Stanley James SVOBODA

The family of Stan Svoboda announce his passing on October 19, 2019 at the age of 82 years.

Stanley James was born on January 7, 1937 at the home farm north of St. Walburg, SK. He attended Myrtle country school for grades one to eight. Stan left home and became a farm hand for Ken Lee, then worked at the dam and bought grain at the Kettlehut elevator. In August 1962, he came to Rosetown in search of work. George Loken hired him to start work the next day. He worked for Harry at Case George Hearn and Cliff Morris before moving on to the Department of Highways. In May 1964, he met Gladys Anderson and they were married October 10, 1964. On August 6th, their first child Joan Marie was born but she passed away at three weeks old. Marvin Lee was born in 1966 and Monica Rose in 1968. Stan had his 8 AM-6 PM day job and spent the evenings running projectors at the theatre and drive-in. In 1979, an acreage was bought from Gladys’ brother Gilbert, so farm life started all over again. A new nelson home was built and many animals became another job. On December 5, 1985, Stan was hit with his first heart attack, after a month in hospital, he was advised not to go back to his place of work. They rented land for years south of Rosetown and then Stan was hired to work as a farm hand for Bob Cowan. Due to health problems, it was time to retire and in 2001, they moved back to Rosetown. In 2004, they had a large all-day auction sale and sold the acreage.

Stan started the first Beavers Club for five and six-year-old boys, was an Elks member for 50+ years, joined the choral group, was on the Alex Ositis Foundation board and spent many years on cemetery clean-up. Many vacations were spent at Turtle Lake where he enjoyed fishing and visiting with family. In the past couple of years, Stan took up gardening and tending to the flower beds, his favorite being pansies. Going to auction sales was a passion he loved never knowing what could be in boxes to bring home.

Stan’s sense of humour got him through many hard times with heart and cancer setbacks. He lost his last fight but always remarked he had a good and long-lived life.

Stan will be missed by his wife of 55 years Gladys; son Marvin (Laurie); daughter Monica (Jason) Englot; grandchildren Keith Englot, Nathan Svoboda (Miranda), Ashley (Brett) Dafoe, Katelynn (Travis) Keenan; great-grandchildren Emeth Svoboda, Jacob Malachi Keenan, Theodore Elliott and Odette Dafoe; brother Charlie Svoboda and his children Michele Gibson and children Courtney, Dillan and Cody and Shelagh (Tom) Lockhurst and son Robert; brother-in-law Gilbert (Hazel) Anderson and their family; sister-in-law Rosella Anderson and her family; sister-in-law Dorothy Larson and her family, Rud and Brewster; brother-in-law Skip Brewster and his family as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by daughter Joan Marie, granddaughter Maegan Svoboda in 2008, parents Charlie and Mary Svoboda and Gust and Myrtle Anderson, sisters-in-law Leslye Svoboda, Mable Brewster, Doris Brewster, Della Anderson and Elsie Rud and brothers-in-law Allan Anderson, Melvin Rud and Don Brewster.

The Funeral Service was held on Friday, October 25, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at the Rosetown United Church with Reverend Jo-Ann Hills officiating. Interment followed at the Rosetown Cemetery. Donations in memory of Stan may be made to the Alex Ositis Foundation, P.O. Box 1251, Rosetown, SK, S0L 2V0.