My Uncle Albert...

Two days ago my Uncle Albert passed into eternity, leaving behind the encumbrances of this world, a diseased and worn body, but also leaving behind a wife and much family who I know will miss him dearly.

My visits with Uncle Albert have been few over the past 35 years, but my childhood is filled with memories of visits to his farm. I mostly remember my Uncle Albert with a twinkle in his eye, a ready grin and a quick teasing remark!

He was part of a way of life that began to die before he did. Farmers who not only farmed the land but lived on the land and raised their families in the farming community. And though that way of life hardly exists anymore, those farmers have left their mark on the Canadian prairies, both in the very physical landscape of the prairies and in the families they raised there.

This weekend as family and friends gather to honor and remember my Uncle Albert, my heart and prayers will be with them.