LAROSE- On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Orin C. LaRose beloved husband of Denice LaRose, Windthorst, Sask., passed away at the age of 71 years. A public graveside service will be held in the Windthorst Cemetery, Windthorst, Sask., on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. Pastor Ivy Veysey officiating. A lunch will be held following the service in the Windthorst Community Centre. Orin was predeceased by his parents Roy and Ella LaRose, two brothers, one in infancy and Mac LaRose, three sister: Jan (Stan) Doucette, Audrey (Lloyd) Bodinisky and Frances Spearing. Orin is survived by his loving wife Denice, one son, Jeff (Michelle) LaRose and their family Shelby, Levi and Tara-Lee, Windthorst, one daughter, Lisa (Roger) Junek and their family, Jordan and Kendall, Esterhazy, Sask., one sister Adrienne (Charlie) Czeto, Kelowna, B.C., two sisters-in-law: Ethel LaRose, Stoughton, Sask., and Alwyne (Elmer) Carleton, Swift Current and one brother-in-law, Dale Spearing, Saskatoon also his nieces and nephews.

O.C. La Rose was born and raised in the Buffalo Plains District. As a young man he farmed there with his father and brother. He met Denice Geary when she came to work in the hospital lab in Kipling. They were married in 1959 and moved to Swift Current where Dad worked first for Standard Motors, then Hamm Motors as a mechanic. During this time he also took a diesel mechanics course. In 1960 they came home to Windthorst and full time farming, raising cattle and growing grain. Dad also worked one winter at CCIL in Kipling setting up machinery. 1981 was the last year for the cattle, but, was the beginning of Small Motor Service - a farm shop specializing in small engine sales and service. At the age of 50, Dad went back to school at SIAST in Moose Jaw to complete his Journeyman in automotive mechanics. Small Motor Service then became an automotive repair shop as well. Through all these changes, Dad continued his grain farming and still wanted to seed the crop this spring.

Dad took great pride in his crops. He never slept in and was in the field early. He liked driving around checking crops and by the time he came home, the dash of the truck would be covered in picked “samples”. Plants not yet headed out would be carefully slit open with his knife (the same knife used to take slivers out of fingers too!) and the developing head examined. Flax bols were opened and the seeds carefully counted. Harvest was Dad’s favorite time of the year. His “gotta give ‘er all night if we have to” attitude saw us through many late nights of combining. The family flax burning after harvest was an annual event.

He was proud of his cattle; running a cow/calf operation and a feedlot for finishing steers. At one point Dad’s finished steers topped the sales market in Regina. In calving emergencies, Dad was somebody that the neighbors called. He told Lisa just a few years ago that it had been a while, but, if he had to, he could still safely deliver a backwards, upside down calf. Dad always did his own chores, except for one time when he was sick and had Ken Dew come over to chore for him. Just a couple weeks ago Dad told me that he would give anything to be out shoveling grain and forking bales again.

We always had a cat or two, or three, or 20 on the place. When we were little kids, Dad would hunt out the kittens in the barn and bring them to us in the pockets of his coveralls. Dad loved cats and cows. He wasn’t much for dogs, horses, chickens, or pigs.

Dad’s ability as a mechanic started out at an early age. As a boy, at harvest time just for the heck of it, he would see how much he could take apart of a Ford tractor and get back together before the 20 bushel hopper filled and he had to be there to catch it………… He made it most of time! Dad was game to fix anything - nothing was impossible, even a peanut butter maker once! The only thing that Dad couldn’t fix was a TV, and he shot it in the pasture! If he couldn’t get parts, he found a way to make them. He was also a very good welder. Dad was honest and he was a perfectionist. Things had to be fixed just right. If you had to tear something apart and start over again, that was what you did. Dad passed his knowledge on to me and to other young men through years of teaching 4-H mechanics. Dad was proud to graduate with his Journeyman in automotive mechanics at the age of 50. When he first went back to school he was worried that he wouldn’t fit in with all the young guys. The class soon noticed as Dad would say, “that the old guy knows what he’s doing”. Dad wouldn’t go to the bar with them, but, some of the young guys hung out with Dad anyways - even coming home with him for meals. You see, Dad was the only one in the class that moved out and brought a cook with him! One night Dad and I drove Jimmy Marton’s tow truck all the way to Kenaston to rescue Michelle and Lisa when Lisa’s car blew the rad and CAA wouldn’t come. Dad was reliable, CAA was not.

Dad was always very particular about how things were done. Field lunches were always set up in just the right amount of shade, out of the wind, but, with just the right amount of breeze to keep the bugs down. Mom remembers setting out the lawn chairs and the meal and having Tom say to her, “You know he’s going to make you move this somewhere else”. Lisa even read the eulogy to him yesterday just to make sure we got it “just right”. I’m pretty sure Dad was glad we had viewing last evening. About viewing, Dad always said, “If you don’t go and look, how do you know it’s the right guy!”.

Many weekends were spent at Kenosee Lake. Dad loved boating, taking everybody waterskiing in the mornings and evenings - afternoons were too hot, they were ment for snoozing in the shade. He liked potluck suppers with the neighbors, going for brunch, and smorgs. The Polynesian smorg at Kenosee Gardens was a favorite - something about the grass skirts the waitresses wore I think…………. On Sunday mornings Dad made the pancakes. He always said they had to rise a bit before you cooked them and sometimes they rose right over the bowl!

Dad could be “up to no good” as he would say and a prankster. One night Dad and Jeff were packing the car for an early start to spend Christmas with me in northern Alberta. Mom had already gone to bed, but, Dad figured since they were all packed, they might as well hit the road. He woke mom up, told her a big line about a BIG storm coming, that if we don’t leave now, we’ll never get out of here! Dad’s nickname for mom was Khomani - he used to say that mom was the dictator and we were all the hostages! Dad had lots of stories too…………. There was once when him and a friend borrowed his brother Mac’s jeep for the night and drove it up the steps of a dancehall only to find out that it wouldn’t fit through the doors! Also the time that Dad and this same friend (I think) were going north of Windthorst on a sleigh trail with Dad’s one ton truck. They slipped off the sleigh trail and got stuck. They walked back to the nearest farmyard, harnessed and borrowed the team to pull the truck out, then took the team back and left them harnessed in the alleyway of the barn for the owner to find the next morning - all ready to go! Once Dad and his buddies put a bunch of money together and went to a neighboring town to a box lunch auction. Box lunches were being auctioned and the winning bidder got to eat lunch with the girl who made it. Dad and his friends out bid all the local fella’s so they could eat with these girls.

Mom could be sneaky too - Dad didn’t allow onions in any of the cooking, but, mom always cheated and used onion powder! Dad always said the food tasted fine.

Dad liked to tell stories of the “homestead days” - one in particular about flipping their plates over at the end of the meal and eating their pie on the other side. Occasionally, during family meals, Dad would flip his plate over, Jeff and I would follow suit, and mom would have a fit - something about this just not being good manners! Sometimes I do this with my family now. My kids think it’s hilarious and it’s my husband who has a fit!

Dad always picked bouquets of crocus and lady slippers for mom. You knew it was spring for sure when the bowl of “crokies” as Dad called them appeared on the table.

Whenever a thunderstorm was looming Dad has us all organized like a SWAT team to get all the vehicles under cover before the hail. Once though, in spite of all this, the grain truck was left out with a brand new box on it in a storm. No hail damage, but, a grain bin did end up on top of it and smashed both. For some reason, there was always a big panic to get the lawn mowed before the rain started. I can still see Dad out there with the lawnmower, mowing grass with the lightening flashing and the rain beginning. If the power went out, we still had a hot meal - Dad would heat a pot of soup over in the shop with the acetylene torch! After the storm passed Dad would always say, “I gotta phone up Hanusich and see how much rain we got down south”.

Dad was always proud of his family roots in Missouri. He had hoped to get well enough to travel there one more time to visit the kinfolk.

He enjoyed traveling, but, as we know always wanted to be the one to drive!

Dad loved old time dancing and music. He liked Kitty Wells so much that he even had a truck named “Miss Kitty”.

Church was important to Dad. He was very active in the Windthorst United Church with the boards of Session and Stewards. He held the offices of Chairman, Secretary/Treasurer, and Master Usher. Church attendance was important and I remember many discussions in the 7 1/2 mile drive home regarding just what did we learn from the sermon.

The grandchildren were very special to Grandpa. He always teased Kendall about her “curly top” hair. In the last days, he hoped after chemo to have her dark curls. Grandpa always wanted to give the kids nicknames. Shelby, the oldest was “Mutt”, Levi was “Jiggers” and Tara-Lee was “Sister”. When Jordan was born, her parents said there would be no nicknames, no calling her Jordie, that her name was Jordan. When Kendall was born, guess what!, we call her “the little sod”. Grandpa loved the grandchildren and at Christmas always wanted to buy them something just from him - usually something small, fun, and noisy!!! Grandpa was a proud supporter of the kids; giving Shelby rides to dance class, attending skating carnivals, and going to recitals. He loved them dearly and also had room in his heart for Marleen and Quentin that I hosted from Europe, becoming their Canadian Grandpa.

Dad was called to Heaven in the early morning hours of March 29, 2008. From Dad we learned a strong work ethic - to do a job well or not do it at all. We learned the importance of honesty, striving for perfection, going to Church, and helping out your neighbors and community. To us Dad was invincible, a tower of strength. In his honour, we shall carry on.

Thank you all for coming and giving support to our family and to each other.