HARRY THOMPSON WASHBURN, OF VULCAN, ALBERTA FORMERLY OF THE MOSSLEIGH AREA, PASSED AWAY JANUARY 12, 1999 AT THE AGE OF 87 YEARS.
HARRY WAS BORN MAY 22, 1911, AT WASHINGTON. INDIANA TO SEP AND SADIE (nee:NEAL) WASHBURN. HE ATTENDED SUNSET VALLEY SCHOOL NEAR MOSSLEIGH. HARRY BEGAN WORKING AT THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA IN ARROWWOOD WHERE HE BOARDED. FARMING BECAME HIS VOCATION BY CIRCUMSTANCE, OF HIS BROTHER’S UNTIMELY DEATH IN AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT, AND AS MOST THINGS IN HIS LIFE, HE GAVE IT HIS ALL.
ON AUGUST 6, 1940 HE MARRIED ROSEMARY REDFORD AT CARSELAND, ALBERTA. TOGETHER THEY FARMED SOUTH OF MOSSLEIGH ON THE LAND HIS FATHER HAD HOMESTEADED. IN 1990 HARRY AND ROSEMARY MOVED TO THE WHEAT COUNTY HOMES. THEN INTO EXTENDICARE IN 1994 WHERE HE HAS RESIDED SINCE.
HARRY WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP HIS NEIGHBORS AND HIS COMMUNITY, HE MAINTAINED AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN POLITICS AND SUPPORTED A NUMBER OF FARM ORGANIZATIONS AND WAS NOT SHY ABOUT PENNING HIS OPINIONS TO POLITICIANS AND PERIODICALS. MOST RECENTLY HE HAD AUTHORED A SERIES OF REPORTORIAL’S IN THE VULCAN ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS AT EXTENDICARE.
HARRY LOVED HIS FAMILY AND REMAINED INVOLVED IN THEIR ACTIVITIES. HE ENDOWED THEM BY HIS EXAMPLE OF ETHICS, PRINCIPALIS AND REPUTATION.
MUSIC WAS HIS PASSION, SAXOPHONE, FLUTE AND CLARINET WERE THE INSTRUMENTS OF CHOICE. HAVING INHERITED MUSICAL TALENT FROM BOTH OF HIS PARENTS, HE DEMONSTRATED HIS INTEREST AT AN EARLY AGE, SERENADING HIS SISTER AND THE FARM ANIMALS WHILE DOING HIS CHORES. A SOLOIST FOR THE CHURCH, HE WAS INVOLVED WITH NUMEROUS VULCAN CONCERT BANDS AND VARIOUS DANCE ORCHESTRAS. EXTENSIVELY TRANSCRIBING SHEET MUSIC, HE ALSO AUTHORED SOME OF HIS OWN MELODIES. HARRY AND ROSEMARY ENJOYED A GOOD BOARD GAME , WERE ACTIVE SQUARE DANCERS, TAKING IN MANY JAMBOREES AND DANCE COMPETITIONS, AROUND ALBERTA AND IN THE STATES.
HARRY WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED AS AN ATTENDEE AND PARTICIPANT OF THE MOSSLEIGH UNITED CHURCH. HE SERVED ON ITS BOARD OF STEWARDS FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS AND FREQUENTLY COULD BE FOUND AS PART OF A WORK PARTY IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILDING. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE ARROWWOOD FRIENDSHIP CLUB WHERE HE ENJOYED THE POTLUCK DINNERS, PLAYING CARDS, SHUFFLEBOARD AND BILLIARDS.
HARRY HAD MANY GOOD FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS INCLUDING THE THARLES, THE CHRISTIES, THE CAMPBELLS AND THE RUSNAKS.
BELOVED FATHER OF A DAUGHTER LOIS (HERB) HIRST OF MOSSLEIGH, A SON PHILIP (DIANE) OF NEWMARKET, ONTARIO, SISTER PHOEBE (EARLE) BERGQUIST OF WHITEROCK, B.C., SISTER-IN-LAW RUTH SHEWCHUCK OF CHILLIWACK, B.C. FIVE GRANDCHILDREN PEARLE HIRST OF CALGARY, MISTY HIRST OF VULCAN, NANNETTE HIRST OF CHAMPION, SUSAN HILL OF MADOC, ONTARIO , SEAN WASHBURN OF CALGARY, TEN GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, ONE NIECE GRACE BISSON OF VANCOUVER, B.C., THREE NEPHEWS NEAL WASHBURN OF CHILLIWACK, B.C., LARRY WASHBURN OF CALGARY AND BARRY WASHBURN OF VANCOUVER, B.C. ALSO SADLY MISSED BY COUSIN JOHN NEAL OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
HARRY WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS LOVING WIFE ROSEMARY IN 1997, A BROTHER NEAL IN 1945 AND HIS PARENTS.
FUNERAL SERVICE MONDAY JANUARY 18, 1999 AT 1:30 P.M. AT VULCAN UNITED CHURCH WITH REV. LORRAINE POWELL OFFICIATING.
INTERMENT VULCAN CEMETERY.
CASKET BEARERS WERE HERB HIRST, DANNY RUSNAK, GARRY THARLE, GERALD GREEN, CLARK CHRISTIE, BRUCE GATEMAN AND JOHN HOSZOUSKI.
IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE TRIBUTES IN HARRY’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO THE CANADIAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION #114, 1212-1 ST. S.E. CALGARY T2G OG8.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME. 485-2633.