Obituary of Thomas Renals

BIOGRAPHY RENALS - Thomas “Harry” Renals was predeceased by his loving wife Opal, his brother Gerald, as well as brother-in-law Bob Miller. Harry leaves to mourn his sister Barbara Miller; sister-in-law Edith Renals; two nephews Gary and Bryan Miller and families; brother-in-laws Clayton & Marjorie Hansen; Warren Hansen; three sisters-in-law Laura Leason, Betty MacKinnon and Myrtle Elliott; eleven nephews and four nieces; as well as his special friends and caregivers. Grant and Bonnie Holtby and family The funeral service for Harry Renals was conducted from All Saints Anglican Church, Lashburn, Saskatchewan on Friday, February 5, 2010 with Reverend Peter Yeung officiating. The hymns sung were “In The Garden” and “Come Ye Thankful People, Come” accompanied by organist Lorna Chappell. The urn bearer was nephew Gary Miller. The eulogy was read by Bonnie Holtby. The interment was held at the Lashburn Cemetery. CARD OF THANKS - Thank you to the staff of Dr. Cooke Extended Care Centre for the care and attention Harry received this past year. Thank you to Dr. Cornelius VanVuuren for so many years of caring for Harry. Thank you to Lorna Chappell for your fine accompaniment at the service. Thank you to Reverend Peter Yeung for his compassion and kind words and to McCaw Funeral Service Ltd. for their gracious administration. Many thanks to the Anglican Ladies for the delicious lunch and the Lashburn Seniors Centre members for their help. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lashburn Sportsplex or the Lashburn Cemetery. THANK YOU to Grant Holtby for arranging the funeral, to Bonnie Holtby for writing and delivering a wonderful eulogy and for the messages from the family. Gary Miller and Floyd Hansen EULOGY - Thomas Harry was born in the Lashburn Cottage Hospital on April 14, 1913 to Jim and Beatrice Renals. Harry’s father Jim came to Canada from Longwatten, England in 1908 (soon after his father passed away), settling in the Wirral District. Jim’s mother Mary Ann Renals and his sister Rosa came out from Loughborough, England in the summer of 1910, to join him. Rosa married Fred Townley-Smith that fall. Harry’s mother, Beatrice Gibbs came from England to Canada in 1912, met and married Jim Renals later that year, here, in All Saints Anglican Church. Harry was their first born son. Gerald was born in 1916 and Barbara in 1919. The three Renals children took all their schooling at Wirral School and their only teacher was Miss A.M. Bird. They rode horseback 2 miles to school, often on the same horse. Harry was active in sports, playing ball and hockey on the frozen sloughs. His school chums would join him, the Bird boys, Ted Lowe, The Fleming boys, Marlatt boys. Now that’s “Canadian - eh?” There were others, of course, however, these guys all settled in Wirral, and maintained lifelong friendships. Harry was a member of the Farm Boys Club, the Snowplow Club and the Farm Management Club in Tyrone. Harry farmed with his Dad, Jim, until 1938 when he branched out on his own, establishing his own farm. He married Opal Hansen of Marshall on December 10, 1938. They lived on the SE of 9-48-26-W3. Harry and Opal had 64 happy years together. Opal and Harry built a lovely farmsite and operated a good farm. They both loved gardening; a large vegetable garden with strawberries, raspberries and crabapples, and of course Opal’s flowers. They were especially proud of their evergreen hedge! The Wirral District was active with sporting events, school picnics, dances, card games, etc., and Harry and Opal were full participants. They loved to dance, and made a “striking couple” second only to May and Frank Tradewell (as I recall as a young schoolgirl). Their closest neighbors were Don and Enid Marlatt, Ted and Phylis Lowe, Art and Betty Bexfield, Don and Joy Wells, Fred and Mona Bird, and Mac Fleming in the Wirral District. Harry and Opal really enjoyed Don and Enid’s children who would walk over for visits and check Opal’s candy jar. In 1958 Wirral School closed and students were bussed to Lashburn. Harry and Opal participated in most of the events in Lashburn. They became ardent fans of the “Lashburn Blue Birds”. Harry and Opal became “snowbirds” in 1961, traveling south into the USA to find a warmer winter. They tried California, visiting Kit and Rob Smith (Kit - Kathleen Hyde - former schoolmate) near the Redwoods the first year or so. Then they found Florida, where they would winter for the next 30 years. They made many lifelong friends in the trailer parks. There they would join in on the activities. Harry enjoyed shuffleboard. Opal enjoyed the crafts, games and cards. While in Florida, Harry became quite attached to the Cypress wood, making a coffee table and several clocks and pictures, etc. for family and friends (table holding his urn). In 1980 Harry and Opal were presented with the Family Farm Heritage Award to honor a farm, continuously operated by members of the family since 1919 (on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Province of Saskatchewan). Harry sold a half section to Garry Forbes and in 1985 sold the home quarter to Heather Campbell. They had a farm auction that same year and moved into a new mobile home in Lashburn. The SE of 9 is now owned by Kathy and Doug Reece. The old farmhouse was sold and is now a cottage at Moonlight Bay on Turtle Lake. A new house and buildings now grace the farmsite with lots of farming activities going on again! Harry started working part-time for Grant Holtby in the spring of 1973. Harry liked to keep busy and loved working the land. Opal was happy Harry had something to do; who would have guessed that arrangement would go on for 25 years. It worked out very well. Harry seemed to enjoy the hustle and bustle that went on as he watched our daughters Kim, Wendy, Heather and Peggy grow up. He maintained quite an interest in their lives and their families’ lives. They all thought a lot of Harry and Opal. Our girls remember the day Harry lost his pipe, cultivating on the Woods quarter. Everyone went out to the field to see if the “pipe” could be found – to no avail. He finally had to phone Opal to bring him another pipe! Boy, did Opal give Harry a “ribbing”. The girls thought that was something to hear - Opal teasing Harry, “you didn’t need that dirty old pipe”. Another story: When Harry first came, Peggy was four years old, and she didn’t like raisins. As soon as the rice pudding arrived on the table, Peggy picked out all the raisins in her dish and put them into Harry’s dish. I was horrified – Harry loved it. That performance went on for quite a few years! Harry and Opal joined our family for many celebrations and events! From the mobile home, Harry and Opal moved to an apartment in Tighnduin Home and had another auction sale to downsize. When you think of Harry, you remember his stature, a man who stood tall and straight, never slouching, not even in his later years! I commented to him on that once. He said “you can blame A.M. (meaning Miss A.M. Bird, his teacher) for that. She would make us walk with a book on our head, to improve posture. She was quite strict about that.” Harry will be remembered for his excellent memory and his keen interest in preserving history. He could relate (including dates and names) events from years past. He talked about the early winter of 1918 - 1919 when snow came early before the feed was up, and little stooking done. People would wade, waist deep, in the snow trying to salvage shoaves out of the snow ridden fields to feed livestock. Many animals starved and many farms went broke. That was the same winter of the influenza that took the lives of many people. Harry could name them all. Or the year in the twenties, his family left for the Lloydminster Fair on a stifling hot day, only to return home frozen cold. The temperature dropped so rapidly. That was the year the crops froze in July. He often talked about the day he got his drivers license at age 14. He had his $5.00 - all he needed was the road drivers test. He drove north up Main Street. There was nothing but prairie grass beyond that first block. They turned around, drove back and they issued his license. Things have changed a little bit. Harry saw quite a few changes in his almost 97 years. Opal’s health started to deteriorate not long after their move to Tighnduin. She spent the last while at the Pine Island Lodge in Maidstone - passed away February 4, 2002 at the age of 85 years. Harry stayed on at Tighnduin until 2007 when he could no longer drive. He moved to Lloydminster to Hearthstone, then Dr. Hemstock. In May of 2009 he moved to Dr. Cooke Home. Harry will be remembered for his recent support of the Lashburn Sportsplex and preserving history with his support to Communities in Bloom Centennial Garden Statue of the Barr Colonists. Harry will be remembered for his keen interest in farming and agriculture. He maintained that interest right up to his last harvest season, always curious about how the harvest went - a true farmer right up to the end! Donations in memory of Harry may be made to the Lashburn Sportsplex or the Lashburn Cemetery Fund.