Obituary of Russell Edward Carnduff

CARNDUFF - Russell Edward Carnduff was born May 9, 1925 in Carnduff, Sask. He was the second child born to William Edward and Stella Mae (Wilson) Carnduff. Russell completed public school to Grade 6 in Carnduff then during the Depression his family moved to Nut Mountain, Sask. His father built a private grain elevator and feed mill, maintained a John Deere and Mercury Auto dealership and repair shop. Russell followed in his father's entrepreneurial steps. He looked after the horses taken in for trade and at age 14 raised 20 piglets and sold them as Grade A Hogs. He had $400 in his account, quite a lot of money in those years. At age 15 Russell took his trunk and the train to Winnipeg to enroll at Saint John's College. He spent two years there and was part of the hockey team that won the Manitoba Provincial High School Championship. With his mother's permission, at age 17 Russell joined the RCNUR at HMCS Queen Regina for basic training. Later he was transferred to HMCS Cornwallis in Nova Scotia for gunnery training and volunteered for DEMS as a gunner on merchant ships for convoy duty. The first ship he was transferred to was the SS Yoho Park which sailed to St Pedro, Calif and then 30 days later to New Zealand. While there Russell had a ruptured appendix and was left in Fiji for surgery. He recuperated in the New Zealand Navy Barracks and waited for another Canadian ship. He sailed on the SS Seacliffe Park from New Zealand through the Panama Canal to New York Harbour to join a convoy of 92 ships sailing to England. After unloading their cargo they took a full ship of silicon sand for ballast and delivered it to Ocean Falls, BC for use in paper and tooth paste production. He returned home to Canada on the HMCS Givenchy in 1945 at Vancouver for discharge after a year at sea. In 1949 Russell and his father decided to move to Yorkton and open a Mercury dealership. They bought an Esso Service Station at the corner of First and Broadway and built a new building. They struggled at first but managed to survive and twenty-five years later they were awarded a full-line Ford Dealership and built a new building at Broadway and 6th. He was successful and the business grew. Russ loved the business and prided himself on giving good service and making friends of many of his customers. When he was 60 he retired and sold the business now known as Royal Ford to Terry Ortynsky. In 1951 he married Shirley Wolfe and the couple lived above the dealership. In 1952 they welcomed a daughter Brenda. A son Craig arrived in 1954 and the family moved to a home on Betts Avenue. Later they built a home on 6th Avenue and lived there for many years. Russell worked hard over the years but found time for many interests. He belonged to the Kiwanis Club, Wildlife Club, Canadian Legion and spent a number of years on Ford Dealer Council. He loved to fish, hunt, snowmobile, curl and golf. The family spent summers at Good Spirit Lake and Madge Lake and in later years Russ and Shirley owned a home in Arizona where they enjoyed spending time with other snowbird friends. In 1998 Russell suffered a major stroke. He survived and with hard work and the help of a skilled therapist, Sheldon Revoy, and his caregiver Jeff Niebergall he was able to recover mobility. Shirley cared for him in the family home until 2010 when her health started to fail. He then moved to the Yorkton Nursing Home. Russell was a gregarious fun loving and generous man. He was a great story teller and had many tales of the war and his years in business. He cherished his friends and family and had a full life. Russell was predeceased by his parents Ed and Stella (Wilson) Carnduff, sisters Betty Neal, Doris Trealeaven and Audrey Etchison. He will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by his daughter Brenda; son Craig (Karen); grandchildren: Gage and Samantha, brother Ross Carnduff of Nanaimo, many nieces and nephews, cousins and numerous close friends. Special thanks to the staff at Malinowski House, Yorkton Nursing Home and caregiver and friend Jeff Niebergall. The funeral service was held on Thursday, December 17, 2015 from the Yorkton Memorial Gardens Family Centre with Rev. Jen Dresser of St. Andrew's United Church officiating. Jeff Niebergall gave the eulogy. Organist, Shani Apland led the congregation in the singing of the hymns 'Church in the Wildwood', 'Amazing Grace', and 'We Shall Go Out With Hope of Resurrection'. Members of the Royal Canadian Legion, General Alexander Ross branch #77 attended the service and performed the Legion Tribute Service. Honorary bearers were Bill and Peggy Dicker, Mary Laakso and Shirley DeBalinhard. The interment took place in the Garden of St. John with Kelly Edwards, Jeff Niebergall, Bernie Wlock, Gage Carnduff, John Wasylynka and Greg Apland serving as the casketbearers. Condolences can be left at baileysfuneralhome.com. Memorials were to the Salvation Army. Service Information Thursday, December 17th, 2015 2:00pm, Yorkton Memorial Gardens Family Centre Interment Details Yorkton Memorial Gardens