SOKVITNE, ANDREW “ANDY”, FORMERLY OF VULCAN, PASSED AWAY AT HIGH RIVER, ALBERTA JULY 13, 1993 AT THE AGE OF 88 YEARS.
ANDREW WAS BORN JANUARY 23, 1905 AT GRANVIN, NORWAY. HE CAME TO THE LOMOND AREA IN 1927 TO FARM WITH HIS BROTHERS. HE LATER PURCHASED HIS OWN FARM IN THE UNION JACK DISTRICT WHERE HE FARMED FOR TWENTY YEARS.
BEFORE ANDREW CAME TO CANADA HE PARTICIPATED IN CROSS-COUNTRY RACING AND JUMPING. DURING HIS SKIING CAREER IN CANADA, HE COMPETED AT CAMROSE, EDMONTON AND BANFF AND WON MANY RACES AND JUMPING COMPETITIONS. BETWEEN 1929 AND 1938 HE WAS IN THE BANFF WINTER CARNIVAL AND MANY OTHER SKI COMPETITIONS. ON ONE PARTICULAR OCCASION, HIS SKIING ABILITY CAME IN HANDY. IN THE WINTER OF 1948 HE WAS STRANDED IN VULCAN BY A BLIZZARD. THE NEXT DAY HE BORROWED A PAIR OF SKIS AND CROSS-COUNTRY SKIED HOME.
IN 1948 HE RETURNED TO NORWAY AND MARRIED ELISABETH KVALEM, THEY RETURNED TO THE FARM IN THE UNION JACK AREA. IN 1950 THEY MOVED TO VULCAN AND IN 1956 ANDREW PURCHASED LAND NEAR VULCAN. HE CONTINUED TO FARM UNTIL 1973. IN 1992 HE MOVED TO HIGH RIVER.
ANDREW WAS A PAST MEMBER OF THE SONS OF NORWAY AND VULCAN CURLING CLUB. HE WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE VULCAN DROP-IN CENTRE WHERE HIS TALENT AS A CARPENTER HELPED TO COMPLETE THE NEW FACILITY. HE ENJOYED REFINISHING AND BUILDING FURNITURE, FIXING ALMOST ANYTHING. HE ALSO HAD A GREAT LOVE FOR FISHING. HE WAS A QUIET, PROUD, GENTLE AND KIND MAN WHO LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY, ESPECIALLY HIS GRANDCHILDREN.
BELOVED FATHER OF A SON LLOYD AND HIS WIFE JANE AND THEIR CHILDREN INGA AND ELLEN OF TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA, TWO DAUGHTERS KATHY SOKVITNE AND ELEANOR (GORD) DECKER THEIR CHILDREN RYAN, KEVIN AND RACHEL, ALL OF HIGH RIVER, AND NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS IN CANADA, UNITED STATES AND NORWAY.
ANDREW WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS WIFE ELISABETH IN 1989, THREE SISTERS, NINE BROTHERS AND HIS PARENTS LARS AND SIGRID (nee LILLEGRAVEN).
FUNERAL SERVICE MONDAY, JULY 19, 1993 AT 1:30 P.M. AT VULCAN UNITED CHURCH WITH REV. ROBERT SLOCOMBE OFFICIATING. INTERMENT TO FOLLOW AT VULCAN CEMETERY.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, MEMORIAL TRIBUTES TO ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION, 1331 – 29 ST. N.W. CALGARY T2N 929 WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
VULCAN FUNERAL HOME, DIRECTORS. TELEPHONE 1-485-2633.