It is with sadness the family of Mary Folk announces her sudden passing.
Mary is survived by her loving family: children Janet Folk (Allan Burwell), Sharon Fowlie (Cyril), Don (Charlene), Lois Dueck (Larry) and Audrey MacDonald (Ken).
Mary also leaves to mourn her numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews and other family members.
Mary was predeceased by her husband Peter, sister Florence and brothers Clifford and Stanley.
A celebration of Mary’s life will be held at a later date in the spring of 2016.
For those so wishing, memorial donations in memory of Mary may be directed to the Davidson Swimming Pool Fund, cheques payable to the Town of Davidson.
Hanson’s Funeral Home was in care of arrangements.
It is with sadness the family of Rudy Thurlow announces his passing.
Rudy is survived by his wife Val; daughters Marion (Ross), Fran (Tom) and Carol; son Chris (Stephanie); daughter-in-law Leanne (Steve); numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as his family from the Davidson Health Centre where he resided for the past 17 years.
Rudy was predeceased by his father Rodolf, mother Ruth, brother Geofrey, sisters Muriel and Leila and son Rudy Jr.
At Rudy’s request there will be a family service and burial at a later date.
For those so wishing, memorial donations in memory of Rudy may be directed to the Heartland Health Region Activities Department.
Hanson’s Funeral Home of Davidson was in care of arrangements.
Staff. Sgt. Greg Abbot of the Saskatoon RCMP detachment speaks to the crowd at Kenaston Place Dec. 15 as more than 80 local residents gathered to organize a search effort for missing Kenaston woman Sheree Fertuck.
By Joel van der Veen
KENASTON — With no sign of Sheree Fertuck more than a week after she was last seen, her brother said he and his family are still keeping up hope that she’ll be found soon.
“I gotta keep my head above the water,” Darren Sorotski said Tuesday at Kenaston Place, where more than 80 people gathered to discuss an organized search for Fertuck.
The Kenaston woman and mother of three has been missing since Dec. 7, when she was last seen around 1:30 p.m., leaving the family farmyard east of the village.
A semi truck used by Fertuck to haul gravel was found around 8 a.m. the following day at a gravel pit located off of Highway 15.
Searches undertaken by police, family and local residents since then have failed to turn up any trace of the 51-year-old woman.
Dozens of residents took part in the search effort last week, organizing into parties and combing the rural area east of the village.
Kenaston Place was serving as a registration and co-ordination centre for the search, with meals, water and coffee being provided for volunteers.
EMO co-ordinator Gene Whitehead said Tuesday that the volunteers would cover the area gradually, aiming to complete a thorough search.
“We don’t want to tire everybody out,” he told the group gathered at Kenaston Place. “We have a lot of areas we are covering.”
Staff Sgt. Greg Abbott of the Saskatoon RCMP detachment was present at Tuesday’s meeting, addressing the crowd several times.
He said the police are in full support of the community search efforts and offered guidance and suggestions to those involved.
“You’re looking for anything that can help us understand what happened,” said Abbott, “anything that looks suspicious.”
He advised anyone who finds anything suspicious to contact the search co-ordinators without compromising the scene, adding, “The intent is not to disturb anything that may be evidence to what happened.”
Abbott also said that safety is a priority, noting that the recently-fallen snow may mask the uneven terrain, leaving searchers vulnerable to stumbling over wells, pits or cisterns.
“I know you are all anxious to do whatever you can for the family, and for Sheree,” he said.
He told the crowd on Tuesday that he could not provide any information about the investigation into Fertuck’s disappearance, beyond what has already been made public.
Fertuck is the daughter of Juliann and the late Michael Sorotski of Kenaston, and was living and working from the family farm at the time of her disappearance.
After she was reported missing, the Saskatoon RCMP undertook a ground search of the area with assistance from the police dog unit and other RCMP units.
On Dec. 11, police released an update stating that the case was now being treated as suspicious, given that Sheree was “a person of habit and predictable behaviours.”
Local residents said Tuesday that Fertuck was a familiar face in the district and was regularly seen operating her truck on Highway 15.
“We all wish that this was different,” Whitehead said Tuesday night. “We have enough people to do a good job (of the search).”
Darren Sorotski said that the community has reached out in support in multiple ways since Fertuck’s disappearance, including delivery of hot meals to the family home.
He also spoke positively of the RCMP’s efforts.
Whitehead reminded the searchers to take their time, dress appropriately, take care when operating machinery and to be accountable so that organizers can keep track of who is taking part.
Anyone volunteering is required to check in at Kenaston Place at the start and end of each shift. Updates on the search effort are being provided online at kenaston.ca and through social media.
Search co-ordinators also issued a request to anyone who has not yet checked the wells, ditches, outbuildings and treed areas on their property, asking them to do so and then report same to Whitehead.
“As you work around the area, are loading or hauling grain, etc., please keep your eyes open for anything that looks out of place or suspect,” stated the request.
Fertuck is described as around 5’4″ in height and weighing around 250 lbs., with greying brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing grey sweatpants, a grey sweater and white running shoes.
Anyone with information on her disappearance is asked to contact the Saskatoon RCMP detachment at 306-975-5145 or Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Former cadet Jaclyn Edwards performs her duties as reviewing officer during the 553 Sherlock Squadron’s annual review on June 1 at Davidson Town Hall.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — The days of a local Air Cadets squadron may soon be numbered if enrolment doesn’t increase soon, parents heard at a special meeting last week in Davidson.
Area director Gordon McRae said a meeting was held Monday night to update parents on the future of 553 Sherlock Squadron.
Area officer Patricia Mitchell told those gathered that the squadron must increase its enrolment to 15 cadets by mid-February, or this season could be its last.
“She was honest with us,” said McRae. “They set us a deadline.”
The local squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets has been active in Davidson and district since 1985, but the number of cadets has gradually dropped over the last decade and a half.
A total of seven cadets are registered at present, up from four at the end of last year, but down considerably from previous years. (By contrast, 30 cadets were enrolled for the 1998-99 season.)
A further complication comes from the recent announcement that commanding officer Capt. Krystal Klenk-Potts is moving to Lanigan and will join the 797 Lanigan Knights of Columbus Squadron there.
McRae said the Air Cadets head office has been patient with Sherlock Squadron, owing to the enthusiasm and involvement of its cadets.
He added that the local group has been “on probation” for around five years, and that they have now reached a point where it is no longer feasible for the squadron to continue to operate.
“Small numbers hurt more than you realize,” he said. “They don’t get the full potential out of the squadron.”
While the cadets have used events like open houses and the annual ceremonial review to promote the program, McRae said word of mouth has proven to be the most effective means of spreading the word.
“We get the most results when the cadets talk about the program themselves,” he said.
The Air Cadets program is open to youth aged 12 through 19 and is aimed at promoting physical fitness, teaching leadership and citizenship, and stimulating interest in the Canadian Forces.
Outdoor activities include survival, marksmanship and aviation training. Cadets can also perform community service and develop skills like effective speaking.
The 553 Sherlock Squadron meets on Mondays at Davidson Town Hall.
Davidson School’s Elementary Drama Club presented The Wizard of Oz on Dec. 4 before an audience of close to 250 people. In this scene, Marissa Townsend (playing the Wicked Witch) strikes fear into the heart of Maggie Boehm (the Cowardly Lion).
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — A cast of colourful characters took an audience down the Yellow Brick Road for a delightful journey at Davidson School last weekend.
The elementary drama club presented The Wizard of Oz to a crowd of more than 240 people in the gymnasium on Dec. 4.
The play — based on the classic books by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 film starring Judy Garland — tells the story of Dorothy Gale, a farmgirl who is whisked away to the Land of Oz after a tornado strikes her Kansas home.
Together with her faithful dog Toto and the companions she meets along the way, Dorothy must defeat the Wicked Witch of the West and find her way back home.
The play featured a cast of 37 students in grades 4 through 6, made possible through a script that allowed multiple actors to portray the same character.
For instance, five girls — Heather Gust, Shayda Boychuk, Kelsey Fahlman, Lexi White and Taylei Pedersen — alternated in the role of Dorothy.
This allowed more students to take part but also provided a more even distribution of work, according to Arlene Low, one of the directors.
“We wanted everyone to have a role,” she said, adding that it opens up the production to students who might find it difficult to memorize pages of dialogue.
The script was an adaptation by Kathryn Schultz Miller of ArtReach Children’s Theatre. Serving as directors along with Low were Crystal Johnson, Ashton Mills and Correne Pedersen.
Rather than holding auditions, Low said the directors invited the students to play various drama games, working on techniques like improvisation, poise and movement.
This allowed them to witness the students in action and then cast them in roles for which they were best suited.
In addition to the acting talent on stage, the play featured contributions from other students, teachers, parents and community members.
For the full story, please see the Dec. 14 edition of The Davidson Leader.
Davidson’s Clay Murfitt (20) goes for a shot as Eston’s Harrison Gardner (5) attempts a block during Tuesday’s junior boys basketball game.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — An exhibition game against Eston gave Davidson’s junior boys basketball team their first win of the season.
The Raiders hosted the Eston Mustangs on Tuesday night, winning 68-58 in their season opener.
Clay Murfitt scored a total of 36 points for Davidson, while Derek Schmiedge contributed 18 points to the team’s tally.
The Raiders were in a deficit position for much of the game, trailing 52-38 at the end of the third quarter.
The team pulled ahead in the final minutes, thanks to a late scoring rally by Murfitt and Schmiedge and a push by the defence to block Eston.
Davidson coach Garrett Bailey said he has 14 players in grades 7 through 9 on the roster this season, a large team compared to many of their competitors.
“I think our goal is to probably win districts,” said Bailey, noting that while some growth will be needed between now and then, the victory is well within the realm of possibility.
For the full story, please see the Dec. 14 edition of The Davidson Leader.
