Obituary of Clifford Louis BICKNER

On December 1, 2012, Clifford Louis Bickner, a long-time resident and farmer of the Hazenmore district passed away at the Foyer d’Youville, Gravelbourg, SK, at the age of 96 years. The funeral service was held on Thursday, December 6, 2012, at the Hazenmore Community Hall with Pastor Brad Julien officiating. A loving tribute to his life was given by a neighbor and friend of the family, Michael Brown. Pallbearers were Michael, Curtis and Patrick Thibault, and John, Todd and Tim Bickner. Interment took place at Memorial Gardens, Swift Current. Cliff was born in the Simmie district on May 21, 1916 to homesteaders Edward and Nellie Bickner. He attended Seederstrom School in the Simmie District. In 1926 the family moved to the Vanguard area where Clifford attended Harold school. In October 1940, he and Edna Button were married. In 1942 they moved to a farm north of Hazenmore known as the Harry Cook Place. In the early 1950s, they built a new house and yard site immediately north of Hazenmore. In 1971 Edna passed away after a lengthy illness. In 1973 Cliff married a childhood friend, Marie Stephenson. In 1978 they built a new house and yard site on an acreage just north of the railway tracks in Hazenmore and adjacent to their previous yard site. Clifford continued to farm until he was age 87. In 2002 Marie passed away. Clifford lived independently with help of a housekeeper and family until age 93, when he was accepted into the Foyer d’Youville Nursing Home in Gravelbourg. Cliff had a strong devotion to his family and to the Hazenmore community. During his life he was a United Church Elder, President of the Hazenmore School Board, President of the North Hazenmore Telephone Company and served many years as an RM Councillor. Later in life he was President of the Hazenmore Seniors Club, a member of the Hazenmore Lions Club and the Aneroid Elks Club. Music was a large part of his life and he was the banjo player in the Hazenmore Swing Four from the 1940s through to the 1960s. After that ended, he sang with the Swift Current Barbershoppers until his late seventies. As a farmer, he excelled at field crop husbandry and the care and operation of his machinery. He had a positive attitude toward life and a great sense of humor, even after his health began to fail with advanced age. He seldom, if ever, complained about his health or circumstances, even after he was forced to leave his beloved Hazenmore acreage. He was a kind and generous man right to the end of his life. Cliff was predeceased by his parents Ed and Nellie Bickner; first wife Edna; second wife Marie; sisters Hazel, Verna, Kate, Mary, Nellie, Maudie, Henrietta (age 3) and Marie (age 1); brothers Charlie, Pete, Ben; son-in-law Rene Thibault; two great grandchildren Jesse Thibault and Cory Thibault. Cliff will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by his daughter Orra Thibault and her family and son Russell (Tina) Bickner and his family. The family thanks the doctors and staff at the Foyer d’Youville in Gravelbourg for the loving care that Cliff received while he was a resident.