ROSTHERN — Entertaining the crowd at Rosthern Seniors' Centre this month was Amos Fehr, chaplain and grief counsellor at the Mennonite Nursing Home located just east of Rosthern.
Fehr thanked everyone for taking time out of their day to come and share their time with him. Entertaining with a smooth and easy style, Fehr talked briefly about the origins of some songs, shared a bit of local history, and tidbits of his own life.
Playing well-known songs, both popular music and gospel tunes, from years of musical history, Fehr put everyone in a reflective mood and encouraged them to join in by humming or singing along, even if it was just the chorus. The evening had the feel of sitting down with an old friend and reminiscing about days of old, remembering people and places of long ago and the music that accompanied those distant memories. He ended the evening as he usually does with “Happy Trails,” a song by Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale Evans, known as the theme song for The Roy Rogers Show on radio and television, in which they starred.
Having been born and raised on a farm between Hague and Rosthern, his skill on the guitar was as well known as was his history in the community. Fehr spent many years as a youth pastor in Manitoba, but a decade ago, when their adult children decided they wanted to move to Saskatchewan, Amos and his wife, Wendy, followed, settling back into the community and family ties he had grown up in.
Fehr regularly shares his music with the residents of the Mennonite Nursing Home and other seniors’ residences and is a regular performer at gospel music events in the local area, including the Drive-In Country Gospel Music Nights at the Hague Museum.
The Rosthern Seniors’ Centre continues to hold activities throughout the summer months, including the Tuesday and Thursday afternoon billiards, cards and shuffleboard games individuals can participate in, along with the monthly entertainment. The $15 admission to the entertainment evenings contributes to the general fund that covers the expenses of the seniors’ centre. The club is one of the many recipients of assistance from Sask Lotteries.
The past two years have also brought in funds from the local Tim Hortons raised during the spring Smile Cookie Campaign. Last year’s donation exceeded $3,000 and was used to purchase an AED for the centre. The decision on where to use the recent donation from the 2025 Smile Cookie Campaign of over $5,000 has not yet been voted on by the board.
