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ual (Sam) William Sr...__. Widdicombe Widdicombe - William Samuel (Sam) died peace fully in St. Boniface Hospi tal on Saturday, September 29, 2001, at the age of 92. Sam was born at the farm home at Foxwarren to Wm. John and Matilda Jane (Honey) Widdicombe on May 1, 2009, the second of eleven children. He was named for his two grandfa thers, Wm. Honey and Samuel Widdicombe. Sam's schooling began at Bayfield Rural School. The following year, consolida tion with Foxwarrent took place. The Bayfield classes were moved to town where the Traveller's Home handled the averfiow from the town's two-room school until the new brick school was opening in Jan. 1918. Sam always loved horses and by age 12, he was driv ing a four-horse team in the field and hauling grain to the elevator. Being the eldest son, he was obliged to end his formal education after grade eight. His work ethic was established early as he worked for various farmers and all of his uncles. He showed Clydesdale horses and Shorthorn cattle for his uncle Stanley Honey. Sam and his brother Ted hauled gravel with teams and wag ons for the F.M. of Ellice in 1931. The next year, Sam received, in lieu of wages, a Clydesdale stallion when he was working for Dan Ross of Binscarth. By the late 1930's Sam had a few head of horses, so he sold them and he and Ted bought a truck to haul cattle and feed to and from Winnipeg. By 1940, Sam was able to buy a new Fargo truck and began to work for Claydon Company of Win nipeg, the first job being on the Dauphin Airport. A long association with Garth Claydon led to more jobs, the grain annexes at the Lakehead, the Tra Canada highway in the Hearst area of Ontario, dam construction at Arioda (north of Quebec City), Stevenson Airport in Win nipeg (present International Terminal) and RJ. Richardson and Sons, Win nipeg. In 1947, Sam and Ted pur chased a TD 18 international tractor, scraper and bull dozer and, as Widdicombe Construction began building many miles of highways in Manitoba and Saskatchewan as well as roads in eight Manitoba municipalities. After the flood in Winnipeg in 1950, they built dykes along the Red River, and in 1957 they built the racetrack at Assiniboia Downs. On April 2, 1949, Sam married Annie Peterson, a civil servant, at her parents’ home in Foxwarren and they took up residence in Foxwarren. They raised two sons, both Anglican minis ters. ‘Sam was always a horse man and he spent 26 years raising, training and show ing Hackney horses. Prog eny were shown extensively in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, Sam was also a horse judge. In 1967, he trained a six-horse hitch for Canada’s Centennial. Bob Porter built an English-style road coach and Sam's sons, David and Peter, were the footmen. They attended many fairs that year. When Queen Elizabeth I and Price Phillip visited Mani toba in 1970, for Manitoba's Centennial, they opened the Brandon Summer Fair, riding in a carriage, drawn by a team of Sam's Hackney's, driven by Verna Lyttle. In 1980, Sam sold out and e and Annie retired to Lan gley, B.C. Immediately Sam was in the horse business again, this time training min iature horses as well as car ing for the horses of George and Diane Tidball of the Key Restaurant fame. Sam leaves to mourn his passing and celebrate his life, his son David, wife Ruth and their daughter Rebecca (Sam's only grandchild and great joy); his son Pete sister June David; his brother George and wife is brother Jack and wife Florence; his youngest brother Dan; sisters-in-law Frances Widdicombe (Ted) and Gene Widdicombe (Roll); as well as many nieces and nephews. Sam was predeceased by Annie, his loving wife of 50 years; his parents; his sis ters Violet Elis and Alice Millar; and brothers Ted, Roll, Wes and Jim. The funeral service was held in Westminster United Church, Foxwarren, on Oc tober 4, 2001, with Rev. Dwight Rutherford officiat ing. The Foxwarren Com munity choir was in atten dance with Phyllis MacGranacan presiding at the organ. The pall bearers were: Marcel Archambault, Don Baker, Don Hodgson, Alvin Kingdon, Gerald Lyttle, Carman Ryan and Daryl Widdicombe. With in terment in the Foxwarren Cemetery, Braendle-Bruce Funeral Service was in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, if friends y desire, donations may be made to: The Parkinsons Foundation of Canada, 390 Bay St. Ste 710, P.O. Box 19341, Star- BRM-B, Toronto, ON.M7Y 3M1.
Newspaper Details
Russell Banner
Russell, Manitoba, CA
Tue, Oct 09, 2001
Page 23
Full Page
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Donna S.
CA 18 Sep 2026
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