It is with heavy hearts the family of Fred Wawro, announces his passing on August 16, 2021, four days prior to his 90^th birthday at Good Shepard Villa.  Fred will always have a very special place in the hearts of all those who loved him and will be sadly missed by:  Terry (Bonnie) Wawro and their children: Brenden (Ashley), Ryan (Krista), Ashley (Christopher); Judy (Murray) Foster and Tanner; Cheryl Kidney and her children Tanis (Jeremy), Candace (Shane): and Tammy Kuryluk (Doug).  As well as eight great-grandchildren.  Fred is survived by his siblings:  Walter (Kris), and Peter.  Fred was predeceased by his parents Jerry and Mary Wawro; his wife Delphine (Klimek); a son in law James Kidney and sister-in-law Marilyn Wawro, as well as his father and mother-in-law Adam & Lena Klimek.

Fred was born in Lily Plain, SK on August 20, 1931, met and married the love of his life Delphine on February 8, 1958.  They settled in the Steep Creek District, later moving to the Fir Ridge District. They dedicated their lives to their children and the family farm, always sharing a love and appreciation of the land and animals.  His dedicated role as a husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather were the most important to Dad.

Fred was an avid sportsman and enjoyed playing ball for the Steep Creek Beavers.  In his later years, he would reminisce and speak of the great times playing against the Saskatchewan Forks Huskies usually on Sundays followed by a picnic with an abundance of community socializing.  The big tournaments were hosted traditionally on July 1, consisting of but not limited to teams from Fanford, Colleston, St. Louis, and Shellbrook. Curling was another passion that dad started to love when he first played at the Steep Creek Curling Rink consisting of two sheets of natural ice during the sixties.  After the rural curling rink closed, he continued the sport at Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club.  Fred played on several different teams over the years consisting of a men’s, farmers mixed, and senior team.  Fred competed in numerous bonspiels, the one that he enjoyed the most was hosted in Uranium City.  He always recognized a good team (teammates:  Larry Ruszkowski, Wayne Johnson, and Ewen MacLeod) where they placed second, with some tough competition that year.  Larry said the other day, he will always remember Fred’s famous last words “we got the hammer, Larry, we got the hammer.”

Fred enjoyed fishing and hunting and spoke of the days spent fishing from the North Saskatchewan River using grasshoppers as bait and virtually every cast would have a fish on the end of his line.  The fish were edible back in the days when the river water was crystal clear and provided plenty of fresh food for the family.  Fred spent many hours trapping squirrels, beavers, weasels, coyotes, and foxes.  They were then transported to the Hudson Bay fur trading company on River Street in Prince Albert, which always left extra spending money in his wallet.  Spart and Snub, Dad’s dogs would live for the kill and anxiously await their return to the traplines.

Fred loved the bush and the smell of freshly cut trees and handled a chainsaw like no other.  Other than his sporting activities this is where he learned to be a team player, they worked hard and played harder.  This wasn’t a job to him as he found it easy and made friendships that lasted a lifetime inclusive but not limited to Frank, Clarence and Tommy Ruszkowski, Bert Majchrowski, and Ed Dmyterko.   This work took him to the province of Alberta around Rocky Mountain House and Nordegg where they stayed in camps at the mouth of the North Saskatchewan River.  He also spent time around Candle Lake cutting power poles which brought him back closer to home.

Fred was a skilled carpenter and constructed a brand-new home for his family in 1973 with assistance from Gerald Zbaraschuk.  The home was constructed with his own lumber, and fir plywood was used on the roof, making what the last contractors indicated a pleasure to shingle as there were no knots in the roof making the job completed in record time, and was commended for a well-built home.  He was also employed with Target 21 in La Ronge building prefabricated homes that were 24 feet wide and moved in two halves.  He used his Ford grain truck to haul cupboards and shelving units from Prince Albert to La Ronge for the interior of the homes, a day when freight was nowhere near the cost it is today.

Of all the occupations, Fred was qualified and capable of doing, the best one and most abundant was farming.  This was from experience gained in the loss of his father at a very young age.  An occupation that he loved and one that he could spend with the best partner in life one could ever ask for, his wife Delphine.  Those two worked side by side sitting up at nights just to make sure that newborn calf survived, got up before dawn and milked the cows, tilled, planted, and harvested the fields, and milked again, weaned the pigs, and tended to the pink combed pullets.  They would bale a family together with soft, strong bonds of sharing these experiences.

I believe that a man’s greatest pride is his dignity and that no calling bestows this more abundantly than farming.

I believe that hard work and honest sweat are the building blocks of a person’s character.

I believe that farming, despite its hardships and disappointments, is the most honest and honorable way a man can spend his days on earth.

I believe that farming nurtures the close family ties that make life rich in ways that money can’t buy.

I believe my children are learning values that will last a lifetime and can be learned in no other way.

I believe farming provides education for life and no other occupation teaches so much about birth, growth, and maturity in such a variety of ways.

I believe that the best things in life are indeed free:  the splendor of a sunrise, the rapture of wide-open spaces, and the exhilarating sight of your land greening each spring.

I believe that true happiness comes from watching your crops ripen in the field, your children grow tall in the sun, your whole family feels pride that springs from their shared experience.

I believe that by my toil, I am giving more to the world than I am taking from it:  an honour that does not come to all men.

I believe that my life will be measured ultimately by what I have done for my fellow man, and by this statement, I fear no judgment.

I believe when a man grows old and sums up his days, he should be able to stand tall and feel pride in the life he’s lived.

I believe in farming because it makes all this possible.

We would like to express a sincere thank you to Dr. Alanna Surkan and the entire staff at Good Shepard Villa.  We would also like to thank Cheryl Kidney as a caregiver for the countless hours that were dedicated to our dad up until the time of requiring more care when he moved to Good Shepard Villa.  A private family graveside service will take place at a later date.  Condolences can be sent to the family on our website at www.mackenziechapel.ca.  Arrangements in care of MacKenzie Chapel & Crematorium – Shellbrook Funeral Home.  Brian & Bev Stobbs, Renee Phaneuf & Mark Gyoerick. 306.763.8488.

• Date : 2021-08-16
• Location : Prince Albert, SK