Obituaries

Howard George

July 12, 1926 – March 12, 2024 Storm-born on the neighbour’s kitchen table, Howard was the first of 5 children born to Nelson and Gladys Gowan. He lived his life on a ranch in the Swift Current Creek valley. A mixed grain and cattle rancher through some of the toughest and some of the lushest years. These drought years had him very worried for the future. Our dad used to ‘jump the creek barefoot’ at a time when there was ‘only dirt for the sheep to eat’. He herded cattle on horseback in the spring snows. The Great Depression left a great impression on him – he never threw anything away. He ran trap lines up the valley and drove his furs to upper New York state to get the better price. There were stories of the Gowan men and boys riding with the cattle in the railway cattle cars, standing all night all the way to Winnipeg. The war years cast a long shadow over everyone. He became a respected gunsmith and a medal-winning marksman. This was a passion he carried all of his life. He and his brother and 3 sisters were handsome/beautiful and accomplished performers – trick-roping and riding and handling pistols like the professionals they were. In the early 50’s they led the Swift Current Boys Band in the Calgary Stampede parade. Howard was proud of his affiliation with the Frontiersmen, many of whom remained his friends forever. Howard married a good woman, Madeleine (Murphy). She has stayed by his side, with an indomitable spirit, a big heart and a ready laugh, loved until the end. Howard was a self- taught machinist who could repair pretty much anything large or small. He was a fossil-hunter and lifelong collector of stone tools. He was a road tripper back and forth across Canada and into the US, always following the next big tool find. He was a voracious reader and had a curiosity for, and an opinion about, any topic. He was the master of the 5 - sentence story. Stories that might begin with the phrase ‘It was 4 o’clock when we got to Detroit…’. There have been many changes in the past 100 years and he would have told you about all of them, if you had time to listen. His life was hard. Up to the very end, he said he could not quit working because he had too much left to do. Howard is survived by his sister Shirley (Vital) and his sister Carmel. He is survived by Madeleine and his children Berniece, Norman (Margie) and Steven. He is predeceased by his sister Juanita (Sherry), his brother Joe (Laureen), his son Jerry and his daughter Fahey. He has 5 grandchildren, Joshua, Marguerite, Sage, Sloane and Santana. A good horse can take you a long way, and a pocketful of saskatoons and some fresh water are all you need for the ride. Travel well, Howard. A gathering for Howard will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2024 from 1:00 PM -3:00 PM at the First United Church Hall. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: Dorie’s House / Southwest Youth Emergency Shelter INC. (Southwest YES Inc.) P.O. Box 103 Swift Current, Saskatchewan, S9H 3V5 Online Donation – southwestyes.com , Charity # 815316377. Arrangements entrusted to Warren's Funeral Home. For further information please call 1-306-773-8831 or 1-800-267-6606, or visit the website www.warrensfuneralhome.com and express your sympathy to family members on the tribute wall.