Lloyd Andrew Oliver Sandmoen
August 11, 1936 – January 8, 2020
Early in the morning of January 8, 2020 at the EM Crowe Memorial Hospital in Eriksdale, Manitoba, the same hospital he was born, Lloyd Sandmoen of Vogar, Manitoba peacefully passed away.
He is missed by his wife, Edna, of 58 years, daughters Dale Sandmoen (Tina), Cindy Phillips (Jack) and Tracy Sandmoen; grandchildren Luke, Stellan, Levi, Nate and Thor; sisters Merle Eyford and Joyce Sigfusson and his nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his sister Evelyn Austman, and brothers-in-law Lárus Eyford, Gisli Sigfusson and Einar Austman.
Born August 11, 1936, to Arthur Sandmoen and Sarah Rafnkelsson, Lloyd lived most of his life on the family farm in Hayland, Manitoba. He attended school at Hayland School, a one-room schoolhouse where his mother Sarah was the teacher. He would tell of the 1/2 mile walk to school long before dawn to build a fire in the wood stove so the frozen building would be warm when the other children arrived. His entire life, Lloyd was an early riser, up before dawn year round to make sure fires were built and animals were fed.
Lloyd’s mother would tell the story of how Arthur was considering selling the farm when Lloyd was young. He had the buyer in the kitchen and was about to seal the deal when he looked over and saw his young son sitting on the stairs, despondent and broken hearted. Arthur cancelled the sale right then, telling Sarah he could not take the farm away from the boy who loved it so much.
Lloyd left home in 1954 to attend the University of Manitoba to study Agriculture. Though quiet and reserved, he would chuckle over stories of campus antics like the time he and his faculty buddies managed to carry a professor’s VW Beetle into the foyer of Tache Hall. He graduated in 1956 with a Diploma in Agriculture and embarked on a career as a Provincial poultry and bee inspector, travelling the province from end to end. Though from a small, isolated community, he knew Manitoba’s highways like the back of his hand.
It was at a dance in Grahamdale in 1960 that Lloyd was introduced to the stunning and effervescent Edna Braun (Rempel). They married in 1961 and soon moved back to the family farm.
As a young man, Lloyd broke from local tradition of purely cattle farming and diversified into poultry farming. He raised chickens at first, and he and Edna sold eggs for hatching. Lloyd delivered eggs weekly around Winnipeg, both to the hatchery and to individuals. He surprised his grown daughters once when, without batting an eye, described what balut was, a traditional Asian dish of chick embryo cooked in the eggshell. He went on to describe how he carefully incubated the eggs to a certain age and supplied the Filipino community in Winnipeg with the delicacy.
Lloyd and Edna further diversified in the 1980’s by changing their chicken egg farm over to breeder turkeys. They were know for the high quality of eggs they supplied to the hatchery, one year garnering themselves the title of Champion Turkey Farmers.
Lloyd loved animals and always, whether it was his idea or not, had a varied menagerie on his farm. He would gently and patiently show his daughters how to encourage newly hatched chicks to take their first drink. He was up around the clock during calving season to help cows deliver calves, and he always had a special canine companion (or two). From horses to 4-H calves to dogs to turtles, the only pet Lloyd would not allow was a cat. That changed when, in his retirement, a stray cat (aptly named Cat by Lloyd) moved into the shop and followed him around. Lloyd decided that Cat was more like a dog than a cat, so he was allowed to stay.
Though Lloyd and Edna worked hard, they made time for events at the Hayland and then Siglunes Hall. They were central in helping with the annual Siglunes Picnic and various bonspiels, dinner dances and 4-H Christmas parties. They both truly enjoyed these family events where the whole community would gather.
He did not consider himself an avid hunter, but Lloyd was an accurate shot and would take hunters out on the farm every fall. Even though Lloyd never missed a shot, he also preferred to do the guiding and not the hunting, saying he grew up on venison and Canada goose and now could eat beef and turkey.
In their retirement, Lloyd and Edna travelled and made up for the countless hours working on the farm. Cruises and tours took them to Scandinavia, Europe, Alaska, the Panama Canal and both the East and West Coasts. Lloyd also toured the local auction circuit in his retirement, a pastime he very much enjoyed.
Though a quiet and humble man, Lloyd was known far and wide for his honesty, gentleness and work ethic. A celebration of his life will be held at the Siglunes Hall on Monday, May 4, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Lloyd Andrew Oliver Sandmoen 2020..
Décès pour la Ville: Carman, Province: Manitoba