IRVINE MURRAY GARDNER

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IRVINE MURRAY GARDNER Passed away peacefully Friday, May 10 at Rosewood Lodge, Stonewall, MB. Born November 8, 1921 at Ninette, MB, Irvine then moved to Stonewall with his family in 1928. After graduating from school, Irvine joined the Hudson Bay Co. as a fur buyer at various postings in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. He remained with the Hudson Bay Co. till the early sixties. He worked at various jobs in Manitoba, Northern BC and Red Lake, ON. Next stop was Pickle Lake, ON where he worked at Hooker Air Lines and Provincial Game Branch. His last job was as Post Master at Central Patricia P.O. near Pickle Lake, until he retired in 1988, whereupon he returned to settle down in his old home town of Stonewall. Irvines love for the outdoors stemmed from his early childhood and stayed with him throughout his life. He enjoyed outdoor activities whether it was hunting, fishing, camping with friends or observing or photographing wildlife by himself. Volunteering at Oak Hammock Marsh was another favourite pastime, (they say his bannock was the best). Irvine enjoyed writing and had many articles published in Beaver Magazine. He was known for keeping records of weather, wolves and birds etc. during his many wanderings around the country. Predeceased by his mother Matilda; father Chris; two brothers, Jack and Ed and brother-in-law, Chubby Boyer. Mourning his loss are his daughter Sarah (Lew) Philip and family of Iqaluit, Nunavut; two brothers, Bruce (Enid) of Calgary, Ken (Bev) of Grosse Isle; four sisters, Muriel Boyer of Stonewall, Florence (Albert) Hartle, Ruth Flower of Winnipeg, Jeanette (Ron) Fraser of Stonewall. He will be missed by his many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15 at the MacKenzie Funeral Chapel, Stonewall. Rev. Ken Garrity will officiate. The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff of Rosewood Lodge for their excellent, dedicated and loving care of Irvine during his stay at Rosewood. Everyone attending should consider themselves as an Honorary Pallbearer. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oak Hammock Interpretive Centre or Rosewood Lodge, Stonewall, MB, R0C 2Z0. MacKenzie Funeral Home, Stonewall in care of arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 13, 2002