The family of Ellis Daniel Henrie has lost their patriarch.
Dad was born July 21, 1918 in a Model A on the way to Cardston from the family homestead near Taylorville, Alberta. He is first child of Ellis Coleman Henrie and Phoebe Irene Armstrong.
He passed on, surrounded by family, at the Creston, B.C. hospital on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Left to mourn include his wife of 72 years, Louise Walton; his children Sharlene (Allan) Orr, Bruce (Mavis), Earl (Mary Lou), Daniel (Connie), Scott (Terry), Colleen (Rhett) Price and Ross; and at least 285 others who call him grandpa.
He also leaves his surviving siblings, Jim, Eula Rasmussen, and Shirley (Sam) Pawluk and Marjorie Henrie, Fern Henessey, Bonnie Law and Andrew (Kathy) Walton.
Dad spent his early years helping out on the farm. The family was large and his memories are filled with stories of love, laughter, hardship, and good neighbours. The effects of those years set the mold for a lifetime of service to others.
He met our mother, a 17-year-old beauty, while filling in for someone else harvesting beets at her family’s farm near Diamond City. He waited a few years for her to grow up.
In the meanwhile he joined the RCMP and when the Canadian Army asked them for officers, he volunteered. His name is on the “King’s List” at the RCMP Museum in Regina.
He and Mom were finally married during a bitter blizzard that delayed the arrival of his train on Jan. 27, 1943 in the Cardston LDS temple while dad was on leave.
After the end of World War Two and occupational service in Holland, Dad pursued a career as an electrician, beginning as a lineman in Calgary and moving on to Kimberley, Kelowna, Fort Macleod — where he became a master electrician — and finally Yahk.
Dad spent his “retirement” years building, referring to himself as a chainsaw carpenter and his handiwork is evident in and around their home and on the porches of many who will long enjoy his gliders.
Dad began a life of service at a young age serving in his first bishopric at the age of 19. He was called as Bishop in Fort Macleod and Creston. He and Mom served a mission in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Dad was a long-time scout master and served as assistant district commissioner in southern Alberta.
He rarely passed on a chance to participate in any service project, freely giving of his time and considerable energy. He was a dedicated home teacher and had a list of folks he made a point of visiting at the Crest View Village in Creston, B.C., his last residence. His service is a legacy we all hope to honour.
We will remember him in his quiet welcoming way, lion hunts, riding in his beloved mountain paradise, stories, personal attention, and the way you always felt loved, though he rarely said the words.
A funeral service honouring his legacy was held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Creston, B.C. on Friday, Oct. 9 at 2 p.m.
There was a public gathering at Legacy Funeral Home in Cardston on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Interment followed in the family plot at the Taylorville cemetery.
