Deepest sympathy goes out to the Elmer Dove families of the Lizard Lake community on the passing of Elmer Dove at the age of 70 on Jan. 5 on the family farm. He suffered a brief battle with cancer.
Elmer was born on his family’s farm in the Speers-Hafford area. He was the oldest in the family. Going to school and helping on the farm and participating in many types of sports kept him busy. He as also a member of the 4-H club and helped with farm work for the neighbours. After high school, he attended the College of Commerce at the University of Saskatchewan. There he met his wife Lillian, also a student. Once married they were together for 52 years.
The Doves lived in Regina where he began his accounting career. When Lillian’s parents retired from their farm near Biggar, the Doves took it over. Elmer did like the farm lifestyle. They cleared and broke more land and built a new house to raise their family of two sons and one daughter ‑ Curtis, Darren and Crystal. They also had one granddaughter, Arkell. His family remain on the farm.
At one point, Elmer took training to be a pilot and owned his own Cessna 177 Cardinal aircraft for a few years. He also did accounting in Baggar with the help of his wife. Elmer became reeve from the RM of Glenside in 2014 and held the position at the time of his passing. He was a family and community man.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date at the farm. Interment was at Lizard Lake Cemetery. Elmer’s land surrounds the cemetery grounds.
Feb. 3 marked a 67th wedding anniversary for me and my husband Stanley. We had a good many years on the farm before we retired to Battleford. The day we were married in 1954 in the North Battleford United Church parlour was remarkable. It was 54 F and there was water running down the streets. Snow was melting, making country roads muddy. The following day was much colder and the cold prevailed for the rest of the winter. A day we will always remember.
