HAROLD (TIMER) HYNDMAN

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HAROLD (TIMER) HYNDMAN

November 10, 1925 - May 2, 2024

"Timer" was born Harold Earl Hyndman on November 10, 1925 at the home of a midwife in Oak River, Manitoba, the son of Frank Shaw "Pop" Hyndman (1896-1978) and Laura May "Nan" Peters (1896-1990). Shortly afterwards, the Hyndman family moved from Tatonka to Rapid City.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, his three older Hyndman brothers enlisted in the Canadian Military but - at age 17 and a half - Timer was refused by the Royal Canadian Navy. Eventually he enlisted and trained with the Tank Corps of the Royal Canadian Army at Camp Shilo but transferred to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders to get overseas more quickly. In May 1945 his unit was aboard a ship in the English Channel when the war ended in Europe. Trooper Hyndman was transferred to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and that unit was assigned to disarm Nazi troops in the Friesland Islands. Timer then became a medic in the Occupation Army that guarded thousands of 'Hitler Youth' who had been interned on Germany's Norderney Island in the North Sea.

Shortly after returning to Canada, Timer went north to work in the smelter of the HBMS mine at Flin Flon and it was there he met Sophia Soltys from Merridale, Manitoba. They married in 1951 and raised their family in Rapid City. Timer was a farmer, a 'well witcher', and took over the Canada Post mail route in 1967 (from his father who had held the contract since 1931). He served on Council for the Town of Rapid City for 29 years.

Rapid City was invited to be the first rural community in Manitoba to convert from the old party-line 'crank' telephone system to the more 'modern' rotary dial phones. Mayor Hyndman declined because that would have meant losing the five full-time telephone operator jobs. In the summer of 1977, Rapid City was the last Manitoba community to make the changeover and celebrated with a "No More Cranks" event.

Timer graduated from the Western Canadian School of Auctioneering at Lacombe, Alberta in 1975 and conducted over 600 auction sales throughout western Manitoba. His last coin sale was in the Rapid City Legion Hall in 2015 and his last tax sale for the RM of Riverdale was in 2021.

Timer moved into the Minnedosa Personal Care Home in September 2022 and passed away early in the morning of Thursday, May 2, 2024. Timer was predeceased by his parents, (Laura and Frank Hyndman), his wife Sophia (1917-2005), his sister Marion Grace (1920-2010), his brother Pilot Officer Orrie Frank (1922-1944), his brother Robert John (1923-2002), his brother Nyalt Dennis (1924-2009), and his sister Vera Jean (1927-1994).

Timer is survived by his daughter, Dr. Kathryn Jean Hyndman (David Ford), his son Harold Frank Hyndman, his sister-in-law Bette Hyndman; four grandchildren, Alica Fulford (Kelly), Sheena Kent (Daniel), Aynsley Hyndman (Zoe), Jared Berry; five great-grandchildren, Noah, Ethan, Leila, Macoy, and Beckham; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A 'Celebration of Life' will be held in the Rapid City Legion Hall in mid-June. Interment will be in the plot alongside his wife Sophia in the Rapid City Cemetery. Lest We Forget.

As published in Brandon Sun on May 04, 2024, May 04, 2024