HEIDEL: In Loving Memory of John Ernest Heidel, who was born June 9, 1926 at North Battleford, SK and passed away Sept. 29, 2011 at North Battleford, SK. Left to cherish his memory: his loving wife of 53 years, RoseMarie ; his loving children and their families: Diane and Don Piper, son Jeff, Marla and daughter Kamora; son Andrew and Terra, son Logan; Gary and Kellie: sons Daylan and Dalton; Wayne and Sheila, son Tyler, daughter-in-law, Jessica and daughters, Hannah and Kailee; Kelvin and Michelle: sons, Spencer, Kian and Ryland; Dean and Lisa, sons Kody and John, daughters Dominique and Hayley; brothers: Bill (Mildred), Bob (Joyce), Louis (Velda), Lawrence, Don (Kathy), Larry (Lorraine), Harry (Josephine); sisters: Thelma (Terry) Wakelin and Ev (Al) Cheney; sister-in-law: Ruby Heidel; nieces, nephews and their families. Predeceased by his parents, John and Helen Heidel; brother, Charles Heidel; sisters: Elaine and Madeline; sister-in-law: Pat Heidel; brothers-in-law: Alf Moar and Tom Williams. Vigil of Prayer was held Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. with Jean Pawlus, Presider and Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday, October 3, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. with Rev. Fr. Gerard Legaspi Celebrant; both Services from Notre Dame De Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, North Battleford, SK. The Cross Bearer was Dominique Heidel; Altar Servers were Spencer and Kian Heidel and Eulogist was Keith Bossaer. Liturgy Of The Word was shared by 1st Reading ~ Laura Wells; Psalm ~ The Choir; 2nd Reading ~ Lisa Tymchuk; Gospel ~ Fr. Gerard Legaspi; Prayers Of The Faithful ~ Emma Duhaime and Offertory Gift Bearers, Dominique Heidel, Kody Grigor, Hayley and John Heidel and Sr. Evelyn Corbeil. Music Ministry was Director and Pianst, Lisa Hornung; Notre Dame Parish Choir and Soloists, Jaki Esquirol and Robert MacKay. The Ushers were Daylan and Dalton Heidel. An Honour Guard was present with Third Degree Knights Of Columbus and Honourary Pallbearers were "All Who Knew Dad". The Active Pallbearers were Chris Heidel, Jason Heidel, Travis Heidel, Jonathan Heidel, Peter Pielak and Al Cook. Memorials are requested to Canadian Cancer Society and Notre Dame Parish. Interment took place at Garden of Devotion, Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, North Battleford, SK. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service 446-4200 EULOGY BY KEITH BOSSAER My name is Keith Bossaer, Ernest's nephew. I am honoured to deliver the eulogy today on behalf of my Uncle who was loved and respected by so many people. Ernest Heidel was born in Notre Dame Hospital in North Battleford in June 1926, and recently passed away shortly after celebrating his 85th birthday. Ernest was the oldest son born to John & Helen Heidel. His father John, arrived as an infant as an American settler to the Metropole area which is just NE of North Battleford. Ernest was the oldest of 13 children and as we all know this Heidel family has a very rich history in the Battleford's region and beyond. Ernest went to school 3 miles away at Metropole in a one room classroom school covering Grade 1-12. If a 3 mile walk does not sound bad, keep in mind the walk was often done on bright sunny days but also those rainy and stormy days. To Ernest it seemed like an awfully long walk on those bitter cold days. Sometimes during the summer they would get to take the horse and buggy, but even better was those winter days when they were hooking up the horses to a cutter and really had some nice speed going. With the growing family came more creative transportation including a team of horses pulling a 12 foot sleigh enclosed with a heater inside. Now that was getting fancy, pretty much the stretch-limo service comparison of today. As the oldest, Ernest was responsible for looking after the horses at school and getting them put up into the barn. School was loud and busy with as many as 42 students in a one-room schoolhouse. Fortunately the teacher's wife would help teach the lower grades from their own home at the time, which I am sure helped control the noise level. Ernest's favorite subjects were math, science and geography, but the real fun was to be had outdoors. Recess and outdoor sports like open air hockey were what Ernest really enjoyed. Well, I think if anyone out there knows any of the Heidel boys, from the past or currently, you probably realize Heidel boys can find some good natured mischief in a hurry. Like the current generations, Ernest was no different. I understand walking home one day from school that Ernest, Bob & Bill managed to start a fire in the prairie grass. Although prairie grass fires can take off in an instant, the Heidel boys were also pretty resourceful, and in this panic situation they managed to contain the fire. Bill, Bob you don't know anything about this do you? Oh well, a good lesson about fire was learned that day. I also understand that for the same brothers and Alex Kovar did not quite make it to school one day or well maybe two days, or well that might have got stretched to three days in a row!! They planned a hooky day or two to get some good fishing in. Truth is they never ever did quite make it fishing, but they sure did have three days of fun playing in the bushes south of Bill's current farmyard. However, the gig was up when the school teacher sent his son to Ernest's parents to find out why they had not been able to attend school lately. After a thrashing from Dad they never played hookey again. While most kids look forward to the Easter break, Ernest hated to see the Easter break. He was a hard worker on the family farm, and he knew that after Easter a lot more hard work was in store, picking roots, rocks, breaking and preparing land. But life was not all about work, whether it was his passion for playing hockey, going to Christmas concerts or enjoying the summer picnics which came almost every Sunday. Either their own family's picnics or community picnics and concerts made Sunday the most exciting day of the week. During the summer in traditional Heidel fashion his parents would bring them camping and fishing north of Meadow Lake or to their cabin on Lantz Point which I presume is what he called "Little Jackfish Lake"? With willow poles and a little string and hooks the fish were plentiful and during these times his mom would begin canning foods right where ever they camped. Raspberries, blueberries or cranberries whatever was available and made for a tasty meal. In Grade 11, Ernest went to live in Creston, BC to work on his grandparent's farm. The farming required a lot of work and eventually took its toll on education efforts, ending his high school education. Weekends were spent assisting his cousin Len Anderson as well. In 1957 Ernest eventually spent another winter in Vancouver with his cousin Doris and husband Lloyd where he worked for a Cartage company for 5 months. BC was okay, but Ernest was a prairie boy and home to Saskatchewan he went. At the age of 26, he purchased his first car, a Model A Ford. 1958 was a very big year for him. He married his sweetheart "RoseMarie" right here in Notre Dame Church where he has been so involved in church activities including prayer groups after retirement. They purchased their first farm down the Wearing Road 5 miles east where they built a house, barn and farmed 3 quarters of land. Back in those years it was still a mixed farm including 4 milk cows, chickens and hogs. They sold butter, cream and eggs in North Battleford which really kept the family going. Ernest genuinely enjoyed gardening and faming. He farmed with his brother Bill and in 1962 they bought 4 quarters of land. Some had suggested that they try growing rapeseed (canola these days) and with a little luck, they had an incredible crop on 260 acres which allowing them to pay for half the land in the first year. Ernest briefly tried faming near Tisdale for a year but immediately realized he missed farming at home and with no farm yards readily available be purchased the house in town across from St. Mary's school in 1968. This was very convenient as eventually Diane, Gary, Wayne, Kelvin and Dean went to St. Mary's. At this point Ernest did not bother going back into livestock and part of this extra available time was spent coaching hockey, which he enjoyed so much. During these years a machine shed was built on the Forest Hall Road and then the new house was built and moved into in 1975. This is where Kelvin's current yard site is, and that became their Heidel headquarters from that point on. Everyone knows that Ernie likes to travel whether it was small weekend camping trips or bigger trips. The first big trip they took was in 1967 when they went to the Expo in Montreal. This was followed by a Christmas vacation in 1975 to Disneyland, and a trip to South Dakota. The largest and most exciting trip was to Rome with his parents, Bill & Mildred, Bob & Joyce as well as Louis and Velda. I guess they really enjoyed the Romans historic sites, including the coliseum and they had a fantastic time on guided bus tours and fine dining experiences. They made many trips to Calgary to visit Diane and occasionally catch a Calgary hockey game and they often went with Cyril & Madeline Fransoo to hockey games in Edmonton, while the Oilers & Gretsky were the team to beat. As avid card players they spent many evenings playing cards with friends and relatives especially Al & Dorothy Cook. I recall my Uncle Ernest as one of the most easy-going, relaxed people I have ever known. He had a genuine love for his family, farming, gardening and for recreational time and the unique ability to somehow balance them all. Better yet, he instilled those passions in his children as well, and therefore it is not hard to find his children in the summer months at Lakes throughout North West to this day. As a family they made a lot of great memories out at Jackfish, Kimble, Loon Lake and numerous other northern lakes. I can't tell you how exciting it was when Ernest & RoseMarie allowed me to stay overnight at their house, on a trip to LaRonge, and the exciting times at their cabin at Metinota. I know on behalf of our family that on a hot summer day, if we were out in the fields picking rocks, or bales, I recall how thrilled we would be if the word came that we could leave to Metinota for the afternoon or the night. For all the fun times we had at their cabin, whether that was fishing or messing around like Kelvin, Dean and me hitchhiking to the bridge and actually successful at getting a ride from the Police once, we have Uncle Ernest & Aunt RoseMarie to thank for those great memories. Uncle Ernest's relaxed easy-going attitude was reflected in how he spoke and how he reacted to what others might find as frustrating situations. Where other people might include some pretty colourful words in difficult situations, it would be far more common to only hear him say 'Oh Gosh' or 'O Golly'. For example, if I try to envision what the conversation might have went if Ernest found out that as 10 year olds we were hitchhiking he probably might have said "Gosh, Kelvin, you boys probably shouldn't be hitch hiking". But they would still know when he spoke to take his message seriously. That was his nature and that was what made him the incredible family man and friend to all. He lived a very satisfied life surrounded by family and enjoyed life to the maximum well into retirement. I really can't find the correct words that describe the quiet but tangible impact he had on so many people's lives. Although he lived a great long life, Ernest was dearly loved and well-respected by both large families groups and friends.The absence of his quick pop out to the fields next spring will certainly be noticed. It is rare for a person like Ernest to come along and we are privileged to have shared in his life. He will be sadly missed, by his friends, his family and his loving wife. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
