ANDREW (ANDY) ARNOLD VOLKMAR

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ANDREW (ANDY) ARNOLD VOLKMAR On the morning of Sunday, February 18, 2007, our father, Andy passed away at the Tuxedo Villa Care Home. He lived, and will be remembered, for 91 years of life. Andy leaves behind his five sons; daughters-in-law and their families; Arne (Linda); Martin, (Judy) and son Michael; Fred, (Jean), daughter Kristina and son Paul; Glen (Elaine) and son Jarrett; and Karl (Wendy) and sons Stefan, Brendan, Jonathon, and daughter Monica. He was predeceased by his sister Alta and his brother Julius (John), and our mother Helen. Born in Mortlach, Saskatchewan in 1916, Andy was the youngest child of Charles and Natalia Tally Volkmar, and moved with his family to Dryden Ontario in 1922. Growing up on a small farm outside Dryden wasn't an easy life, but he did have his big dog Timber and the lake wasn't far away. Circumstances of the great depression of the thirties saw him leaving home at an early age and he sought work wherever he could find it. Often Andy had no place to stay but in the hobo jungles along the railway tracks. As a young man he rode the boxcars west for the prairie harvest where his experience driving a team of horses was in demand. In the winters, he worked as a pulpwood logger when a Swede saw, a strong back, and a healthy constitution was all you needed. Meeting our mother, Helen Johnson of Wabigoon, Ontario when she was working in Dryden; Andy and Helen were married in 1942. As a new recruit in the RCAF, he was transferred overseas where he served in England and Holland before returning to Dryden in 1946. The young couple lived in Wabigoon for a short time with Andy working as a hard rock miner at the Red Lake gold mine, before he re-enlisted in the RCAF. Over the years he was transferred to Edmonton Alberta, Namao Alberta, Bagotville Quebec, Ottawa Ontario, and finally to Winnipeg. Upon retirement from the air force in 1966, Andy worked for a number of years with Transair before retiring with our mother to the old homestead in Wabigoon Ontario. In a few short years he re-built the house, a new stable, and a garage as well as restoring the old log structures on the property. They acquired a cow, a couple of pigs, ducks, and chickens and he settled down to life as a hobby farmer, something that had always been close to his heart. When mother passed away in 1987, Andy returned to Winnipeg. Here he lived in his own home on Canoe Bay, then in senior's retirement homes before spending his last years at Tuxedo Villa. A private family service and interment will take place in Dryden, Ontario at a later date. The family would like to express their gratitude to the wonderful staff at Tuxedo Villa for their care and support during our fathers last years. Their consideration and special attention was very much appreciated. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Andy's memory to the Alzheimer's Society of Manitoba Inc., 10 120 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4G2. Andy's arrangements have been entrusted to the Family Owned Funeral Chapel of: WOJCIK'S ALL BELIEFS FAITHS FUNERAL CHAPEL CREMATORIUM 897 4665

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 24, 2007