ALFRED BRETECHER

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ALFRED BRETECHER

February 4, 1945 - July 4, 2025

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father Alfred Bretecher at 80 years of age in Brandon, Manitoba.

Alfred was born on February 4, 1945, in Ste. Rose du lac, Manitoba, the youngest child and only son of Marcel and Helen Bretecher. Along with his older sisters Rita and Florence, Alfred attended Micawber School, a one-room prairie schoolhouse. Growing up, he enjoyed the typical activities of farm life. Alfred enjoyed being outdoors and spending time with his cousins that grew up nearby.

In the late 1960s, a number of the Ste. Rose nurses met some young farmers from Toutes-Aides. Violet Ellchuk was one of those nurses, and she met and became engaged to Alfred, marrying on October 11, 1969. Their honeymoon was a whirlwind affair with stops in Atikokan, Kenora, Minnesota, and Winnipeg. Alfred convinced Violet to trade in her nursing hat and shoes for a warm toque and rubber boots and they settled into a life on the farm. Violet and Alfred had two children, Jeffrey, in 1972 and Shannon, in 1977. Alfred worked tirelessly on the farm during all seasons; be it feeding cattle during 40 below winter mornings, calving time in the wet and mucky spring, making hay and harvesting crops during the heat of summer, or winterizing the farm during the brisk fall months, Alfred was always outside busy with something. It was this hard work and dedication that supported his family comfortably, as they never needed or wanted for anything. Alfred’s few moments of leisure in the winter were often spent curling with friends, Joe Smigelski, Bill Bradford, and Rufus Honish as they travelled the circuit of curling bonspiels in towns like Winnipegosis, Eddystone, Ste.Rose, McCreary, and Rorketon.

In 2001, Violet and Alfred decided to retire and moved to Brandon where they lived for four years. They became very close with their next door neighbours, Ray and Mary Lou, but they missed their life back home. Built a house in Ste.Rose, and moved in October 2005. During their retirement, Alfred enjoyed working around the yard, attending church, camping, and the occasional casino excursion. Most of all, Alfred and Violet enjoyed meeting up with their friends, whether it was at home, the local Chicken Chef, or camping at Hecla or Manipogo Beach. The highlight of every year for Violet and Alfred was attending the Manitoba Society of Seniors games in various locations in the province. He excelled and won medals in cribbage and slo-pitch. The best part of the games was attending the banquets, where they got to make new friends and catch up on fun times with the old ones.

For their 40th wedding anniversary in 2009, Violet and Alfred's children treated them to an Alaskan cruise on Celebrity Cruises complete with airfare, a limo to and from the airport, and champagne and flowers in their suite. Ports of call included Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Alley. Alfred also enjoyed travelling with his children. A trip to Las Vegas where he got to fly into the Grand Canyon in a helicopter and a Mediterranean cruise with his children in 2014, which included Venice, Athens, Rome, Florence, and Malta as ports of call. Proving simple pleasures are the best, perhaps the highlight of the trip for Alfred was the nightly serving of strawberry ice cream for dessert.

After Violet’s passing on August 15, 2021, Alfred decided to sell his retirement home in Ste. Rose and move into the same neighbourhood as his son in Brandon. Before that could happen however, Alfred suffered a “silent heart attack” and needed to be admitted to the intensive care cardiac unit of St. Boniface General Hospital in December of 2021. Complications from this event, as well as from diabetes led to Alfred to be moved to the Fairview Personal Care Home in Brandon in April 2022. He received visitors daily, be it from Jeffrey or Shannon, or other friends and relatives, played cribbage, watched Blue Jays games, enjoyed chatting with the nurses and aides at the home, getting the occasional Teen Burger or Chinese take-away meal, Saturday afternoon beers, and spending time just enjoying the outdoors on nice days, watching people and vehicles passing by. Alfred enjoyed the time he had left and on the day of his passing of July 4, 2025, was surrounded by his family who never left his side and cherished every moment they were fortunate enough to spend with him.

Alfred’s wishes were that no funeral be held.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the St. Boniface General Hospital Cardiac Care Unit, Fairview Personal Care Home, or a charity of one’s choice.

Sneath-Strilchuk -Ste. Rose Chapel

204-447-2444

www.sneathstrilchuk.com

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 12, 2025