Obituary
Lester Bye Halmrast passed away peacefully at home on Friday, December 9, 2022, at the age of 94 years. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Florence; his daughters Valerie Halmrast and Dawn (Keith) Poch, six grandchildren; Brennin (Terri-Anne) Halmrast, Landon (Keisha) Halmrast, Tyson (Madison) Halmrast, Kelsi Rasmuson, Kennedy Poch and Kalli-Anne Poch, his seven great grandchildren; Bree-Anne, Torrin, Mason, Austin, Kinley, Harlow, Isla and his daughter-in-law Debra Halmrast. Sadly, he was predeceased by his son Rodney Halmrast on February 24, 2007.
Lester was born on September 7, 1928 in the farming community of Lucky Strike, AB, to Goldie (nee Bye) and Sigurd Halmrast. He was raised on a sheep farm in the Milk River, AB area. At the tender age of seven he lost his father following a tragic farming accident. He had two sisters, Gloria (Ernie) Merkler and Marilyn (Raymond) Rowland. He had three brothers; Lloyd (June) Halmrast, Wesley (Barb) Berg, Leland Berg. He was predeceased by his brother Lloyd.
After dad left Milk River, he worked mostly in trucking but his true interest was in the livestock field. In 1951, he worked sorting and grading cattle at the Lethbridge Stockyards. In 1955, he was hired by the Department of Agriculture as a Brand Inspector at the Lethbridge Stockyards. In the spring of 1961, he was transferred to Medicine Hat to oversee the area, including Walsh. He was the first full time Brand Inspector to be appointed in this area by the Department of Agriculture. After 12 years in Medicine Hat, he was transferred back to Lethbridge as the Government Livestock Investigation Supervisor for all Southern Alberta. He was also in charge of lost, strayed, and stolen cattle.
In his role of Government Livestock Investigation Supervisor, he worked closely with the RCMP Livestock Investigation Division. When he retired on June 15, 1987, he was presented with a plaque from the Minister of Agriculture for 32 years of service and another plaque from the RCMP for their appreciation of his more than 25 years of assistance and cooperation with the RCMP. He was very proud to receive this acknowledgment.
Dad was a self taught and skilled auctioneer. He started auctioning with Doug Davidson at the Medicine Hat Feeding Company in the mid 1960’s. Later, he also auctioned at the Medicine Hat Feeding Company with Doug Ellis, until he transferred to Lethbridge. After his retirement he returned to Medicine Hat and continued auctioning at Ellis Auction, alongside Rod and Doug Ellis. Cattle sales were dad’s favorite.
Dad married mom on March 15, 1954, in Cascade, Montana. Together, they worked hard, and raised Rodney, Valerie, and Dawn. They enjoyed years of camping, fishing, gardening, and bowling. Valerie and Dawn adored their dad and their most treasured memories are of the times spent with their dad horseback riding. Sadly, in 2007, Dad and Mom were predeceased by their son Rod. Dad enjoyed spending his retirement days with his son and he was looking forward to many more. The loss of his son was heartbreaking. Rod and Debra have three sons; Brennin, Landon, and Tyson, who are a beautiful legacy.
Dad was a grandfather of six wonderful Grandchildren. Brennin, Landon, Tyson, Kelsi, Kennedy, and Kalli-Anne. He was so proud of all of them.
His blessings continued and he became a Great Grandfather of seven; Bree-Anne, Torrin, Mason, Austin, Kinley, Harlow, and Isla.
Dad was an honest, quiet, hardworking man, and he deserved the success and the wonderful life and family he enjoyed. The pain of missing dad will be a beautiful reminder of the joy of loving him.
The poem below is a poem we came across today in dad’s personal affects. His own handwriting and author unknown:
Let cattle stomp the ground around.
Let coyotes wail their kin.
Let horses rub my tombstone down, but don’t fence me in.
And when I come to the end of the trail, where I and this life part,
you’ll find sagebrush in my hair and the cactus through my heart.
The family will honor Lester in a private Celebration of Life. In lieu of flowers, those who wish to remember Lester with a donation, may donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, SPCA or a charity of your choice.
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We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Lester Halmrast September 7 1928 December 9 2022 94 Years Old and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
Death notice for the town of: Medicine Hat, Province: Alberta