Sadly, we announce the passing of Arnold Donald Bruetsch on Monday May 25, 2020 at the Dryden Regional Health Centre in Dryden Ontario after a short illness. Arnold was born in Dryden on February 23, 1935. He lived the majority of his life in Waldhof and was currently residing in Dryden where he was eagerly anticipating another gardening season in newly built raised beds at their apartment on King street. Both of Arnold’s parents were immigrants who moved to the Waldhof area; his mother as a child and his father as a young man. During the war, the family moved to New Hamburg Ontario where they lived for several years and his father worked as a machinist during the war effort. Returning to Waldhof, Arnold was instrumental in helping his parents develop the property that would become ‘Birch Dale Lodge’. His capacity for hard work and a love of gardening were nurtured there.
Striking out on his own, he took a job with Canada Post making the daily trip between Dryden and Red Lake. On many of those trips he would stop at Barr’s Esso restaurant in Vermilion Bay and that is where he met his future wife, Jean Brignall. They had a relatively short courtship and were married on May 27, 1960. Arnold transitioned into a construction job and the next couple of years saw him working on the expansion of the Trans-Canada highway between Vermilion Bay and Kenora. Until the day he died he could rattle off the names of every lake between the Bay and Kenora before you turned the corner to read the sign. He then partnered with his brother Ernie and they bought a truck and a loader and started their own construction outfit. Within a few years he moved on and began working at the mill in Dryden and spent the remainder of his career working in the woodlands division of the ‘company(ies)’. He ended his career of thirty plus years as a heavy equipment operator, as adept on a loader as he was on a dozer or a hoe.
Post retirement, Arnold and Jean spent a number of years travelling; several occasions to the southern States, throughout Canada and many times to Europe. Often their travels included sharing the adventure with friends or relatives from near and far. Dad also continued to work with equipment. He became a ‘part-time ’operator for Kupper Contracting but his preference became the Grader and he was well known as one of the best grader operators around. He loved driving machines, even if it was only his simplicity lawn tractor.
Arnold was an avid, talented and prolific gardener and his gardens were often the envy of the neighbourhood. Many people were the beneficiaries of his excess production though because he always grew more than the two of them could use or put away. He was particularly proud and renowned for his sauerkraut and horseradish. Aside from all of these ventures his most significant pleasure was found in his grandchildren; and more recently, his great grandchildren. He always had a smile at the ready, a treat hidden away and a place on his knee. As they grew he may have even shared his secret mushroom patch adventures with them.
Arnold is survived by his wife Jean, sons Clinton of Waldhof, Galan (Lucille) of Dryden, Warren (Charlene) of Dryden and Niece Carman (Karl) of Waldhof. He has 15 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, brother Ernie of Waldhof, sister Mary Loewen of Walhof and sister-in-law Karen Brignall of Fort St. John BC.
Arnold was predeceased by his parents, Samual and Martha Bruetsch, his brother Norman, sisters Helen Rhyner and Clara Rothlisberger, and by his daughter-in-law Jo-Ann Bruetsch.
There will be a private graveside service and a memorial service will be announced for some date in the future.
If friends so desire, and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ‘Waldhof Cemetery Board’. Donations may be sent to:
Waldhof Cemetery Board, Box 201 Vermilion Bay ON P0V 2V0,
Or: eTransfer to: rosebert@sympatico.ca (identify Arnold Bruetsch)
Or: Steven’s Funeral Home P.O. Box 412, Dryden ON P8N 2Z1. Condolences may be posted at www.stevensfuneralhomes.ca.
