It is with deep sorrow that we announce Lowell Holmgren’s peaceful passing on December 17, 2024, in Saskatoon at Royal University Hospital.
Lowell was born in Estevan SK on March 11, 1935, the youngest son of Peter B and Ella Holmgren. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Ruth (nee Carlson); daughter Vicki (Brian Rushton); grandchildren Danita (Jeremy Janzen), Keri (Cory Taylor), Nathan (Ashley) Rushton, Jeffrey Lowell (Jocelyn) Rushton; great grandchildren Isaiah, Jacob, Rowan, Elizabeth, Wolfgang, Bentley Lowell, Stevie, Alexa, and Zelene; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Back in the day it seemed that Lowell knew, or knew the family connections of, everyone in Estevan, having lived there his whole life. From his schooling at Valley View and ECI to joining the family business at Holmgren Motors (later Senchuk Ford) he was a firefighter, a founding member of Estevan Raceway, a mechanic at Luscar Coal, a foreman and then Loss Control Officer, fuel truck operator for Co-op, an EMO coordinator, and safety instructor for Southeast Community College.
Lowell loved all machines and could fix them all. He did stop fixing vehicles when computers were introduced, but loved learning about the new technology. Danita asked her Grandpa to fix a balloon but that wasn’t something he could do.
He started driving early and built a motorized scooter. He would drive to see his sister and family in Goodwater. Lowell spoke of driving tractor and disker to clear a quarter of land when he was 9 yrs old (which took all summer), and drove the grain truck at 11. In Estevan, he started driving the fire truck, a 1928 LaFrance, at 14, and was a volunteer fireman for 51 years, retiring in 2000.
The LaFrance had no windshield, cab or doors but whether it was -50 or +30 Lowell never missed a fire, and stood outside to make sure the pumps didn’t freeze up. He remarked lately that he should have put heated seats like today’s vehicles, cause that would have been a great improvement. There were many family members on the fire department. During the years he worked alongside his father, brother, brother-in-laws, son-in-law, many nephews and many close friends. His jacket, boots and helmet “Fuzzy” were the first in line. He loved to tease and joke with the guys when they returned from a fire, and would thank them for helping out.
Lowell lived in the family home on Third St. until the Police station expanded their property, and moved to Sussex Arms until 2020. After 7 months in a retirement home in Saskatoon, he and Ruth moved to a suite in Vicki and Brian’s home. They enjoyed getting to visit with family, and especially his namesake 4 yr old grandson, Bentley, Lowell the 3rd.
Lowell loved stock car racing, boating, snowmobiling, biking, scooters, traveling and camping with Ruth. They spent many winter holidays in Desert Hot Springs with Ruby and Don.
Lowell has always loved trains, and when Vicki’s twin boys were born, he started shopping for an “N” guage train set. It grew from a coffee table size to the basement of the house! Later when the boys went shopping with Grandpa for train cars or locomotives, Grandma would ask the boys if Grandpa had paid with dollars or a plastic card. It seemed like the budget was higher for the train set.
While Lowell worked in Bienfait mine, there was a fire that destroyed the shuttle locomotive. So his job was to shop for a new engine across the country and in the US. But his joy was when he received his operator license to drive the CN train in the mine yard as it was filled with coal for Ontario. He was pretty proud of that license. He trained a team of miners in fire rescue and emergency response for the Mine Rescue competitions in Saskatoon and they did very well.
He had a license to operate almost anything and enjoyed driving the team bus for the high school when he was younger. He drove semi and enjoyed going with his son-in-law on the weekends from Manitoba to Alberta. Lowell loved to be around engines and was very proud of the fact that he had drove a fuel truck, potato truck, tow truck, fire truck, buses, school bus, semi truck, stock car, motorhome, ski boat, scooter, forklift, snowmobile, tractor and combine, and likely some we forgot.
Lowell has requested no funeral, and stated in his will that he has to be driven to his resting place in a FORD (of course). The family will have a family graveside service in spring. Because there isn’t a service, the family would love it if you would share memories of Lowell through the Funeral home site www.dalmenyfuneralhome.ca. We cherish these memories as we grieve.
In lieu of flowers you could honour Lowell with a gift to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or War Amps.
Arrangements entrusted to Dalmeny Funeral Home 306-254-2022.
