Obituary for Rudy Edel
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Rudolph (Rudy) Edel passed away on Monday, February 17, 2020, in Moose Jaw, SK, three days after his 91st birthday.
Rudy was born on February 14, 1929, at Melville, SK. He was the 9th of 13 children of Reinholt and Katherine Edel. Rudy attended Grainfields School in Shevlin, MB.
Rudy moved to Melville in the 1950s, where he worked for the Co-op Creamery. At that time, his parents had already passed away, and he lived with his sister Winnie and her husband, Jerry. Rudy met the love of his life on the farm of his sister Margaret and her husband, Bill. He was helping Bill shingle the roof, and when Rudy saw Elaine coming up the walk, he thought to himself, ‘that’s something I’ve just got to have!’, and he jumped off the roof to meet her. On May 6, 1967, he married Elaine Adelle Wolchuk, and they were blessed with a wonderful daughter, Kim, in 1972. Before getting married, Rudy built the family home on 10th Avenue West and remained there until 2008 when they moved to a condo in Caronport, SK, to be closer to their daughter and her husband, Brad. Rudy and Elaine both took pride in their home and beautiful yard and were often working on another project. Rudy was also Elaine’s sidekick in the kitchen, helping her make perogies, cabbage rolls and Christmas goodies, serving as the cabbage roll taste tester on every new batch.
Rudy’s life was wonderful and full but not always easy. In 2008, he fought both prostate cancer and had seven bypasses in his heart. He also was very upset when his daughter, Kim, became ill with lymphoma and pneumonia; this was the reason for moving to Caronport. Family was always very important to Rudy, and he thought of Elaine and Kim first before himself so very many times. Rudy grew up very simply, eating mostly potatoes, porridge and cabbage. It helped him to be hardy, strong and to always be grateful for whatever he had. He was often overwhelmed by the wonderful blessings he had in his life and wished his parents could have lived to see him as such a success. Rudy remained a gentle, kind man throughout his life. And he even continued to love those simple foods in his old age!
Rudy loved building things and finding something new to learn. As a boy, he built himself an office behind the house, and he did fingerprinting lessons and radio mechanics classes there. Rudy adored his brothers and sisters and would tell stories of their adventures, including one of playing cowboys with real guns and bullets! He would walk to school and pick rocks for money so he could indulge his real passion, music.
Rudy loved music, playing guitar in a band as a young man. He could not have enough banjos or guitars and even played accordion at times. In the early years, he taught Elaine how to play guitar, and they would have wonderful evenings of singing and playing. When Kim Dawn Marie was born, the music was put on the back burner but was still in Rudy's veins. Until his final months, he continued to pluck on his banjos, guitars and mandolin and listen to old-time music and bluegrass.
Rudy was an amazing father to Kim. He would often come home tired from the road and work, and Kim would be waiting with her Barbie dolls! Or he would have to be the student in the school while Kim was the teacher or go to Kim’s hair salon where she would braid and put barrettes in his comb-over hair. It was a wonder he had any hair left when she was done with him! As she grew into a teenager and a young woman, Rudy was always a source of comfort for her and a well of knowledge. She will always be known as Daddy’s Girl.
Kim married Bradley John Doerksen in 1996. Early in their relationship, Rudy saw Brad as a hoodlum with his long hair and leather jacket. However, Rudy quickly came to know the heart of the tremendous man Kim had chosen to marry. He soon was calling him son rather than son-in-law. Rudy enjoyed working on projects with Brad, as well as their hockey and beer nights together. Rudy would often start a sentence with “Brad my boy”, and Brad would call him “daddy”.
Rudy’s other hobby was collecting and refinishing antiques, from cars to clocks, gramophones to radios. He could regularly be found at auctions and garage sales with Ewalt, looking for his next treasure and his next project to start. He could make almost anything out of wood and continued to enjoy his handmade items until his last days at home.
Rudy was brave as well as being a big-hearted man. In 2008, a few months after his bypasses, he went on a trip to Orlando, Florida, with his brother-in-law, David and Norma’s family. It was his first airplane trip ever, and he was 80! He played cards on the airplane and watched carefully the screen to see how high and fast the plane was going. Rudy, Elaine, Kim and Brad also took a dream trip to Nashville in 2010; he was at the Grand Ole Opry at last! He went to several concerts that week and on a dinner cruise ship, in which he needed a little scotch to make it through!
Rudy’s belief in God was evident throughout his entire life. The fruit or the result of having the Lord in your life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He showed his huge heart over and over again to his family and friends. Rudy loved people well and so Rudy himself was easy to love. He attended services at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Shevlin, where he was confirmed, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Melville and at The Gathering in Caronport. He prayed for his family daily and believed that Jesus died for his sins. He is in Heaven with the Lord and his family who went before him. May the circle be unbroken.
In November 2019, Rudy was diagnosed with dementia. He had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed his meals and presents. On January 10, 2020, he was admitted to the hospital in Moose Jaw after being afflicted by a stroke. He was moved to Extendicare Moose Jaw on January 30 and passed peacefully there on February 17, 2020. He never wanted to be in the care home so his family is glad his time there was short.
Rudy leaves to cherish and celebrate his memory: his beloved wife, Elaine; his adoring daughter, Kim, and son (in- law) Brad Doerksen; his sisters, Pearly Pokrant and Esther (John) Resch; and his brothers, Gary (Vi) Edel and Ernest Ewalt Edel. Rudy was predeceased by his parents, Reinholt and Katherine (nee Schappert) Edel; sisters Margaret Marzoff, Hilda Edel, Ann Hetter, Elsie Hetter, Winnie Groff and Martha Graff; and brothers John Edel and Phillip Edel. He leaves many more relatives, friends and his beloved pets, Missy and Bandy, to remember the good times.
TO LEAVE A CONDOLENCE MESSAGE: click on the “Memory Wall” tab above
DONATIONS may be made to a charity of choice.
Rudolph (Rudy) Edel passed away on Monday, February 17, 2020, in Moose Jaw, SK, three days after his 91st birthday.
Rudy was born on February 14, 1929, at Melville, SK. He was the 9th of 13 children of Reinholt and Katherine Edel. Rudy attended Grainfields School in Shevlin, MB.
Rudy moved to Melville in the 1950s, where he worked for the Co-op Creamery. At that time, his parents had already passed away, and he lived with his sister Winnie and her husband, Jerry. Rudy met the love of his life on the farm of his sister Margaret and her husband, Bill. He was helping Bill shingle the roof, and when Rudy saw Elaine coming up the walk, he thought to himself, ‘that’s something I’ve just got to have!’, and he jumped off the roof to meet her. On May 6, 1967, he married Elaine Adelle Wolchuk, and they were blessed with a wonderful daughter, Kim, in 1972. Before getting married, Rudy built the family home on 10th Avenue West and remained there until 2008 when they moved to a condo in Caronport, SK, to be closer to their daughter and her husband, Brad. Rudy and Elaine both took pride in their home and beautiful yard and were often working on another project. Rudy was also Elaine’s sidekick in the kitchen, helping her make perogies, cabbage rolls and Christmas goodies, serving as the cabbage roll taste tester on every new batch.
Rudy’s life was wonderful and full but not always easy. In 2008, he fought both prostate cancer and had seven bypasses in his heart. He also was very upset when his daughter, Kim, became ill with lymphoma and pneumonia; this was the reason for moving to Caronport. Family was always very important to Rudy, and he thought of Elaine and Kim first before himself so very many times. Rudy grew up very simply, eating mostly potatoes, porridge and cabbage. It helped him to be hardy, strong and to always be grateful for whatever he had. He was often overwhelmed by the wonderful blessings he had in his life and wished his parents could have lived to see him as such a success. Rudy remained a gentle, kind man throughout his life. And he even continued to love those simple foods in his old age!
Rudy loved building things and finding something new to learn. As a boy, he built himself an office behind the house, and he did fingerprinting lessons and radio mechanics classes there. Rudy adored his brothers and sisters and would tell stories of their adventures, including one of playing cowboys with real guns and bullets! He would walk to school and pick rocks for money so he could indulge his real passion, music.
Rudy loved music, playing guitar in a band as a young man. He could not have enough banjos or guitars and even played accordion at times. In the early years, he taught Elaine how to play guitar, and they would have wonderful evenings of singing and playing. When Kim Dawn Marie was born, the music was put on the back burner but was still in Rudy's veins. Until his final months, he continued to pluck on his banjos, guitars and mandolin and listen to old-time music and bluegrass.
Rudy was an amazing father to Kim. He would often come home tired from the road and work, and Kim would be waiting with her Barbie dolls! Or he would have to be the student in the school while Kim was the teacher or go to Kim’s hair salon where she would braid and put barrettes in his comb-over hair. It was a wonder he had any hair left when she was done with him! As she grew into a teenager and a young woman, Rudy was always a source of comfort for her and a well of knowledge. She will always be known as Daddy’s Girl.
Kim married Bradley John Doerksen in 1996. Early in their relationship, Rudy saw Brad as a hoodlum with his long hair and leather jacket. However, Rudy quickly came to know the heart of the tremendous man Kim had chosen to marry. He soon was calling him son rather than son-in-law. Rudy enjoyed working on projects with Brad, as well as their hockey and beer nights together. Rudy would often start a sentence with “Brad my boy”, and Brad would call him “daddy”.
Rudy’s other hobby was collecting and refinishing antiques, from cars to clocks, gramophones to radios. He could regularly be found at auctions and garage sales with Ewalt, looking for his next treasure and his next project to start. He could make almost anything out of wood and continued to enjoy his handmade items until his last days at home.
Rudy was brave as well as being a big-hearted man. In 2008, a few months after his bypasses, he went on a trip to Orlando, Florida, with his brother-in-law, David and Norma’s family. It was his first airplane trip ever, and he was 80! He played cards on the airplane and watched carefully the screen to see how high and fast the plane was going. Rudy, Elaine, Kim and Brad also took a dream trip to Nashville in 2010; he was at the Grand Ole Opry at last! He went to several concerts that week and on a dinner cruise ship, in which he needed a little scotch to make it through!
Rudy’s belief in God was evident throughout his entire life. The fruit or the result of having the Lord in your life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He showed his huge heart over and over again to his family and friends. Rudy loved people well and so Rudy himself was easy to love. He attended services at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Shevlin, where he was confirmed, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Melville and at The Gathering in Caronport. He prayed for his family daily and believed that Jesus died for his sins. He is in Heaven with the Lord and his family who went before him. May the circle be unbroken.
In November 2019, Rudy was diagnosed with dementia. He had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed his meals and presents. On January 10, 2020, he was admitted to the hospital in Moose Jaw after being afflicted by a stroke. He was moved to Extendicare Moose Jaw on January 30 and passed peacefully there on February 17, 2020. He never wanted to be in the care home so his family is glad his time there was short.
Rudy leaves to cherish and celebrate his memory: his beloved wife, Elaine; his adoring daughter, Kim, and son (in- law) Brad Doerksen; his sisters, Pearly Pokrant and Esther (John) Resch; and his brothers, Gary (Vi) Edel and Ernest Ewalt Edel. Rudy was predeceased by his parents, Reinholt and Katherine (nee Schappert) Edel; sisters Margaret Marzoff, Hilda Edel, Ann Hetter, Elsie Hetter, Winnie Groff and Martha Graff; and brothers John Edel and Phillip Edel. He leaves many more relatives, friends and his beloved pets, Missy and Bandy, to remember the good times.