Anderson, Bruce Leslie

ANDERSON – Bruce Leslie “Les” Anderson
A man of integrity and a man with an irrepressable sense of humour.
He was not perfect and he knew it, but he loved the Lord Jesus Christ and served Him to the best of his ability.
Next to God, he loved his family, his friends and his horses, cats and dogs. He also loved to visit and was on friendly terms with almost any clerk or teller that might have a few minutes to spare. Also special friends of many from Cypress Hutterite Colony.
He also became well known for his habit of trying to “lift” ladies purses, claiming his X-ray vision had spotted a “50” in there. Actually, it was the “D” rings on the handles he was interested in, as they were sometimes hard to find for his leatherwork hobby.
Bruce Leslie Anderson, known as “Les,” was born May 12, 1924 at his home on Maple Creek, seven miles south of the town of Maple Creek.
He attended Smithfield country school until 1937 when the family moved 10 miles southwest of Maple Creek, and he attended Economy School, often walking, first the two-mile, then the one-mile distances, but sometimes riding a horse.
Les developed an early and lasting love and knowledge of horses. The story was told that one time before he had started school, he was riding in a buggy with his mother and Uncle Jimmy. After staring intently at the team, he announced, “That horse has a crooked back leg!” He was right!
Les always hand an eye for good conformation in a horse of any breed, though thoroughbreds and their crosses remained his favourites.
Throughout the years, he raised, broke and rode many good horses, showing a few and racing a few on bush tracks.
He also filled a number of sketch books with horse scenes while still going to school. These have recently been collected and photocopied for his children and grandchildren to enjoy.
Les married Laura Nuttall in 1945. They were divorced later.
Leslie and Margaret Weir were married July 6, 1951 and for two years lived six miles west of Maple Creek.
In 1953, they sold out and bought a place 10 miles southwest of Maple Creek, where they ranched and raised their family, finally retiring to town in 1997.
After retiring, Les began working with leather, making, lining and hand-sewing at first, but later machine sewing and stamping many bridles and spur straps to add to his silver bit and spur collections.
Les was not a “joiner” of clubs, belonging only to the Old Timers organization and to the Light Horse Club in early years.
Les was predeceased by his father and mother, Charles and Rosa Anderson in 1977 and 1978; his sons Ray and Jamie in 1980; his sister Venus Harrigan in 2000; also his brother Lawrence “Bud” Anderson in 2010 and sister Jean Peters in 2013.
Surviving is his wife Margaret, his daughters Louise (Marvin) Wiens, Jeanne (Dale) Christie and his son Ross (Cammie) Anderson; grandchildren Stacey (Karla) Wiens; Shelly (Mark) Mitchell and Shannon (Jason) Keller; Shawn (Jessica) Christie and Corban Christie; Bruce (Susan) Anderson; Sheena (Daric) Pirlot, Shay (Echo) Anderson, and Bret (Patty) Anderson; great-grandchildren Kaitlin, Jessica and Mitchel Wiens; Brady and Carson Mitchell; Josh and Alexis Keller; Fallon, Nolan and Wyat Anderson; Rosalind Pirlot; Jeremiah Anderson, Milo and Sadie Christie; great, great-grandchildren Ayva and Gage Wiens-Gibbens.
Funeral services will be held Thurs., July 9 at 2 p.m. from The Salvation Army with Capt. Ed Dean officiating. The obituary was read by Stacey Wiens and the eulogy was presented by Shay Anderson. Dennis Hoyer, special friend of the family, was the urn bearer.
Binkleys Funeral Services was in charge of arrangements.
The family would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the staff at the Lodge for their excellent, loving care of Les in his time spent there in the respite room before he was hospitalized, also the hospital staff and doctors of Maple Creek.
Thank you and God bless you all.

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