CARLYLE - Frank Faber and his wife Elsie lived 20 minutes southwest of Carlyle for over 60 years, raising their family of four.
In the 1970s, they owned 11 quarters of farmland and pasture, all of which were in the RM of Moose Creek. They also raised both commercial and exotic cattle.
Faber’s descendants emigrated from Iowa in 1905. Louis and Annie Faber raised three sons and a daughter. In 1938, Matt Faber married Gretta McLeod of Carlyle. They had three children, Frank, Lorraine and Cheryl.
Frank Faber began farming at an early age and married Elsie, a Wauchope girl, in 1964. They eventually took over the entire family farming operation. In the early 1970s, good crops were harvested, and the grain was being marketed at excellent prices. To add to the farming optimism, exotic breeds of cattle were briskly making their way to North America from Europe.
Faber had only a small herd of commercial cattle when he became enamoured with Chianina cattle, which is an Italian breed of large and white animals. It is one the oldest cattle breeds in the world and is both the tallest and heaviest.
“I was impressed with the size and colour of these cows,” said Faber. “My first Chianina was a half-blood heifer. I ended up with quite a few of the animals and bought and sold many in the mid-‘70s to early ‘80s. My cattle company was called Maplewood Farms.”
The Fabers purchased their first quarter of land in 1962 for $6,000. Faber was one of the first in the area to own an air seeder. In the drought year of 1961, he did not pull the combine out from the quonset. Mother nature can change quickly, and in 1962 they harvested one of their best crops ever.
Now 82 years of age, Frank and Elsie retired from farming in 1986. “There aren’t a lot of us left,” said Faber. “Farming has gotten so big and down where we used to live, there was a farm every half-section or so. Nowadays, you can drive for miles without seeing a house.”
Over the years, Faber has become heavily involved in community affairs. He was an RM of Moose Creek councillor for 16 years and was also their reeve for six. He helped build the Carlyle Curling Rink in 1967 and assisted the Carlyle Golf Club when they converted to grass greens in 1999. He was a strong supporter and promoter, for the construction of the Alameda Dam. He also worked for over 20 years as a landman signing up oil leases.
Frank and Elsie raised four children, Monica, Marlyn, Natalie and John. They have nine grandchildren. At the family farm during the 1970s, they constructed a 20-by-40 swimming pool. The nine-foot-deep pool provided hours of entertainment and attracted friends and relatives from near and far.
The Fabers moved to an acreage just south of Carlyle in 1998. Faber, together with good friend Gordon Savill, were instrumental in the formation and construction of 20 housing units known as the Carlyle Lions Pride Life Leases. He and Elsie moved into one of these units in 2016, where they still reside today.
Faber continues to be heavily involved in community affairs. He is a past president of the Carlyle District Lions Club and has been a member since 1980. He also remains chairman of Lions Pride Estates. Faber still enjoys golfing, playing cards and jigsaw puzzles. He refuses to use email and does not text.
“Elsie and I have had a good life. We live in a great town and a great province. Here’s hoping we can enjoy many more productive years,” he added.
