Obituary of Donald William Mccoll

McCOLL – Donald (1931-2016) passed away on June 29, 2016 at the Palliser Regional Care Centre. He was born at Wilson’s farm, near Burnham, SK. A home to which her would happen to return, fourteen years later, for a period of time after the death of his father, Arthur James McColl. It would be about one month’s respite for Don’s mother Margaret Jane McColl (known as Jean). Though times were tough, Donald, overall, spent a happy childhood in Neidpath. Heavy equipment earthmoving was Don’s official occupation, and unofficial hobby, and, most likely, the subject of his dreams. Many times Don would go to bed with a mechanical problem in his mind, and find, the next morning, that he had come up with a solution. Don and Marshall became well-known for the quality of their work and their easy-going nature, throughout the R.M. of Coulee, the neighboring and surrounding R.M’s as well as far afield, to such places as Yellow Grass, Ogema, and Meadow Lake among countless other locations. Over the years, McColl Brothers worked for twenty different Hutterite colonies, numerous rural municipalities, as well as Talisman Energy, Federated Co-op, and especially, Ducks Unlimited, for whom they completed over one-hundred different projects at points all across Saskatchewan. They also, importantly, repaired and maintained their equipment themselves, at the “shop” in Neidpath, and developed a reputation for keeping their machinery in top working order. In 1957, Don entered into two partnerships: he married Jelena, eldest daughter of William and Sarah Holderbein, and, along with his brother Marshall, formed McColl Brothers Construction Limited. Both were life-long commitments. Donald and Jelena were married fifty-nine years, first living in a small (but oh so cozy) trailer, located on the Holderbein farm at Neidpath, then moving into the old Holderbein house itself, and finally, to new home, constructed in 1984. There were good times and bad, for better or worse, through both sadness and joy, but, overall, it was a very happy marriage, which, in 1964, saw the birth of their son, Trenton William McColl. If the loving, joyful, enchanted years could somehow be turned back, they surely would. A private family memorial service was held on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Parkside Memorial Funeral Home with Pastor Kevin Snyder officiating. For further information or to sign the family book of condolence, visit www.parksidefuneralhome.com. Arrangements in care of Parkside Memorial Funeral Home – Ryan Cappelle.