Harvey HORNER

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HORNER: Harvey Winford Horner passed away peacefully on December 23, 2013 at the Minnedosa Personal Care Home. Harvey will be greatly missed by his wife of 60 years, Mary, stepson Larry McCracken (Joy), stepdaughter Colleen Cowan (Wayne), son Alan, daughter Cindy Grant (Greg), grandchildren Shannon and Nicole McCracken, Lee and Ryan Cowan, Sean, Laura and Drew Horner and Robin and Laurel Grant, great-grandchildren Levi Lepird and Bo and Brenna Cowan, sisters-in-law Joyce, Lorna and Pat Horner, brother-in-law Archie Londry and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by parents Winford and Annie, his brothers Wilbert, David (Pete), Elliot and Alvin Horner, his sisters Eunice Thorkelson and Winona (Nonie) Londry, and his brother-in-law Bert Thorkelson. Harvey was born in Minnedosa, Manitoba on August 21, 1925, the fifth child of Winford and Annie Horner. He spent his early school years at McBride School and graduated from Minnedosa Collegiate in 1943. At 17, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, taking his pilot’s training in various centres across Canada, and receiving his wings in Dauphin. After the war ended, Harvey returned to Minnedosa to work on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. While walking back and forth to work, a neighbor, Mary McCracken, caught his attention. He learned that Mary, a young widow with two children, was a skilled seamstress, and so soon discovered that he had some pants that desperately needed hemming. It didn’t take too long for Harvey to realize that Mary, Larry and Colleen were meant to form a new family together. Mary and Harvey were married on June 19, 1953, in the United Church Manse, as Reverend Matchett`s first wedding in Minnedosa. Son, Alan, was born in August, 1954 and daughter Cindy arrived in March, 1958. Harvey always wanted to return to farming and in 1960 he and Mary sold their home in Minnedosa and bought a farm in the Havelock district, south of town. The drafty house was a bit of a shock to the family, but the classic red barn on the property was soon filled was beef cattle, milk cows and very briefly, a few pigs. Chickens, cats and a black lab completed the farmyard population. For the next several decades, Harvey worked full-time on the CPR while expanding the farming operation, with son Alan as his partner almost from the time he could walk. Harvey was always willing to try new farming innovations, being one of the first in the community to try anhydrous, continuous cropping, and no till. He was a true conservationist, and the health of the land and the wildlife on the farm were uppermost in his mind. Harvey was a school trustee for Havelock School until its closure in 1967. He was a leader in the Minnedosa 4-H beef club for many years. He served as president of the United Grain Growers in Minnedosa, representing the district at the national meetings. He was a lifetime member of the Minnedosa legion. He was an avid curler and golfer. Harvey worked for the CPR for nearly 40 years, beginning as a trainman and retiring as a conductor in 1985. He and Alan continued farming together, but with a bit more free time, Harvey and Mary were also able to travel. Mexico was a favorite destination, and they explored not only the beaches, but also many of the agricultural and historical areas throughout the country. They visited Hawaii, Europe, the Caribbean, many parts of the United States, and Mary’s family home in northern Scotland. In one year, they spent the first day of spring in Alaska and the first day of winter in Australia. Harvey found joy in many things. He loved music, poetry, hunting, fishing, golfing, and curling and managed to get a both hole in one in golf and a 29 hand in cribbage. He was always happy to spend time with his grandchildren, who all took turns eating porridge on grandpa’s lap over the years. Above all, he loved his years on the farm with Mary. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society or the Minnedosa Personal Care Home. Minnedosa Funeral Service in care of arrangements.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jan 04, 2014