Arnold POOLE

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POOLE: After complications following a surgery, Arnold Walter Poole of Minnedosa, MB died peacefully with his family by his side in Brandon on Thursday, June 23, 2011. Arnold was born in Neepawa on July 24, 1927. He was the youngest of four children of Walter and Elizabeth Poole of Springhill, Manitoba. He married Helen (nee Jardine) in 1950 and they had two children during their marriage. He married Jessie Smith in 1989 becoming the stepfather to four. He was predeceased by his parents Walter and Elizabeth, his brother Elmer and his wife Jessie. Arnold is lovingly remembered by his family; son Ray (Heather) Poole, daughter Myrna (John) Nanson, eight grandchildren and two great- grandchildren. He is also cherished by his step family, Daphne (Ken) Scott, Karen (Jim) Klywak, Ross (Shawna Traill) Smith and Don (Jackie) Smith along with ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters Doreen Monson and Celia Tufts, brother-in-law Laverne Tufts and numerous nieces and nephews. In his childhood, his mother took Celia and him to Ireland to see relatives. He loved it there but told us how he was extremely seasick on the passage across and he did not want to get back on that boat to come back. This may have explained of flying in later years. As a young man he travelled to California to work for his Aunt and Uncle in their diner. He worked in a hotel in Winnipeg during the time of liquor rationing. As a bellman, he really showed that early spark of ingenuity and entrepreneur spirit that made him such a successful businessman and farmer. In 1945 Arnold’s father moved the family from Springhill district to farm five quarters in Oberon. In 1949 Elmer and Arnold took over running the farm operation in partnership. They farmed together until they sold in 1974. During their farming years, Elmer and Arnold were always willing to diversify and try new crops or techniques. They were inventors and innovators. In 1974, their last year of farming, they opted to grow rapeseed (now called canola) and sold the crop using futures, a relative new financial instrument at that time. After nail biting shorts, the price soared. The crop was a bumper crop. Their ship had come in and the farm equipment auction sale was the next year! The farm at Oberon became the Spruce Woods Hutterite Colony and was the start of a lifelong friendship with various Hutterians from Spruce Woods, Springhill and Cool Spring colonies. Arnold followed all of the latest farm technology developments with the help of his friends on the various colonies. For the first fifteen years after retiring from farming Arnold spent winters in Arizona and summers occupied in some form of work. He sold farm equipment for Lee Implements. He worked on the pipeline land restoration with Andy Aagard and helping various farming friends with seeding and harvest. After Jessie retired, they spent the best days of summer at the cottage at Clear Lake, winters in Arizona and later in Texas and any time in between at their home in Minnedosa. As with most farmers, Arnold and Elmer were avid curlers. One of the highlights for them was winning in Manitoba to go to Toronto to play in the Massey Ferguson for the national title in 1961. He traveled to Montreal World Expo in 1967 with friends. Innovations continued to be his interest all through his lifetime. In 1968 Arnold shot a deer with championship antlers, shooting it within a half mile of the homestead. The points score was unbeaten for many years and the rack was 66th in the Boone and Crockett. He never owned a computer but embraced technology in many other ways. He learned how to use a digital camera so he could continue to always have his latest set of photos to show you over a cup of coffee. He converted to being a cell phone user and tried out the GPS technology. He converted his records to cassettes only to now needed CD’s. He just recently bought the machine to do just that. He tracked the space station and watched the night sky when unusual events were forecast. All his life he was an avid golfer participating in the Grey Owl and the Tamarack tournaments just to name a few. In his lifetime he had two Hole-in-one events. He continued to golf in the Seniors Legends league and could still shoot his age at the time of his passing. There were a few years when the weather cooperated between down south and Manitoba that he golfed every week of the year. Arnold was never far away from a deck of cards. He and Jessie enjoyed crib and bridge. He turned the odd card at the casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin and others. Many games with many friends over a life time of good times…. Up until his surgery, he was a regular for the morning card players at the Minnedosa Legion and might have even put the coffee on a time or two…..Arnold began driving Volkswagen diesel cars around 1980 and always enjoyed telling stories about the great fuel mileage. On more than one occasion he joked about stopping at a service station on a trip and having to take fuel out. Arnold loved to garden. His family benefited from monster onions and tomatoes by the pail. Jessie often lost good flower bed space to the tomato farm. He was still gardening last summer and only gave it up last fall. He was always helping one of the children or grandchildren with some form of house renovation, yard maintenance, weed control, tree trimming or whatever he thought they needed. Up until this past month, Arnold was a man full of laughter, love and stories. He could still chip it close to win the hole , or assemble the great crib to win the game. We will miss him greatly but having the memory his stories will keep him alive in their hearts.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jul 09, 2011