KRASMAN, ALBERT “CHUCK” , PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AT LITTLE BOW AUXILIARY HOSPITAL, CARMANGAY, ALBERTA APRIL 27, 1997 AT THE AGE OF 79 YEARS.
ALBERT WAS BORN AUGUST 7, 1917 TO MICHAEL AND HELENA KRASMAN, IMMIGRANTS FROM TALLINN, ESTONIA WHO HAD HOMESTEADED IN THE BIRDS HOME AREA, LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FOREMOST, ALBERTA. ALBERT WAS THE SECOND YOUNGEST OF SEVEN CHILDREN AND FROM BIRTH, FARMING BECAME A WAY OF LIFE. WHEN ALBERT WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD, THE FAMILY MOVED TO A FARM WEST OF BARONS WHERE ALBERT CONTINUED TO GROW UP IN THE FAMILY FARMING TRADITION.
IN 1935, THE KRASMAN FAMILY MOVED TO THE CHAMPION AREA AND RENTED A FARM ON THE STAVELY ROAD. ALBERT REMAINED ON THE FAMILY FARM UNTIL 1939 WHEN HE ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY AND WENT TO RED DEER TO TRAIN WITH THE ARMY. LATER THAT SAME YEAR, THE FAMILY AGAIN MOVED, THIS TIME TO INNISFAIL WHERE THE TRADITION OF FARMING CONTINUED. ALBERT ALSO LEARNED HOW TO MECHANIC WHILE WORKING IN THE WINTER MONTHS AT THE LOCAL JOHN DEERE DEALERSHIP.
WHILE AT INNISFAIL, ALBERT MET ELSIE BOYD AND AFTER SIX MONTHS ENGAGEMENT, ALBERT AND ELSIE WERE MARRIED ON NOVEMBER 14, 1943. THE CEREMONY TOOK PLACE IN CHAMPION AT THE UNITED CHURCH MANSE WITH SISTER LINDA AND BROTHER-IN-LAW DICK HOWE AS THEIR ATTENDANTS. ON OCTOBER 14, 1944, ALBERT AND ELSIE WERE BLESSED WITH THE BIRTH OF THEIR SON LESLIE. ALBERT PURCHASED A QUARTER SECTION NEAR BOWDEN IN WHICH HE TRIED HIS HAND AT MIXED FARMING. HOWEVER, THE MIXED FARMING DID NOT AGREE WITH ALBERT AND SOON MOVED HIS WIFE AND SON TO THE CHAMPION AREA, WHERE HE COULD BE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND REVERT BACK TO THE DRYLAND FARMING THAT HE LOVED.
ALBERT WAS SOON TO BE KNOWN AS “CHUCK”, A NICKNAME OF UNKNOWN ORIGINS BESTOWED BY HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW DICK HOWE. THE NAME CHUCK HAS REMAINED THE NAME THAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY CONTINUE TO KNOW AND LOVE HIM BY.
IN 1947, CHUCK PURCHASED A QUARTER OF LAND THAT TODAY REMAINS THE FAMILY FARM. THROUGH OUT THE YEARS, CHUCK CONTINUED TO ENJOY WORKING WITH THE LAND, HIS HANDS AND AS A RESULT VARIOUS BUILDINGS ON THE FARM WERE A RESULT OF CHUCK’S CONTINUED LABOURS. THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF THE 1930’S AND EARLY 1940’S WERE FUNDAMENTAL IN BROADENING CHUCK’S KNOWLEDGE AND ENJOYMENT OF WORKING WITH MACHINERY AS CHUCK FIXED AND REPAIRED ALL HIS OWN MACHINERY AND AT TIMES EVEN MODIFIED EXISTING EQUIPMENT INTO NEW PIECES SUITABLE FOR USE ON THE FARM. CHUCK CREATED A PULL TYPE SWATHER FROM THE TABLE OF A HOLT COMBINE AND A GARDEN TRACTOR FROM SPARE MODEL “T” AND CHEV PARTS.
AS CHUCK ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY AS AN ACTIVE PART OF THE FARMING COMMUNITY AND AS FRIENDSHIPS WERE RENEWED AND CONTINUED TO GROW, CHUCK BECAME A STUDENT OF MAC AND LEE BALDWIN AND WAS ABLE TO LEARN FROM THE BALDWIN BROTHERS THE IN’S AND OUTS OF THE ELECTRICAL TRADE. THEREFORE THE BUILDINGS ON THE FAMILY FARM WERE WIRED OVER THE YEARS WITH NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL OUTFITS INCLUDING A WIND CHARGING BATTERY SYSTEM, MOTOR DRIVEN GENERATOR SYSTEM AND FINALLY OUTFITTED FOR LINE POWER IN 1957.
OVER THE YEARS, CHUCK ONCE AGAIN TRIED HIS HAND AT MIXED FARMING AND
VARIOUS LIVESTOCK WAS RAISED ON THE FARM. HOWEVER, DUE TO LIMITED WELL WATER SUPPLY AND CHUCK ALWAYS SAID “THAT IF YOU WERE GOING TO STARVE TO DEATH, THAT YOU MIGHT AS WELL DO IT THE EASY WAY BY DRY LAND FARMING, RATHER THAN SHOVELING SHIT”. LIVESTOCK WAS NEVER A MAJOR PART OF FARM LIFE FOR CHUCK.
CHUCK ENJOYED COMMUNITY LIFE AND PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMUNITY AS TIME PERMITTED. CHUCK’S COMMUNITY SERVICE INCLUDED WORKING WITH THE HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION AND THE RURAL TELEPHONE COMPANY. CHUCK WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL MUSICAL GROUP KNOWN AS THE WESTERNAIRES IN WHICH HE PLAYED THE DRUMS. IN THE LATER YEARS OF HIS LIFE CHUCK BECAME A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION AND THE CHAMPION PIONEER CLUB.
CHUCK ENJOYED FAMILY INVOLVEMENT, GET TOGETHERS AND AS CHUCK WATCHED HIS SON GROW UP AND LATER HIS GRANDCHILDREN, THE FAMILY FARM ALSO BECAME A GATHERING SPOT FOR THE EXTENDED FAMILY. CHUCK SAW MANY NIECES, NEPHEWS AND THEIR CHILDREN GATHER ON THE FARM TO ROAM AND ENJOY THE FREEDOM AND SPACE OFFERED BY THE FARMING WAY OF LIFE. UPLAND BIRD HUNTING WAS A FAVOURITE SPORT OF CHUCK’S WHICH HE SHARED WITH MANY FAMILY MEMBERS. CHUCK WAS AN AVID READER AND LOVED TO TAKE A DIME/QUARTER FROM ANY ONE WHO DARED ON THE CRIB BOARD. CHUCK ALSO HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR AND LOVED TO TELL A JOKE.
FARMING WAS NOT JUST A WAY OF LIFE, BUT FOR CHUCK IT WAS LIFE. THROUGH OUT THE YEARS, THROUGH CHUCK’S TOIL AND HARD WORK A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE AND A PHILOSOPHY FOR THE FAMILY WAS EMBODIED BY CHUCK AND MAY BE SUMMED UP WITH “A JOB WELL DONE, IS DONE ONE’S SELF”.
EXCERPTS FROM THE FARMERS CREED EMBRACES CHUCK‘S BELIEFS AND WAY OF LIFE.
“I BELIEVE A MAN’S GREATEST POSSESSION IS HIS DIGNITY AND THAT NO CALLING BESTOWS THIS MORE THAN FARMING.
I BELIEVE THAT FARMING, DESPITE ITS HARDSHIPS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS, IS THE MOST HONEST AND HONOURABLE WAY A MAN CAN SPEND HIS TIME ON EARTH.
I BELIEVE TRUE HAPPINESS COMES FROM WATCHING OUR CROPS RIPEN IN THE FIELD, YOUR CHILDREN GROW TALL IN THE SUN, YOUR WHOLE FAMILY FEEL THE PRIDE THAT SPRINGS FROM THEIR SHARED EXPERIENCE.
I FEEL THAT BY MY TOIL I AM GIVING MORE TO THE WORLD THAN I AM TAKING FROM IT, AN HONOUR THAT DOES NOT COME TO ALL MEN.
I BELIEVE WHEN A MAN GROWS OLD AND SUMS UP HIS DAYS, HE SHOULD BE
ABLE TO STAND TALL AND FEEL PRIDE IN THE LIFE HE HAS LIVED.
I BELIEVE IN FARMING BECAUSE IT MAKES ALL THIS POSSIBLE.”
CHUCK WILL BE MISSED BY HIS LOVING WIFE OF 53 YEARS ELSIE KRASMAN, SON LES AND HIS WIFE KATHY ALL OF CHAMPION, A GRAND-DAUGHTER KIM OF COQUITLAM, B.C., A BROTHER JOHN (LUCILLE) KRASMAN OF CALGARY, A SISTER LEONA VIGGARS OF VANCOUVER, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
CHUCK WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS FATHER MICHAEL, MOTHER HELENA, TWO BROTHERS ROBERT AND HIS WIFE PEGGY AND RUDOLF, TWO SISTERS AND THEIR HUSBANDS LINDA (DICK) HOWE AND LENA (DAVE) KASK, AN INFANT DAUGHTER ELSIE, A GRANDSON KENT AND A BROTHER—IN-LAW TOM VIGGARS.
FUNERAL SERVICE THURSDAY MAY 1, 1997 AT 2 P.M. AT CHAMPION UNITED CHURCH WITH REV. DON WATT AND FRANK JOHNSON L.M. OFFICIATING.
INTERMENT CHAMPION CEMETERY.
HONOUR GUARD BY MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH #262.
HONOURY BEARERS KEN BJORNSON, BOB HEALY, REUBAN SCHAUFLE, THEODORE HOLM, FRANK GRIFFIN AND RALPH ERDMAN.
CASKET BEARERS LARRY KRASMAN, DAVID KRASMAN, MIKE KRASMAN, STAN HOWE, EARL PURCELL AND JIM BALDWIN.
IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE, MEMORIAL TRIBUTES IN CHUCK’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE DIRECTLY TO EITHER THE CHAMPION CEMETERY MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATION BOX 214, CHAMPION, T0L 0R0, ALBERTA LUNG ASSOCIATION BOX 4500 STN. “S”, EDMONTON T6E 9Z2 OR ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION 1331-29 ST., N.W. CALGARY, T2N 4N2.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME.