JORGENSON, Lester Orran age 91 of Abbey, SK passed away peacefully at his home in Abbey, SK on Thursday, August 9, 2012. The Celebration of Life service will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, August 16, 2012 at the Lancer Community Hall with LPM Marie Barr officiating. Lester’s cremated remains will be placed at the Lancer Community Cemetery where both of his parents are buried. Lester leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife of 54 years, Audrey Ellen (Pearce), his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren Linda (Elwood Haggart) Bobbi and Shane Sitter (Jackson and Reed), James Haggart, Kent Haggart, Elly Haggart (Blaine), Leonard Jorgenson (Donna Gerein), Tyler and Lee-Ann Jorgenson (Quintin), Lindsay and Scott Robertson, Kristy Jorgenson, Miles Jorgenson (Betty Althouse), Orran Jorgenson, Astrid Jorgenson, Emily Jorgenson, Diana Molyneux, Taylor Molyneux, Travis Larry Jorgenson (Kaimee), Ashley Jorgenson and Shelby Jorgenson. He is also survived by his sister in law, Mabel Jorgenson and brother and sister in law Roy Pearce (Betty) and sister in law Margaret Pearce along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Lester was predeceased by his parents, Robert Edwin and Tilda (Knutson) Jorgenson, his in laws Ernest and Jessie (Brown) Pearce, his brother Raymond Jorgenson, his sister Edna Murch (Jorgenson), brother in law Archie Murch, brothers in law, David Pearce, Victor Pearce, Kenneth Pearce, Ronald Pearce, sister in law Olive Bowman and brother in law Reid Bowman and most recently his grandson Bryce Molyneux (May 29, 2012). Lester was born November 17, 1920 at the Cramersburg, SK homestead farm of his parents who had emigrated there from North Dakota. He attended elementary school at Flaxhill, a small one room country school. He took Grades 9 – 11 by Government correspondence. He worked for various farmers in Lancer, Abbey and Cabri area in his youth as well as helping his dad on the family farm. In information we found, he talks a lot about the price of crops, the economy of the area and how rural life was affected. In the fall of 1941, he took a Youth training course in Moose Jaw to prepare to enter the RCAF. He took wireless training but due to a recent lung infection, he was denied by RCAF who advised him to go home and get well. Instead, Lester approached the Army who’s medical assessment, in Lester’s words “they had me jump up and down on one foot and marked me down as A1 even though I’d had a chest x-ray in the same place for RCAF on the day before.” In the spring of 1942 he went to Chatham, Ontario to take basic training. Due to his wireless training, he made signal core and did training at Kingston, Ontario. In November 1942, he was sent overseas first to Greenoch, Scotland, then Aldershot, England. He ended up with the 10th Infantry Brigade Head Quarters and crossed the channel to Normandy France July 21, 1944. Lester spent time in Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark. Just before Christmas, they returned to England and then back to Canada in January of 1946. The Liberation of the Dutch was a momentous time for Lester and he made many friends in the time they were there, particularly in the region of Njverdahl. He and his wife Audrey returned to the Netherlands for the 50th Anniversary in 1995 and then again for the 65th Anniversary in 2010 with his son Miles, daughter Diana and granddaughter Lindsay. The Dutch were very proud of his contribution and he was thrilled with the adoration the Dutch had for the Canadians upon their return to the area. He has always kept in touch with many of the friends he met over the years. Upon his return from WWII, Lester returned to the farm, bought some land and, in his words “became a mixed up farmer”. In 1958, he married Audrey Ellen Pearce who lived only a few miles away. Their five children were all raised on the mixed homestead farm located north of Lancer and only two miles from the South Saskatchewan River. Lester had always been involved in the community. He served on many boards including the Lancer United Church, Chinook Library Board, Director for Local 636 of the National Farmers Union, Councilor for the New Democratic Party and his proudest accomplishment as a member of the board of Health Region Number 1. Lester was also a member of the Abbey branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and took pride in wearing his Legion uniform as well as his Army Uniform which he liked to show people “he could still fit into!” Around Remembrance Day, he would attend schools and be a part of their programs. He was one of the few surviving veterans in the area. Lester, along with his wife Audrey, had most recently been involved with the Saskatchewan Senior’s Association and had been attending various conferences over the years. Lester had always been very active and was always on the road to meetings, conventions, social gatherings, children and grandchildren’s activities and community events up the 32 line. He was deeply proud of his wife, his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and his community. He always made an effort to attend as many of the events he could fit into his busy schedule. He loved to visit and could talk about any topic…from politics and farming to health issues in great detail to anyone. He was a regular writer as L.O. Jorgenson to the Western Producer, the Booster, the Prairie Post and a number of other publications. His eyesight began to fail him a few years back but this did not stop him. He still was able to listen to CBC radio and Audrey would read the articles and books he wanted. He would try to write his opinions but usually would have Audrey write them while he dictated his thoughts. Lester was an amazing man and will be missed by all whose lives he touched. His kindness, generosity, intelligence, wisdom, humor, talents and love of life will forever be in our hearts and be a reminder of the type of person we can all strive to be. Memorial donations can be made in his honor to the charity of your choice. Warren's Funeral Home were entrusted with the arrangements. For further information call 773-8831 or 1-800-267-6606 or visit our website at www.warrensfuneralhome.com and express your sympathy to family members in our book of condolences.