John HABOK

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HABOK: John Habok, lifelong Brandon area farmer, passed away the morning of Monday, July 27, 2015 at the Assiniboine Centre. He was 86 at the time of his passing. John, son of Fred and Mary (Mushey) Habok, was born February 28, 1929 on E1/2 18-10-19W in the Cornwallis Municipality. In 1934, the family moved to Glenvale and lived on NE 9-9-21W. John attended Glenvale School until the family relocated in 1942 to NW 12-10-21W east of Alexander. He then attended Alexander School until grade seven when he began farming with his father. John’s early years spent during and following the Great Depression instilled a strong work ethic that stayed with him throughout his life and he passed this trait onto all those who were closest to him. After Fred and Mary retired to Brandon in 1953, John farmed with his brothers Stan and Fred as Habok Brothers Stock Farm until 1985. They began with a commercial cattle and grain operation along with registered Percheron horses, which they showed in Brandon, Regina and Toronto. They made the decision to disperse the commercial cattle and registered horses in favor of raising purebred Polled Herefords. John and his brothers had lots of success with their Polled Hereford operation throughout Canada along with hosting an annual production sale at the farm. In 1971, John married Olga (Klo) of Brandon and they moved to the current farm site where they have resided for the past 43 years. Besides grain farming, John, Olga and their children Melissa and Jonathan, established Mel-Jon Polled Herefords in 1981. They raised registered purebred breeding stock until 1997 and had numerous Grand Champion bulls at the Brandon Bull Show and Sale at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. Thereafter, John semi-retired to grain farming and raising Polled Herefords on a smaller scale until 2009. Besides his passion for farming, John also enjoyed bowling, hunting, baseball, hockey and yard work. He had a quick wit that he maintained up until the end of his life and his one-liners were enjoyed by all who knew him. John also enjoyed sharing his perspective on politics, the weather and farming with all those around him. Olga survives John along with daughter Melissa; son Jonathan; daughter-in-law Leah and grandson Hunter; sisters Nettie, Isabelle, Kay, Rose and Hazel; brother Fred and many nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by his parents; sisters Mary, Ayrain and Anne, and his brother Stan. Donations in memory of John made be made to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, Unit 4B-457 9th Street, Brandon, MB R7A 1K2. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.memorieschapel.com.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jul 30, 2015