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Roger Toews Obituary
Dad was born on April 29, 1955, to Robert and Elma Toews in Reston, Manitoba. He was the second oldest of nine children. At the age of 16, Dad met the Lord and was baptized, starting a relationship with God that became central to his life. Although he completed 10 years of schooling, he believed that learning was a lifelong journey. This value he instilled deeply in his children.
Dad grew up farming and eventually started his own construction crew with his brothers and friends. He first met Mom when they were young, but it wasn’t until he was 31 that their love story began. They married on June 29, 1986, and lived in Sinclair for three years, where their first daughter, Katrina, was born. When opportunity arose, they moved to Fort Vermilion, Alberta.
In Fort Vermilion, Dad spent summers grain farming and winters hauling logs with his Hayes truck. During one of these winters, he needed radiator repairs but couldn’t find a nearby shop to do the work. In true Dad fashion, Dad repaired the radiator himself. He then found a rad shop in Edmonton where he could learn the trade. Upon returning home, he built the necessary equipment, opened his own radiator shop, and ran a successful side business.
After six years of log hauling, Dad decided to farm full time. He was tired of battling sleep and chewing rancid sunflower seeds to stay awake on long hauls. His long-term dream was to farm both cattle and grain. To make this dream a reality, he brought a herd of cattle from Manitoba, expanded it, and built a barn and corral system on the farm—structures that are still in use today.
As the rad shop grew, Dad realized he couldn’t manage both the radiator shop and farming, so he sold the business. Later another business idea was sparked, custom spraying. At the time, there was only one other high-clearance sprayer in the area. With the help of a friend, Dad built his own sprayer using a Ford gravel truck and a Spray-Air sprayer. This was used for many years, even after he did not continue to custom spray.
It was during this time that Sheryl, his second daughter, was born, completing the family. After the girls were a bit older people would comment, “Oh, you have just two girls in your family,” Dad would reply, “No, we have TWO girls—not just two girls. And the boys will come later.”
As we grew older, Dad fully involved us in farming. He taught us a lot, ensuring we were capable of operating every piece of equipment on the farm. His goal was to gradually hand over responsibilities so we could manage the work confidently. He was always tweaking systems and machinery to make the farming more efficient and manageable for us.
Dad enjoyed helping others and being there for them throughout the years. He enjoyed opening his home to friends and family. Dad cared deeply that his family had personal relationships with and knew the Lord. But he never pressured us to serve God; instead, he led by quiet and consistent example. Family harmony was a top priority, and after we married, Dad showed deep care and thoughtful concern for the health of our marriages. None knew and loved him more than his wife, his two daughters, their husbands, and his two grandchildren. Dad loved us well and treasured the years we spent farming together as a family and also farming with the boys.
Dad’s bucket list was endless. While he accomplished many of his dreams, he had so many more he hoped to achieve. One of his dreams was building a house for Mom and himself. He accomplished this in the last couple of years, challenging himself with doing a majority of the physical labour himself and making sure it was completed up to code.
Adventure was another cornerstone of Dad’s life. Before starting a family, he and Mom took several trips overseas, including one where they traveled by train and bus through Europe. Later, Dad would pack up the pickup camper and take us as a family on countless road trips across Canada, the southern U.S., and Alaska. We also had the privilege of going on two large overseas trips with him.
This fall, Dad and Mom embarked on another adventure: a cruise around South America. Dad was so enthused about the trip and spent weeks preparing for it. Shortly before they were set to fly home from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dad fell ill. During this event, we children flew to Argentina and spent a week there as a family. Looking back, we can only wonder if Dad knew that we would share one last extraordinary journey together.
Throughout his life, Dad cherished his relationships with family and friends. Special mention goes to Uncle John and Aunt Ruth, Jenn Toews, and the many nieces and nephews who stayed at our home over the years; and many more friends that could not all be mentioned. Dad connected with each of them in his own special way.
In his final days, people from all over the world stepped forward to off er care, support, and resources. To our neighbors, friends, family, Tyson and Sharlene -Argentine missionaries-, John and Ruth, we are forever grateful for your kindness, which we can never repay. We thank you.
Those left to cherish his life and memories are: wife- Marla Toews, daughter-Katrina and Craig Toews -grandchildren- Jasmine and Nixon, daughter-Sheryl and Christopher Bartel, all from Fort Vermilion, AB; all the brothers and sisters and brothers in law and sisters in law, nieces and nephews.
Dad was predeceased by his parents, parents in law, and one nephew.
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April 29 1955
December 26 2024
Death notice for the town of: Linden, Province: Alberta
death notice Roger Toews April 29 1955
December 26 2024
obituaries notice Roger Toews April 29 1955
December 26 2024
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Roger Toews April 29 1955
December 26 2024 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
