Man of family, church and friends mourned after death in accident

Church groups and community members in the area around Neuenlage, Sask., are banding together following the loss of a 41-year-old man admired for his volunteer spirit.

Pastor Darryl Neudorf described Brendan Unger as, above all, “a really excellent friend,” who was also a valued member of the congregation at the Neuenlage Grace Mennonite Church.

“I would describe Brendan as just a real humble guy who was very loyal to the church, to the Lord, to his family,” Neudorf said.

Unger, a father of four, died Friday after being trapped in a grain mixer at a business in the RM of Corman Park.

RCMP say officers from the Warman detachment — alongside members from the Osler Fire Department, Medavie Health Services and STARS Air Ambulance — were called just after 11:30 a.m. Crews were able to cut open the grain mixer, but Unger was too badly hurt to be revived.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neudorf said church members were helping Unger’s family with meals, and providing transportation and lodging to members of the extended family arriving in Saskatchewan to attend his funeral.

He said offers of food, help and support have come in at a rate where they’ve had to turn some down. A gofundme page set up to help Unger’s family had reached just over $20,000 on Monday.

“I think it’s therapeutic for the church community and the extended community — they want to know that they’re helping.”

Beyond his own church, Neudorf said other area church groups and people from the community had co-ordinated a plan to care for Unger’s cattle until the family is ready to decide how to proceed.

Neudorf said it was obviously especially difficult for Unger’s friends and family to have his death come so close to Christmas, but he said they were leaning on their faith to help them grieve.

Unger’s death remains under investigation by Warman RCMP and federal Occupational Health and Safety.

Neuenlage is about 40 km northeast of Saskatoon.