Marvin James Paul Kahtava passed away at the Riverside Health Complex, Turtleford, Saskatchewan on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at the age of 67 years. Marvin is survived by: his family, Shirley Kahtava and her children, Shelden (Lori-Ann) Welch, Tracey (Carey) Komadina, and Donovan Stoney; Rosalene (Moe) Hnidey and their children, Cordell (Christy) Hnidey and Chantel (Brad) Tetreau; Margaret (Gary) Polinsky and their children, Kim Dumont and Tyler Polinsky; his niece and nephews, Wendy (Vince) Lorenz, Marino and Rocky Bekolay; all of his great nieces and nephews; and numerous other relatives. Marvin was predeceased by: his parents, Martin and Johanna (Jennie); his brother, Roy; and half sister, Marie Henning. The Memorial Service for Marvin was conducted from Turtle Lake Mission, Turtle Lake, Saskatchewan on Friday, June 16, 2017 at 2:00 PM. The eulogy was given by Shelden Welch. The hymns sung were “Amazing Grace” and “Shall We Gather At The River” accompanied by organist, Judy Gies. A duet was sung by Shelley Bloom and Greg Sample and a trio was sung by Darlene and Wilfred Hamm and Greg Sample. The honorary pallbearers were “All of Marvin’s close friends”. The urnbearer was Tracey Komadina. Interment followed the service at the Livelong Cemetery. Donations in memory of Marvin may be made to Riverside Resident Council, Turtleford, Saskatchewan or to a charity of the Donor’s choice. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements.
EULOGY ~ As I watched you all arrive today, I thought to myself, I know so much about these people because of Marvin….I know many of your nicknames….Shorty, Scrooge, Pipsqueak, Tightwad, Blondie and so on.....I also know many of you have been accused of having too much money, told that you are too old, or that you need a new truck because yours is wore out (even though it was almost brand new)…many of you have been called stuck up or over the hill….been told to go home or to get to work….and if you were given one of these nicknames or have had one of these conversations with Uncle Marvin, then you were fortunate….that meant you were AOK in his books and he likely thought the world of you. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Shelden Welch and Marvin was my Uncle. And I thought the world of him. The high light of my summer when I was 8, 9 ,or 10 years old, was spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s at the lake….and I would spend most of my time there, riding bikes with Marvin…pedal bikes back then…morning till night, with several trips around Horseshoe Bay, and usually a daily trip to the Lakeview Store…where every so often, something would seem to spook Uncle Marvin and he’d holler and take off for home….I’d try my best to catch up but there was no way....I’m sure he was home in the yard before I got to Charlie and Dorothy Kivimaa’s…as I skidded into the yard, a little scared and angry that he had left me behind, which I‘m sure I scolded him for, he’d be puffing on his pipe like nothing had happened and soon we were off again….I’m sure there were other kids I could have been chumming around with, but I preferred to hang around with Uncle Marvin…..and maybe that is why he kept leaving me at the store…to get a break from the little guy following him around all the time. Marvin James Paul Kahtava was born on January 3rd, 1950 in Turtleford…the 2nd son of Jennie and Martin Kahtava. He resided at Turtle Lake until April 2009 when he moved to the Turtleford Riverside Health Complex where he passed away June 10th, 2017 with his three sisters by his side. Marvin spent most of his life on the family farm, which later became Horseshoe Bay Resort. He enjoyed farm life and was helpful with all the chores. He attended Dexter School for a short time and later some time at a training facility in Moose Jaw. He and his older brother Roy, had a special bond and spent a lot of time together. They were both born with Fragile X Tremor Ataxia Syndrome. And even though handicapped, they were both extremely social and loved being around people. Events that included the Hamm’s and their families, cabin owners and their families, and all others who made Uncle Marvin and Uncle Roy feel at home were not to be missed by either of them. As a young boy, he enjoyed riding a bicycle, then a scooter, to a motor bike, then of course to his favorite, a quad. And in the winter, he enjoyed riding his snowmobile. He put many many miles on these modes of transportation. A lot of them to Lakeview or Moonlight Bay Stores for cigars, coffee, or meals, including one of his favorites, a Fat Albert Burger. The miles included endless trips around Horseshoe Bay, keeping an eye on everyone’s property. He knew when something was out of place, broke, or missing. There is no security system today that is as good as Uncle Marvin was. Marvin was never able to read or write. But he did learn to tell time and had a great fascination for watches, clocks, and radios. Other materialistic things were not overly important to him. He could pick out any cabin owner’s key off a rack of 50 or more. And he did this often, as he was responsible for turning up the heat in cabins to get them warmed up for the owner’s arrival. This was serious business to him. He knew all the cabin owners by first name and loved chatting with them over coffee and an occasional spirit. He enjoyed quading, snowmobiling, and fishing with the cabin owners….and I’m sure there are some terrific stories about several of these adventures. One of the highlights of Uncle Marvin’s life was being an assistant to Ted Fritz on his septic truck. This gave him a real purpose in life. Even though he really loved his job, and Teddy Bear, once in a while, if he was busy doing something else that interested him, like having coffee with Dave and Marie, he would try and hide from Ted. But please don’t tell Ted and Janice. Sometimes he’d also go missing when it was time to head to a medical appointment or if the homecare worker wanted him to bath. These were the days when Marvin lived by himself after Grandma and Grandpa had passed away. And I’d say he did very well on his own with a little help from Home Care and constant stops by mom, Shirley, to check in on him. Marvin also worked for a short time at Sarcan in Turtleford. At the nursing home, Marvin was again very watchful and was able to tell visitors where their family members were. He seemed to know everything that was going on there. When he was able, Marvin was helpful in pushing the water/towel cart and moving residents in their wheel chairs, or helping them get up from their chairs. He was likely annoying to some of the residents, with his constant repeating of phrases, but that was his nature. And now might be a good time to pause for a moment, to thank all of the staff at the long term care facility in Turtleford, on behalf of our family…it is important that you are acknowledged for what you do and the difference you made in Marvin’s life…and we’d suspect that he was not always a treat to deal with…a little stubborn and not easily persuaded….perhaps even loud and demanding at times…not sure if that would be the Hamm or the Kahtava coming out in him…..but in all seriousness, we thank you SO much for all that you did for Uncle Marvin over the years. While a resident in Turtleford, Uncle Marvin looked forward to his day trips to Turtle lake where he spent most of his time at my mom Shirley’s. There was no bigger treat for us than to go pick Uncle Marvin up in Turtleford….to see that big smile and his eyes light up when we’d arrive and ask him if he was busy today OR did he have time to spend the day at the lake….knowing full well what the answer would be….and as he’d shuffle past the nurses desk, one of them was sure to pipe up asking Marvin where he thought he was going….’I’m going to the lake’…I wish I could say it the way he did….he made sure everyone there knew he was going to the lake…he was so proud…just try to stop him. Once at the lake, sometimes over coffee and a cigar, he was known to tell some tall tales….about trips to West Edmonton Mall, hunting trips, and planning to go to Mexico….he was so happy…to be with family at the lake….but 3 o’clock coffee would see his mood change when it was obvious to him that the return trip to Turtleford was closing in…..he’d get agitated and start working on Shirley…..mimicking everything she said and flashing his famous evil eye…he knew how to push her buttons….and taking him back to Turtleford was far less honorable and enjoyable than picking him up….as he’d shuffle past the nurses desk again, a nurse was sure to ask how his day a the lake was….his usual response…..TERRIBLE….knowing full well he’d go back immediately given the chance. I know that there are numerous stories and some great memories that involved Uncle Marvin over the years…and I suspect his name comes up frequently with most of us during a coffee or campfire. Mom told me to keep it short and we all know that Uncle Marvin would not tolerate a long winded Eulogy…after all, there were cigars to smoke and a quad waiting. He was truly a remarkable man given his circumstances…he left an impression with everyone he met. And I’d do almost anything to go pick him up in Turtleford, for a trip to the lake, just one more time.
