BEN HARDER

1925 - 2013

Bernhard Harder, beloved husband of Sarah Harder, passed away in Taber on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at the age of 88 years.
Relatives and friends were invited to meet with the family at the Southland Funeral Chapel, 5006 - 48 Avenue, Taber on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 between 7:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M.
The Funeral Service was held at the Evangelical Free Church, 5431 - 48 Avenue, Taber on Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Harry Unger officiating. Burial followed at the Taber Memorial Garden.
Besides his loving wife Sarah, Ben is survived by their six children, Katharina (Michael) Huntoon of East Moline, Illinois and her three children Nathaniel (Amy) Thiessen (children Isaac and Silas), Naomi (Matt) Baerg and Devon Thiessen; Helena (Ken) Reinke of Taber and their five children Andrew (Danealle) Reinke (son Gabriel), Jonathan (Stephanie) Reinke, Ilsa Reinke, Timothy Reinke and Heidi Reinke; Elizabeth (Wayne) Bailey of Alida, Saskatchewan and their four children Francine (Chad) McNabb (daughter Airadeia), Amanda Bailey, Danielle Bailey and Amy Bailey; David Harder of Manor, Saskatchewan and his daughter Margarete (Dennis) Lebouf (children Hailey and Cohen); Marian (James) Zachary of Strathmore and their five children Shaun (Eryn) Zachary (children Atlanta and Roman), Daniel Zachary, Kevin Zachary, Melody Zachary and Luke Zachary; Susan (Jim) Meier of Taber and their four children Ryan (Noelle) Meier (children Tate and Isabella), Travis (Mimi) Meier (children Carma and Dominick), Clinton Meier and Tianna Meier (Jeff Hudson). Ben is also survived by his sister Katherine Jackson of Red Deer, brother-in-law Jake Neufelt of Ninette, Manitoba and by numerous nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents Helena (nee Unger) and Henry Harder; sisters Helen Neufelt and Ann (Frank) Courchain; brothers John Harder, Henry (Murial) Harder and Ed Harder; grandson Jeffrey Thiessen.
Ben was born in Altona, Manitoba on May 3, 1925. At the age of fourteen, Ben helped support the family by working on neighbouring farms. During World War II, he worked on the Canadian Railway. Ben spent some time in British Columbia working in logging camps and in his later working years, was employed as a farm labourer in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Ben met Sarah Wiebe in 1950 and they were married November 18, 1951, having just celebrated their sixty second wedding anniversary this past November. They were blessed with six children, twenty three grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. Ben was a loving, caring husband, father and grandfather. He was a consciences hard working, jack of all trades. He was an inventive and adventurous man. Ben will be sadly missed but fondly remembered.
If friends so desire, memorial tributes in Ben’s name may be made directly to the CNIB, 410 Stafford Drive South, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 2L2.