harold Schultz, Marie (Cliff) Doncaster and niece Ann Archibald. A funeral service for Helen was held on Nov. 5, 2013 at 11 a.m. at the Hanley Lutheran Church. Pastor Kristin Soveran officiated.
Hanson’s Funeral Home, Davidson were in charge of arrangements. Her cremains were laid to rest at the Sunny Valley Cemetary.

Davidson

Speaker to discuss armed conflict

“What is the right fight?”
This is a question Claude Weil will discuss at Davidson’s Remembrance Day Service next Monday.
Weil, who served three years in an Israeli combat unit in the 1970s, knows about conflict.
He was born in the French colony of Algeria (North Africa) in 1954 and grew up in the village of Mézériat near Lyon in France.
He remembers, as a schoolboy, how the entire school would march with First and Second Word War veterans to the cenotaph in Mézériat for Remembrance Day services.
While driving to Regina a couple years ago, he stopped in Davidson and visited the cenotaph on main street and was appalled by the number of casualties Davidson suffered on the Western Front. He told his childhood friend, Etienne Robin, who is now Mézériat’s mayor. Robin wrote the Town of Davidson a letter to let them know that these sacrifices are remembered. In the letter Robin wrote: “This letter is a modest homage from us to the long lost soldiers of Davidson who fought for the freedom of so many French people they did not even know and would never know. Be assured that the sons your village left in our soil are well loved and their graves well cared for. Their families are dear to our hearts. They did not sacrifice in vain.”
The letter was featured in The Davidson Leader last November and the story interested Gord McRae, president of Davidson’s branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, so he asked Weil to speak at this year’s Nov. 11 service.
“I thought the letter the mayor (from Mézériat, France) sent was intriguing and it encouraged me a lot to try something different,” McRae said of why he invited Weil to speak at Davidson’s Remembrance Day service.
For years McRae has worked organizing Davidson’s Remembrance Day Service. He wants to keep it relevant so as to ensure new generations participate in the act of remembering Canada’s war casualties. Partnerships with DICA and Davidson School have helped to keep the Remembrance Day Service going in light of the fact Davidson’s Legion branch isn’t very active due to declining membership.
“I thought (having Claude Weil speak) would be something different to try and get the public coming back to the service,” McRae said.
He hopes people attend the Remembrance Day service, but worries people may treat the statutory day off like a holiday because it falls on a Monday, giving people a long weekend.
To read more please see the November 4 print edition of The Davidson Leader.