Obituary of Bob Neilson

Robert “Bob” Arthur Neilson was born on July 31, 1934, in Bassano, Alberta, to his parents Julius and Gertrude Neilson. His dad was a landed immigrant from Denmark who passed away in a mining accident when Bob was only 9 years old. He lived on a farm at East Coulee, Alberta with his parents, three brothers, and two sisters. Being born in the middle of Alberta in the heart of the depression and suffering through the early loss of his dad meant Bob had to learn the cowboy way at a young age. 

Bob met his wife of 69 years, Matilda Wagner, the way many couples did in those days, through friends at work and finally sewing up the relationship at a local community dance.  They were married on October 4, 1957, at St. Albert Roman Catholic Church in Mankota.  Bob and Mat moved around a lot early in their marriage while Bob worked for United Geo.  They spent time in Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories.

Their first daughter Kim was born in February of 1959. Their second daughter Mona was born in March of 1961, thus completing their family. In the fall of 1961, the family of four moved to Swift Current so Bob could work in the oil fields for Porter Drilling. After a few years of working in the oil patch, the family moved permanently back to Mankota and into the house they would call home for the remainder of his days. Bob would spend the rest of his life farming, but he also worked as a patrol operator for the RM, as well as did various construction jobs and hauled gravel. He was passionate about his family, his farm and his community.  Bob loved spending time with his family at various lakes across the province; water skiing in particular was something he did well into the later stages of his life. Bob spent most of his personal life raising his two daughters, ensuring they got to their many events but also teaching them how to be strong, independent people who were deeply involved in sports and community. When grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, Bob could be seen at many of their events, often sporting a hat and a t-shirt with a logo of the teams his loved ones played on. 

As the family grew up, Bob became deeply entrenched in the community of Mankota. It is hard to do justice to Bob’s commitment to his community, but here is a far from extensive list of the things Bob did during his life in Mankota. He was an active member in all sports, including hockey, baseball, curling, and bowling. He was President of the Mankota Mets from 1986 to 1992. He spent one term as vice president of the Notekeu Hockey League, something we are sure a few of his grandkids could have used when they played in the league. His list of accomplishments at the Mankota Stockmen’s Weigh Co. is long since it began in 1964. He served one term as the director, voiced radio ads right up until the age of 91, sat in on the bull sale committee and spent 1000s of hours helping do various tasks around the facility. He had a widely recognized voice in the ranching community, and his unique sound could be heard on his radio ad when he closed the ads with “Get on down to Mankota Stockmen’s Weigh Co. 4-7-8-22-29”. He was a member at large for the rodeo club, supported 4-H, was a committee member for the Shane Kohl Memorial Award and sat on the Sam Dunn Scholarship Board. Bob also had a love for chuckwagon racing and was an outrider at the Calgary Stampede during this event in 1958. 

When you imagine a cowboy and living the cowboy way, Bob is the person who appears.  He was bow-legged from bad knees, a product of riding horses and working cows, always wearing a pair of Wranglers, a worn-out pair of cowboy boots; a hat with the logo of one of the many sports teams his grandchildren played on or if it was a formal event, his cleanest cowboy hat and of course, a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. Bob was kind, tough but fair, hardworking, deeply supportive as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, committed as a community member, passionate about his animals and the farm he owned. He will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him and leaves behind a legacy that any person could be proud of. 

It is important to recognize some of the important family members still with us today and some that departed this life earlier who were important to Bob.

Bob will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 69 years, Matilda (Wagner) Neilson, daughter Kim (Kurt) Gillespie and her children Kevin (Lorena), great-grandchildren Kade, Calder and Jada, Karson (Sasha), great-grandchildren Sienna, Madison, Kent (Karey), great-grandchildren Kylie, Kelsey, and Kestyn, daughter Mona (Eugene) Brisebois, and her children Jordan Brisebois (Désirée), great grandchildren Luc and Benoît, Travis Brisebois (Candace), great grandchildren Hadlee, Elliot, Jillian and Hudson, Tanis Lussier (Brandon), great grandchildren Levi and Porter. Bob also leaves behind his brother Doug Neilson and his sisters-in-law, Jean Neilson, Ann Sangster, Ruth Bleau, Angeline and Romeo Fauchon, and Madeleine Wagner. 

Bob rejoins his many lost loved ones, including but not limited to his parents Gertrude and Julius Neilson, and his great-grandson Kelton Gillespie. His sisters Peggy Bancks and Betty Latimer, and brothers Don Hughes and Ron Neilson. His parents-in-law Frank and Marien Wagner. His in-laws, Ted Bancks, Larry Latimer, Barb Neilson, Phyllis Hughes, Bernard Zerr, Ursula and John Donald, Gene Sangster, Cec and Bus Kirkpatrick, Ben Wagner, Vic Wagner, Lee and Don Durand, Freida Bleau and Orphil Bleau, along with many other family members and friends.

A Celebration of Bob’s Life will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at the Mankota Agricultural Hall, Mankota, Saskatchewan. Lunch and sharing of memories to follow. A private family interment will take place at the Mankota Municipal Cemetery.