HAROLD WOLFER

1919 - 2011

Harold Wolfer of Hays, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on Friday, April 15, 2011 at the age of 92 years.
The Funeral Service will be held at the Hays Civic Centre, Hays on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 2:00 P.M. A commital service will follow at the Hays Cemetery.
Harold is survived by his children Keith (Kathy) Wolfer, Gay Chervinski and Rodney Wolfer all of Hays; grandchildren Bryan (Marcie) Wolfer, Casey (Barry) Arnestad, Lynn (Randy) Adams, Jennifer (Spencer) Peterson, Robyn Chervinski (Clayton Saunders), Scarlet (Rob) Champagne, Riley Chervinski (Natasha Nassyrova) and Bret (Sheena) Wolfer; eleven and a half great grandchildren; one brother Allen (Pearl) Wolfer as well as his nieces, nephews, other family members and numerous friends.
He was predeceased by his loving wife Rose; parents Adam & Christine Wolfer; sister Marjorie McCue; brother Donald Wolfer; sister-in-law Mary Wolfer; brother-in-law Duncan McCue.
Harold, the oldest of four children, grew up in Burstal, Saskatchewan. He was an early entrepreneur and once made a skating rink and charged his friends a penny to skate on it. One time Harold road his horse from Burstal to Tilley. Harold played the saxophone in a band and this is how he met his future wife and the love of his life, Rose Leidal. He was conscripted into the army and went down east to take his training. Harold was being sent to Prince Rupert to serve, so on his leave, he and Rose were married in Medicine Hat. They settled in a small rental at Prince Rupert and in 1945 Keith James was born. After the war, their small family moved north of Alderson to the Wolfer family ranch, then later to Medicine Hat before finally settling near Hays to farm. Their daughter Gay Delaine was born in 1954 and a son Rodney Harold in 1957. In 1980, having sold the farm, Harold and Rose moved into the hamlet of Hays where they kept busy cleaning the school for many years. Harold loved sports and after he retired from playing baseball he could still be seen at the diamond with his sons, then his grandsons, enjoying the sport. Whether it be coaching, cheering or just watching, Harold was willing to drive or go along. Until Rose’s passing, Harold loved to go on gambling trips to Wendover or Las Vegas. He went every Thursday to Medicine Hat to the mall to shop, or mostly just to talk to “the old guys at the mall”. Harold loved to play cards and whenever a whist tournament was looming, he would always get everything ready and be anxiously waiting to go. He never wanted to be late, miss the morning snack at the tourney, forget to put his five dollars in for the fifty fifty tickets, or on the way home forget to tell us if we should have played a different card in hand number three, while the rest of us couldn’t remember what was played in the thirtieth hand, which was the last hand played. We also had to stop on the way home from the tournament to get ice cream cones. Harold could be tired but when his favorite people came over, his grandchildren or the home care workers, then all of a sudden he perked right up. He had many interesting stories to tell about his life and if you live for ninety two years, that is a lot of life to talk about.
If friends so desire, memorial tributes in Harold’s name may be made directly to the Hays Cemetery Fund, Box 22, Hays, Alberta T0K 1B0.