GONE RANCHIN'
Cyril Alan Newsham
November 22nd, 1942 - November 12th, 2021
In the comfort of his home and with us kids by his side, the angels came for our Dad. They took him like a gentle whisper to his heavenly home where he met his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He quietly took his last earthly breath, slipped away from us to a homecoming celebration awaiting him beyond our stars and galaxy.
Our Dad (well known as Cy) privately and bravely fought a lengthy battle with prostate cancer, diagnosed at an advanced stage in 2016.
He leaves behind his son, Rod (Carmen), daughter Connie and son, Wes (Jacie). Ruby (former wife and our Mother), six grandkids, Hope, Jewel Anne, Mitchell, Colin, Eli and Lexie, his two sisters Doreen Curniski (Orest), Hilda Franks (Don), his brother Dale Newsham (Linda), along with many nieces, nephews, extended relatives and a boat load of wonderful, life long friends.
Dad was born on his Mother’s (Mary) birthday. It was a cold, snowy day when his Dad (Alan) hooked up the team and sleigh, and drove the team on top of the snow drifts for four miles. There they met a neighbor who could drive his Mother to the Innisfail hospital, where baby Cyril was born.
Dad grew up on the family farm west of Innisfail, along with sisters Doreen, Hilda and brother Dale at the original homestead of Jackson Newsham (est. 1898). His early years were spent along the banks of the Little Red and Red Deer River making childhood memories and learning the ropes of farming.
We talk of the pandemic today, but Dad remembers when the Polio disease occurred. The kids didn’t leave the farm for two years during that time.
Dad homeschooled until Gr. 3, then attended the Oklahoma School until Gr. 8, about a 4-mile ride. This entailed crossing the river, often riding the horse in winter at -40 and taking the long route when the river was flooded. He attended the Little Red Deer School for Gr. 9 and Prairie High School at Three Hills for Gr. 10.
As a young man our Dad worked at various farms and logging camps. He was employed by Murray Bros. Sawmills in the Swan Lake/Boundary Service/Tay River area. He talked about sawing and piling large timbers for the Diefenbaker Dam. His entrepreneurial spirit found him operating a TD-14 and 2U-D8 Cat at a young age, clearing land for farmers.
In the mid 60s our Dad met a sweetheart of a lady, Ruby Parkins from Rimbey, AB. They were married in 1967, and well, not long after, that’s where us kids come into the story. Mom and Dad raised us on the ranch along the Red Deer River west of Innisfail until the Dickson Dam forced a move on us. We uprooted our entire life - animals, house and all and headed west where we relocated in Bearberry (Sundre) and continued ranching. Dad’s family history in the Sundre area goes back over 127 years, to 1894.
Many will remember our Dad having “the gift of the gab”. He didn’t use his gift just for story telling but in many community groups such as teaching Sunday School, advocating for farmers affected by the Dickson Dam in the 70s and 80s, the Trappers Assoc. (founding President for Sundre, 1984), Panther Advisory Group, SPOG and Grey Wooded Forage Association. He had a memory like an elephant and just like his Mother, a large memory bank of local history. He helped retain history by writing in local books such as “People and Peaks of The Panther River and Eastern Slopes” and the “Oklahoma” history book.
Moss never grew under our Dad’s feet. His many travels and pastimes included ranching, goldmining in Atlin, BC/Yukon, mining for Ammonite on St. Mary’s River on the Blood Indian Reserve, travelling, fishing, gardening, camping, trapping the Upper Clearwater, Panther and Sheep Creek areas, hunting local and as far as the NWT for caribou, bidding on a “good deal” at an auction, and his favorite pastime, berry pickin’. Dad could never hide what he was up to when his face was stained with berries. It seemed that more berries ended up in his mouth than in the bucket. Pretty sure he has already found an old dirt road in heaven and filled his belly with the best of the best berries. (Listen to One Dirt Road by Justin Moore).
Dad was musical and could sing and play numerous instruments. He sang with our Mother in church, weddings, funerals and community events and taught us kids to play the piano. The phone never stopped ringing for people needing their piano tuned both local and as far as the NWTs. Dad was known for tuning a piano to perfection by ear.
Dad enjoyed playing his six-string banjo in local jamborees. The last song he played and sang on his banjo was “I’ll Fly Away”, and well……that’s exactly what he did.
If our Dad had any last words to tell you he would say (as he would often say), “Get your house in order, make Jesus your Lord and Saviour” and “meet me at the pearly gate because it’s beyond your wildest imagination up here."
“Until then, I’ve gone ranchin”.
