Harold George Sim

Harold George Sim: Harold passed away peacefully at the Dr. Hemstock Residence in Lloydminster on September 20,2023 at the age of 92. Harold was born to George & Lena (nee Freyman) on February 2, 1931 at NW 12-54-26 W3rd. Harold was loved dearly by his wife; Norma Sim, her family: Daniel Spence, Johnny Lee & Taras Futerko. Donald Spence (Allyson) Logan & Morgan. Kenneth Spence (Marlene) Colin (Erin), Charlotte & Bennett, Stephanie (Brock) Bargen, Aileoma, Gage & Emilia, Sarah & Ian. Margaret (Kevin) Meagher, Ryan (Michelle) Adeline & James, Kimberly, Bailey (Connor) Creech, Rhett & Emily. William Spence (Lisa) Dalton & Alex. Sister, Juanita Williams, sisters in law, Margaret Sim, Ruth Gibbs, Joyce Hougham, Mary Moser and Betty June Mills. Harold was predeceased by his loving wife Norma, step-son Daniel (Dan) Spence, parents George & Lena and his brother Elliott Sim. Our family extends a heartfelt thank you to Dr du Plooy for his professionalism and unwavering care over the past 30 years, and especially the past several years as Harold’s heath declined. We would also like to pass on our appreciation for the care provided by the Dr Hemstock staff, Lloydminster Home Care and to Brenda Mclean, Marge Krykowski, and Ma Lena Painaga, for making his last days comfortable. Harold appreciated your care and humor. A celebration of Harold’s life will be held Friday September 22nd ,2023 at 2:00 PM CST at All Saints Anglican Church, Fort Pitt, Saskatchewan. Family and friends are welcome to join the service and graveside service. The service will be aired on 103.5 FM within 1 KM of the church. The service will also be live streamed and posted on the McCaw Funeral Service website under Harold’s obituary at the time of the service. Please be advised that the finalized recording will be posted on our website 2 weeks after the Celebration of Life. Donations in memory of Harold may be made to The All Saints Church Fort Pitt Cemetery. Eulogy Good afternoon, I am Bill Spence and the youngest of the Spence children and am honored to share a few words about our father Harold Sim today. Harold was born on February 2, 1931, on his Grandfathers Homestead to George and Lena Sim. Harold is the oldest child, and big brother to his sister Juanita Williams and brother Elliott Sim. Being raised in the 30/40’s Harold was very active around the farm and found himself helping his dad and Uncle Charlie. Harold started school in 1937, along with Sabra Steele, Helena Cooper, and Grant Baldwin. In his second year he started to ride to school on his horse Silver, and continued to ride to school with Elliott once he started school. About 1950, Harold along with Grant Baldwin, Fatty Slater, Dick Harris, Norman Gadsby, Bill & Norman Moser, Bertie Mills, and Elliott Sim decided to take up rodeoing, I can only imagine the fun and hell that crew would have had. Harold’s first rodeo was in Manville where he won 1st place in bareback, winning a whopping $30!. Brother Donny had a buckle made up to recognize his championship only a few years ago. He was always quite proud of that accomplishment. The wild crew of cowboys would travel the circuit taking in rodeos in Jackfish, Meadow Lake, & Onion Lake. Not sure how they all did, but I bet they all had a great time and memories that lasted forever. Their next adventure took Harold to BC to work along with the likes of Ervin Harland, Fatty Slater, and Bert Mills. They performed jobs such as building a hotel, working on a pipeline, and piling lumber. The fall of 1959 Harold returned home to help with the fall harvest, when his father became ill. Harold’s father passed away in 1962, and Harold and Elliott took over the farm at that point. Harold and his mother built a new home on the existing farm site where he lived until the past year. On August 23rd, 1975, Harold married our mother Norma Sim, and forever changed our lives and well as his. I’m not sure if the 44-year-old bachelor knew what he was getting himself into by raising 5 children. As kids growing up on the farm, we were quickly immersed in farm life, doing chores and being around horses & cattle. We became involved in the Light horse club, where Harold and Mom played an integral part, we attended shows throughout the Northwest. If there was one thing Grampa liked it was his horses, and between him and mom they always had to look their best when we showed. Memories of growing up as a family on the farm were the annual cattle drives to Bronson Lake, branding, and harvesting with Uncle Elliot and the Sim Cousins. Many laughs were had over lunch in the field while silaging. Between him and Uncle Elliott the nights seemed to run late if they knew Dwayne and I had to get going somewhere for a social outing and the morning had to start slightly earlier than normal if they knew we had been out late the night before. As we all started to grow up and have children of our own, you could see Harold settle into his role of not only a father, but as a grandfather. Harold was now known as simply Grampa, a name that we have all called him for the past 35 years. To all our kids they didn’t know anything different, they all became a very special place in his life. As you can see in the slide show, the bulk of the pictures are either of him with the grandchildren or him having a birthday or anniversary cake. Here are a few memories of Grampa through our eyes: Leroy (Donny) remembers when he was 12 in 1970 coming to Fort Pitt to work weekends at Grampa’s. After a few months they went to Cochin and Grampa bought him a Palomino mare for $400, where he had to work it off at $4/day. Grampa also bought him his first saddle for $125 from Alex Flint in St Walburg (by the way Leroy, Grampa said you still owe him about 50 days’ worth of work @ that $4/day rate). Leroy joined the 4-H Lighthorse with his new mare Chance and by his accounts did really well. In 1972, he says he was the high point champ at the only gymkhana that Fort Pitt had, he still has that trophy by his bed at home. He also recalls Grampa winning the Bareback Wrestling championship that day, Leroy remembers that no one could get Grampa off his horse. Between the two of them they raised 3-4 colts off Chance, Grampa knew that she was a good horse the first time he saw her. Years later Leroy’s started his own team sorting on his place in Harlan. Grampa attended every week, and at the age of 80 kicked everyone ass. All of us as kids, and Grandkids are now proud owners of a trophy buckle that he had won. Our last ride together was in 2022 in the Frenchman Butte Parade when he was 91 years old. He was so proud to have all of his children on horses and the grandchildren following on the flatbed. Till we Ride Again Grampa! Maggie writes: It is very hard to sum up a man’s importance in a person’s life in a short paragraph. When moving to the farm as a young girl of 13 it must have felt like a dream, Horses and open fields to ride in. My very first buckskin pony called Big Enough, named after my favorite uncle Bill’s own buckskin also named Big Enough was a treasure. For hours and hours, we would ride through the fields and jump the downed trees making our own cross-country course. We all joined 4-H Light Horse, we would bathe the horses for a day, and then Grampa would make 3-4 trips with horses in the grain truck with the stock racks to the show. We would show in Western Halter, Mare & Foal, Yearling, whatever we had that year. He was very proud of his Quarter Horses. When Kevin & I got engaged the first question was if Grampa would drive me to the church in the buggy. (Kevin still gets bugged that he tried reining the horse and clipped a vehicle leaving the church!). In 2017 Grampa was able to watch me compete in cutting at the Calgary Stampede at the age of 86, he had only been to the Stampede once before in 1945 at the age of 14, they had taken the train and camped along the river. Grampa always loved having the grandchildren come and help do chores or help with branding or cattle drives. Even up to the end Grampa was able to recall a
nd tell stories that I had forgotten, he still laughs about Ryan and “The Smoke” story. We were very lucky back in 1975 when he made us a family, and he had a chance to meet his Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. I know we will always have plenty of stories to tell them. When it comes to my memories of Grampa, I was very fortunate to have had him as a father since I was 5, and the stability and support that was provided allowed me to become the person that I am today. I didn’t realize that importance he played in my life until I had children of my own and realized how difficult it was to have a group of children thrust on you in your mid 40’s. To me the lyrics from the song “He Didn’t Have to Be” by Brad Paisley ring so true for me: “How we went from something missing to a family Looking back, all I can say about all the things he did for me Is, I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be” I remember coming back to Lloyd one evening after a family gathering at the farm and Alex who was about 9 had this puzzled look as we drove past Alcurve, and we asked her what was up, in a nervous voice she goes I have question, we have a Gramma and Grampa McEwen and mom your last name is McEwen, but we have Gramma & Grandpa Sim, but dads last name is Spence? We had a big laugh and had to explain the situation, but in their eyes, there was no difference he was their Grampa! As much as Grampa was proud of his family, he was proud to call Fort Pitt home, and was disappointed when he had to leave for the Dr. Hemstock Residence in the summer of 2022. For close to 92 years, he was able to call this community home. When preparing for the funeral he was so happy that he and mom were both going to be laid to rest only 3 miles from where they were born. I often used the line that most people got further up a tree than my parents got from home. When Alex was playing in Edmonton a couple years ago, we kidnapped Grampa and took him to the city to watch the games and stay in the hotel. The Saturday night when we were leaving the Oilers were hosting the Flames and I took him down by the Rogers arena to show him how massive the arena was in person. He then told me the last time he was in Edmonton was over 25 years ago. Again, it wasn’t about the big town, Fort Pitt was his home and we often bugged him if he left for too long it might blow away. The last 3-4 years as Grampa had health issues, he was able to stay at our home and often referred it to as Hotel Spence, Lisa was a great host and caregiver, he was always so grateful for the support he received from his family, and I simply replied it was our turn to help him like he helped all of us! What I enjoyed the most was the fact that we could have him at our home and watch his relationship grow with my children, so much so that Alex and him having matching tattoos, & Dalton is an urban cowboy and is thrilled to wear his boots, cowboy hat and the belt buckle that Leroy talked about earlier. In closing you always think you know what you have but are not sure until it is gone, with Grampa’s passing we have received many messages and notes of condolences, and there has been one consistent theme. As friends, family and support staff all speak of Grampa they all say what a kind, & gentle man he was, and how much he loved his family. As a family I only hope he knows how much we love him! Also, I want to say thank you to the following: • Dr du Plooy: who cared for Grampa for the past 30 years and was so professional and caring through those years, especially through the past several years as he battled cancer and the issues with his throat. • The staff at Dr Hemstock and Lloydminster Home Care, he was so lucky to have them care for him over his past year in Lloydminster. • To Brenda, Marge and Ma Lena who provided such loving care that you would only expect from a family member. He may not have loved the process and what was happening but cherished the time spent with each of these amazing ladies, and from our family we cannot say enough of how appreciative we are for their time with Grampa. • McCaw Funeral Home staff for their professionalism, sensitivity, and thoroughness • Lastly to the community of Fort Pitt, who Grampa called home for over 90 years, you each hold a special place in his and our hearts. Until we meet again, we love you Dad, and Grampa!