Obituary of Earl William HOOGE

HOOGE, Earl William It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Earl William Hooge on Wednesday, September 28th, 2016 at the age of 94. He will be forever loved and remembered by his five children, Glen (Colleen), Grant (Darlene), Greg, Lori Kaminski and Lois (Ian Currie). He is also survived by his 12 grandchildren, Todd & Tanya, Crystal (Ken), Blaire (Heather) and Stefanie, Candis and Landon, Shane, Greg and Kimberly, Jessica and Mark; and his 10 great grandchildren Devyn, Cassie, Chloe, Mataya, Kiaya, Brady, Spencer, Hunter, Haylee and Jade. Dad also leaves to mourn his passing his special friend and companion Norma Skibsted; his sister in law Margaret Ledoux; his brother in law Bruce (Myrtle) McTavish; his daughter in law Judi; his son in law Dale; as well as many nieces, nephews and friends. Dad was pre-deceased by Mom, his wife of 65 years, Audrey; his infant great granddaughter Willa Twyla Hooge; and his infant great great grandson Kai Earl Robert Walkus. Dad was also pre-deceased by his parents John and Karoline (Lovisa) Hooge; all seven of his siblings – Louise, Johnny, Christian, Agnes, Velma, David and his twin brother Ernest, as well as their spouses. He was the oldest living member of his family. Dad knew that the longest anyone had lived was 93 and he was determined to outlive that age. He lived 94 years and 3 days short of 4 months. Dad was born in Theodore, Saskatchewan on May 31st, 1922 along with his twin brother Ernest. Together, they completed the family of eight children. Dad took his schooling in Theodore and finished grade 10. In 1941, Dad suffered a broken back and travelled to recuperate with his sister Agnes in a tiny Alberta town called Irma. Years later one of his children would wed a young man from Irma. On October 13, 1942, Dad and his twin brother Ernest both joined the Armed Forces in Regina. His first posting was to Saskatoon with Ernest where they were stationed together for seven months. Dad was then sent to Toronto and Ernest to Edmonton. It was the first time they had ever been separated in their lives. The Sergeant was glad to see them go. He could not tell which one was which, and they exchanged I.D. and late passes to suit their situation, keeping the old Sergeant in a state of constant confusion. In March of 1944 Mom met Dad’s twin brother Ernest travelling on a bus from Portage la Prairie. They became friends. How she met Dad in the Hudson’s Bay store is a favorite family story. Mom thought it was Uncle Ernest but it was Dad and he gave her the complete cold shoulder. Luckily they sorted things out when she visited Ernest in the hospital a few days later and at the foot of his bed sat Dad. A courtship ensued and Mom and Dad became engaged on Mom’s birthday, October 24, 1944 and were married in a candlelight ceremony in McCreary, Manitoba on December 23, 1944. Dad spent the majority of his time in the service building airplane hangers during the war in many parts of Canada. Mom and Dad spent their first anniversary, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve 1945 apart as Dad was stationed in Whitehorse. Dad received two medals during his time of service during the war. The World War II volunteer medal and the Victory metal. The war ended and Dad returned from Whitehorse and was discharged from the RCAF on February 16, 1946. Civilian life took Mom and Dad to Sandy Hook, Manitoba until an invitation from Mom’s parents to join them in a move to Vancouver. They settled in Vancouver in 1946 and were joined by Glen in 1947 and Grant in 1950. They returned to live in Manitoba in April of 1952 following the death of Mom’s Mom. They settled back into McCreary and were joined by Greg in 1953 and Lori in 1959. During those years Dad did whatever he could to find work to support his family, including farming. He found his passion in construction and although it took him away from home and family for long periods of time, he knew it was what he needed to do to support his family. After long stretches in the North, Mom and all four kids joined Dad in Thompson, Manitoba on May 5, 1961. In February of 1962 Lois joined the family. Dad worked as a carpenter in the nickel mine and received his Journeyman papers in 1975. He would work all day during his shift at the mine and then spent most evenings doing extra jobs in carpentry and became an expert carpet layer. Many evenings were spent “laying carpet” after a full day at the mine. In 1975, Mom, Dad, Lori and Lois travelled to Calgary to spend Christmas with Grant and his family. It was 14 degrees above zero on Christmas Day and Mom and Dad decided they had been in the bush long enough. They returned home, sold the house, and the following summer they moved to southern Alberta and settled in Claresholm. Dad found work doing what he loved in different areas of carpentry. When they retired, Mom and Dad began to travel and enjoyed many years “down south” where they built new lifelong friendships. They also enjoyed trips to Europe and Hawaii, a cruise to Alaska and finally made one of their dreams come true when they travelled to New Zealand and Australia. In 1992 Mom and Dad decided to sell the truck and trailer and settled in Lethbridge. In 2002 Mom and Dad moved to the Strathmore Lodge to be closer to family. After Mom’s passing in 2010, Dad continued on his own – building new friendships and enjoying his time in the Lodge. Dad struggled with his lungs and his breathing for many years but despite those struggles he was still able to meet his goal of outliving every older member of his family. We are grateful that Dad passed peacefully, on his own terms, with the glow of the sunset upon him. Rest in peace Dad. A memorial service will be held on Friday, October 7, 2016 at Wheatland Funeral Chapel (Strathmore) at 11:00 a.m. Interment to follow for both Mom and Dad’s remains will follow immediately after the service in the Field of Honour, Strathmore Cemetery. Lunch to follow at Lord of All Lutheran Church, directly across the street from the Funeral Home. If anyone wishes to make a donation the family suggests donations be made directly to the charity of one’s choice. To send condolences, please click the link below or email directly to condolences@wheatlandfuneralhome.ca. Send Condolences