Lee’s Obituary
The family of the late Lee Harper announce his passing at the Gateway Lodge, Canora, SK, on Monday, November 2, 2020, at the age of 100 years.
Lee was born on November 10, 1919, in Ozawkie, Kansas, USA, to Earl and Olive (Sylvester) Harper. From Ozawkie, Lee and his family moved to Fall City, Nebraska, USA and then to Hyas, SK, Canada, after Olive’s brother, Ray Sylvester, asked Earl to come and run the steam engine driving his sawmill. Olive cooked for the men in the mill. When they arrived at the Canadian border, they were required to leave their personal identification papers at the border. These papers were to be sent to them once they had a “fixed” address. However, later that very evening, the Canadian border post caught fire and all their papers were lost. Come spring, they could not go back to Nebraska without their papers, so they decided to permanently move into Hyas, SK.
In Hyas, Lee continued his education until grade eight and then the family purchased land in the Danbury district. Lee met Dorothy Pratt in Danbury and they married on December 31, 1936. They farmed in the Danbury area until December 16, 1942, when Lee joined the army.
On their farm, they first welcomed Thelma on January 14, 1937 and were blessed with identical twin boys, Jerry and Terry, on August 21, 1938. The family then moved to Prince Albert, SK, where Lee received his military basic training. To receive non-commission officers training, Lee was then sent to Vernon, BC and returned to Prince Albert as a Drill Sergeant. One year later, Lee resigned his rank and volunteered to go over seas. He was assigned to the Lake Superior regiment in Belgium and was made a Corporal in charge of half-tracks and a squad of twelve men. He took part in the liberation of Belgium, Holland, and Germany. After the war, Lee returned to farming and raised purebred Hereford cattle. On January 21, 1948, Lee and Dorothy’s youngest son, Ronald, was born. Lee semi-retired in the fall of 1967. That year, Lee and Dorothy bought a truck and camper and travelled throughout the southern parts of the USA. For the following 30 years, they took many winter vacations, meeting many people and making lifetime friendships. In 1978, they built their home in Sturgis, SK, and moved off the farm. As they aged, they sold their house in Sturgis and moved into senior living housing in Canora, SK. Dorothy passed away on June 4, 2012. In time, Lee became a resident of the Canora Gateway Lodge, where he celebrated his hundredth birthday and his sixty-five years of sobriety.
Lee was a proud veteran and was always known for his sense of wit and humour. He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Lee was predeceased by his parents, Earl and Olive Harper; his wife, Dorothy; sister, Clara; daughter, Thelma; son, Terry; two daughters-in-law, Norma and Carol; and his granddaughter, Amron.
He is survived by two of his sons, Jerry (Ruth) and Ronald; his son-in-law, Nick Nekuliak; ten grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; and thirteen great-great grandchildren.
A Private Celebration of Life Service will be held from the Chapel of Leson’s Funeral Home with Rev. Miles Russell officiating. Interment will follow in the Norquay Community Cemetery, north of Norquay, SK. Those wishing to make expressions of sympathy may make donations to the Royal Canadian Legion – Local Branch of Choice, as tokens of remembrance, in memory of Lee Harper.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Lee Harper 2020..
Death notice for the town of: Canora, Province: Saskatchewan