June 10, 1929 - March 26, 2022
Leif Terning passed away Saturday, March 26 at the age of 92. He leaves behind, his wife of 62 years Olga, his children: Brenda, Paul, John and his wife, Laura Scott, Linda and her husband Alex Cruz; as well as his beloved grandchildren: Zachary and Catherine Cruz, Jackson and Maya Terning, many nieces and nephews, and his brother, Jan Kjell Terning. Leif was born in Roan, Norway June 10, 1929, near the beginning of the great depression. It was a hard upbringing with a lack of most things. His parents came from poor families, his mother from a mountain farm and his father from a fishing family. His mother, Karen Terning, worked to keep Leif and his five brothers and sisters: Gunnar, Eisten, Inger, Elsa, and Jan Kjell, fed and healthy.
“Our father Johann left the fishing boat and trained as a teacher. During the war, teachers who did not sympathize with the Nazis received no pay. Because our father was defiant, Leif had to leave home early to earn a living, he worked on various farms. We were six siblings. Leif was the second oldest. He was strong and smart and could solve most problems. Growing up, I was often on the farm in Lonin with Leif, and he taught me a lot.”
-Jan Kjell Terning, Leif’s younger brother.
During the second world war, Leif and his family lived under Nazi occupation. Norwegians, including Leif’s relatives, were shot by the Nazi’s for hiding radios, needed to get news from Britain. It was also illegal to fly the Norwegian flag. On the 17th of May, Norwegian Independence Day, in quiet defiance, Leif and others went into the mountains to raise the Norwegian flag and play the national anthem on a portable Victrola. Leif learned integrity from his family and was always fiercely independent, doing the right thing was burned into his character. At the end of the war, he contracted polio, he refused to go to the hospital. He struggled to be able to walk. He trained himself to walk again, by falling down, walking and falling down and skiing and falling down…eventually not falling down. As a young man, he was not afraid of hard work. After the war Leif worked building telephone lines, climbing mountains carrying telephone poles and heavy cables. He stood up to the company on a matter of principal, for not supplying needed equipment, and quit. A bullying boss told him he would never get another job; Leif returned a couple of hours later to make sure the boss knew that he had found a new job. Leif worked in a greenhouse; he came to love growing flowers, coaxing them to thrive and blossom into beauty. It became an enduring passion. He bought his uncle’s farm in Lonin, Norway. To Farm in Norway, was a subsistence life, most farmers had to turn to fishing in the winter to stay alive. Leif cut trees on his farm and sold the lumber to get by. Leif was one of the few in his area to have a driver’s license, he had driven a truck for his military service. He would volunteer to drive people when they needed him. Leif was a thoughtful and quiet man, but he could also be the life of the party. He loved to laugh, and to make people think. He had a playful sense of humour and would love to tease and provoke thought. Leif met Olga at a country dance. Olga has always said “He was quite a dancer.” They had a long engagement as Olga was just 18 when they met and couldn’t marry till she turned 21. They decided to move to Canada and start a new life together, it was an adventure. Olga and Leif moved to Carstairs in 1960. They worked for Olga’s uncle, Elling Lee. Elling had moved to Carstairs in 1905 and owned the farm south of town. Neighbours Pat and Mac Cartwright helped the couple in many ways, teaching them a new language and welcoming them into the community. Leif was deeply involved as a volunteer in Carstairs. He and Elling were part of building the golf course, moving it from the original sheep pasture to its current location. The sheep took care of the grass and what they wouldn’t eat Leif and other volunteers took care of. The founding members of the golf course raised money to buy the new land. After a hard days work on the farm Leif would pick rocks and plant grass and trees on the new golf course. Leif and Elling were very involved in developing the first nine holes on the new golf course. When Elling passed away, Leif bought his farm from the Estate. It would take many years and a lot of sacrifice to pay for the land, but it was a dream worth fighting for. Leif was a charter member and officer of the Elks, and a member of the Carstairs Legion. He and Olga were officers in the Macabees and Sons of Norway. Leif volunteered for the Boy Scouts for nineteen years, he was the chairman when they built the Scout Hall. He was on the board of the curling rink and the seed cleaning plant committee, he also volunteered at the skating rink and the Boy Scout Christmas tree lot. Leif loved to curl and competed in many local bonspiels, winning trophies. He also loved to cross country ski, in 1980 he skied 50 kilometers to raise money for the Heart and Stroke foundation at a fund-raising event. After a life time of hard work, Leif retired and kept busy as a volunteer. He and Olga traveled to New York, cruised in Alaska, and eastern Europe, and vacationed in Hawaii. They visited their eldest son in California and their daughter in Oregon. He loved his grandchildren; they all adored their grandfather. He remained close to nephews, nieces and siblings in Norway, making many trips back to the old county. He and Olga moved into town and in his last years he struggled with mobility, his neighbours came to help them both; helping with grocery shopping, picking up the mail, planting flowers in the garden when Leif no longer could. Carstairs and the community he adopted became a part of him as he became a part of it. He was loved and will never be forgotten by his family and friends, and the many people whose lives he touched. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Sons of Norway Foundation or Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #53, Carstairs. A Celebration Of Life was held on Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 1pm at the Carstairs – Bancroft United Church in Carstairs, Alberta. Heartland Funeral Services Ltd., Olds entrusted with arrangements. Condolences may be made or viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com
