Obituary of Thomas McClelland

Thomas will be sadly missed by his two sons: Ron and Mary McClelland of Parksville, B.C., Vern and Kitty McClelland of Maidstone, SK; grandchildren: Sandra McClelland of Hamilton, ON, Bruce and Franza McClelland of Alpharetta, Georgia, USA, Brian and Myra McClelland of Calgary, AB, Grant McClelland of Lloydminster, AB, Scott McClelland of Maidstone, SK; eight great grandchildren; one sister Jesse and Art Buckley of Maidstone, SK as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Eulogy Reverend Kasper, Friends and Family On behalf of our family, I would like to thank you for joining with us this afternoon, as we celebrate Dad's life. One of the resources I used as I was composing this eulogy was Dad's memoirs. He authored a comprehensive document, complete with pictures, called Wilson Lake Country, soon after retiring from farming in 1985. I quote "I thought I should put down on paper, firstly, a short account of the history of this most historic area of North West Saskatchewan, it being also the 100th anniversary of the Riel Rebellion; and secondly, my personal recollections of myself and my family, as we were involved in this spot for some 80 years." I decided that I would concentrate this eulogy on about the first 50 years of Dad's life, that being the era that shaped his values and outlook on life. I also found it impossible to play down the influence of two women throughout his life; Dorothy his wife for 62+ years, and sister Jessie. Dad was born on February 15th, 1919 to Jane and Charles McClelland. He grew up in the Grand Cheviot district east of Maidstone, with Jessie, two years his junior. At that time, Grandpa and Grandma raised cattle and sheep, later milking upwards of 20 cows to ship cream for steady income in the 30's. They also cared for a very large garden and fruit trees, which they watered by pail. Dad attended Grand Cheviot, the small country school his carpenter father had assisted in building. Dad was nine and Jessie still six, when they were first allowed to go to school in April of 1928, travelling four miles by horse through the pastures. He started out in the Third grade, attained the Eighth grade which was the limit the teacher was allowed to teach, and then took Grades nine and ten by correspondence. The Hodge family moved into the area in 1929 with three kids of school age. Jessie and Dad had playmates at last and someone to travel to school with. They were also thrilled when, in 1931, the Scott family moved onto two quarters of land only a half mile away They had seven children, so Jessie and Dad finally had more kids their own age to play with. Dad and the younger boys, Harold, Bud and Chet, ranged all over the area hunting grouse with their sling shots. Dad had a keen interest in the birds and plants in the area. I remember a large exhibit of bird's eggs he had put together in his teens, and another impressive collection of native plants. For several years, Dad and Jessie took part in the Boys and Girls Grain and Beef Clubs at Paynton. He also learned to play the violin and guitar.The McNeil home, very close to where his grandson Scott now lives, was a centre for small community dances in the winter time. Dad and Jessie started taking in those dances in about 1939. I suspect that was where Jessie met her future husband, Art Buckley, and Dad met his future wife, Dorothy McNeil. Chester, one of those Scott boys, would also marry Mom's sister, Flora. When Dad turned 21 in 1940, he became the owner of his first quarter of land, as a gift from his folks. It was located about a mile east of his folk's ranch. With the war raging in Europe, like many other young people from the area, in 1941, Dad and Mom both enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and Art joined the Army. Dad took a pre-enlistment course at Saskatoon Tech, and Mom took about a year-long course at Scott Business College. They were then both posted to Ontario for further courses. They were both soon posted to St. Thomas, Ontario. What a lucky coincidence! Dad was on the instructional staff of aircraft maintenance in St. Thomas, achieving the rank of Corporal. He taught aircraft hydraulics there for almost three years, and as a result was never posted overseas. Mom and Dad were married on August 16th, 1942, being one of the first couples, both in uniform, to be married in the R. C. A. F. They opted for a quiet wedding, instead of the big reception the Commanding Officer would have liked to have hosted. Mom was then posted to R. C. A. F. Aylmer, only ten miles away. They were able to get permission to live off base, allowing them the convenience of a rented suite for the next three years. Mom took an early discharge just before I was born the end of June, 1943. I was told that they went shopping one day a few months later, with me in a baby carriage. They somehow forgot about me in the store, and went home with the groceries before realizing their error! Luckily, I was still sleeping when they went back. With the war winding down in 1945, Dad took a two week leave of absence in May to get Mom and I settled in the small house on the quarter he owned back home. They brought their household furnishings with them on the train to help get established. Mom bought a horse and cart so she would have some transportation. With the help of Grandma and Grandpa nearby, neighbours and her parents, she was able to get by until Dad was also discharged. He returned home in September, just in time to fork bundles with soft hands! With the death of Dad's father next year, they took over the McClelland family farm, eventually merging it with the McNeil farm in 1950. There were lots of trials and tribulations over those early years of farming. Even though they were not the original homesteaders of the land, they still were pioneers in the real sense. Dad started farming with horses, moving to a small Ford 9N tractor and small equipment in 1947. They had a windmill or pump handle to provide water for themselves, the gardens and the animals. The home heating and cooking was supplied from a large wood pile.Lindsay was born in North Battleford in November, 1947. A cold early winter promised problems! Over 90 inches of snow fell, the most for over 40 years, and then stayed around until about the 24th of April. This was followed by 70 degree F weather causing a huge amount of flooding! The long winter caused a severe lack of feed for the animals, too. Dad said that the years 1950 to 1952 were good years, and their farming situation started to improve. There would be more temporary setbacks, but the worst was over! The government made the decision to close a lot of the small rural schools and form larger School Units. Lindsay would be starting school in 1953, and Grandpa and Grandma McNeil were ready to retire into Maidstone. The decision was made to move to the McNeil farm near Maidstone in the spring of 1953, making it easier for us to go to school. Hydro power came into this area in 1953. Dad said many times that the biggest event to advance farming was the Rural Farm Electrification Program! What a beautiful experience to come home from the old ranch one night to find the yard light working. The power grid had been turned on! Vern was born in the heat of July, 1955. Dad was raking hay on the CPR two days later and it was so hot, he said "to heck with it" and went into the Hospital to visit Mom and the new baby! Over the next few years, the folks tried to farm both farms, until they gradually bought more land near Maidstone and sold the land at the old place, retaining the pasture for a few more years. As living conditions started to improve, Dad took time to give something back to the community. Dad joined the Saskatchewan Farmer's Union, serving on various executive positions and delegate to conventions. He was also on the Agricultural committee for the Rural Municipality. In 1965, Lindsay died while attending University in Saskatoon. This was a terrible blow to the family, of course. We would never know why he had taken his own life. The house in town was bought in 1971. The folks would live there in the winter and move back to the farm for the summer. They enjoyed the seasonal change very much; it was like having the best of both worlds! Dad served on the local school board for 9 years, and 7 years on the local library board. When we were in the 4H Grain and Beef Clubs, he volunteered in a leadership capacity. He was inducted into the 4H Hall of Fame in 1995. Dad also served as the Treasurer for the Maidstone United Church for 5 years and Sunday School Teacher for 3 years.After retiring from farming, he served 9 years on the executive of the Senior Citizens' Centre. He also took up bowling, participating in the Senior Games a few times. As a Legion member, he helped with the Legion Bingo fund-raising activities. Dad had a passion for collecting stamps of the British Commonwealth and small antique items, such as telephone insulators. He also enjoyed hunting for many years. Mom and Dad enjoyed fishing, holidaying with their trailer, and bus trips in the winter. Through the years, we have had very close ties with the Buckley family. Dad and Uncle Art worked together and helped each other whenever necessary. The families have always mutually supported each other, sharing the important family events and visiting each other often. I hope it is a legacy that will continue for a long time. Dad told me that he was very thankful for the support he received over the years from friends and neighbours. Ever since Mom passed away in January of 2005, he would always remark that someone had dropped off baking or stopped in to say hello. The support from the community has been a real blessing. Thank you all. As Dad's health declined he received more and more support from Home Care. We would like to thank the staff for their gentle but professional help, allowing Dad to maintain his independence as long as possible. The care staffs at Pine Island Lodge and Health Centre have been super making his last days very comfortable. It has been such a relief to know that Dad has benefited from the best health care possible. Once again, thank you so much! To Aunt Jessie and Uncle Art, your Sunday dinners were something that Dad looked forward to and enjoyed very much! And your regular visitations to the Lodge meant a lot to him, helping to keep up his morale. I know you downplay your role, but it meant so much. A thank you hardly seems adequate! Mary and I would like to personally thank Vern and Kitty, Scott and Grant, for their unwavering support to Dad. With us living so far away, you have shouldered a lot of the responsibility for Dad's daily care and happiness the last few years. Dad demonstrated how to live a moral, caring life, by quiet example. I gather from Dad's memoirs that if he had his life to live over, he would live it exactly the same way! I think that is something we should all strive to achieve. Eulogy drafted by Ron McClelland, October 12, 2009 Donations in memory of Thomas may be made to the Maidstone Home Care, Pine Island Lodge Activity Fund or to a charity of the donors choice.