REV. BRUCE MCNEILL

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REV. BRUCE MCNEILL It is with sadness that we announce the peaceful death of Rev. Bruce McNeill of Elm Creek, MB. Bruce was born in a farmhouse near Roblin, MB on February 3, 1925 to Rev. George Wallis and Edith Alice McNeill. He was the eldest of three children. His childhood was spent in various communities in rural Manitoba. Time spent in Flin Flon was the subject of many stories in later years. It was so different and its effects so profound. The family was there during the miner's general strike and his father refused to close the church doors to striking miners. A veteran of the Second World War Bruce served for three years as a signalman in Europe. After the war he graduated from U of M with a BSc in Agriculture, then felt called to study theology. He studied at St. Andrew's College in Saskatoon and was ordained in 1955. In 1954 he married Ivey Graham. Bruce and Ivey raised a family of four children, Glenda, Jane, Daniel, and John while serving in various charges in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba. Bruce had many diverse interests. He enjoyed playing soccer at St. Andrew's and later curling. Camping excursions were an annual event even before roadside campgrounds were common, to the tune of family sing-a-longs. Bruce also loved working as a camp counselor, singing a beautiful tenor in choirs, canoeing, horticulture and carpentry. He loved the out of doors keeping track of birds, collecting insects, fossils, and rocks. Bruce enjoyed the time spent in United Church Mission work at Fisher River which included flying into the more remote communities of Poplar River and Little Grand Rapids. With his background in Agriculture he relished his ministries in many small communities across Canada. He served for 35 years retiring to Elm Creek, MB in 1990. Bruce was predeceased by his son Daniel and his sister Shirley Langstaff. He is survived by his wife Ivey; sister Jean Matrick; three children, 13 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Thank to all the staff of Portage District Hospital and Carman Memorial Hospital, also Dr's Omichinski and Kruk. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Carman Memorial Hospital Palliative Care Unit. A memorial service will be held in Elm Creek, Friday, August 8, 2008 at 11:00 a.m.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 05, 2008