Peltzer – Rudolph Franz Alexander Peltzer passed away peacefully at 96 years of age on Thursday, June 30th, 2022, at the Brooks Hospital. He is now able to join his loving wife Jean who passed away on April 1st, 2022. They were married for 55 years. Rudy was born to Rudolph and Elizabeth Peltzer in Saskatoon, SK on May 26th, 1926. Rudy’s father, Rudolph, was an immigrant laborer and even laid some bricks at the University of Saskatchewan, which was a story Rudy loved to tell his granddaughters, who now attend the U of S. In 1927, the Peltzer’s started farming in Springwater, SK. After years of drought during the Dirty Thirties, the “Man in the Buffalo coat” came to their farm and cut down the phone line for nonpayment. The Peltzer family relocated to the West Duchess Farm in October of 1936. Rudy remembered the trip well and recalled the large leaves on the poplar trees when they got off the bus at the farm gate. The irrigation had a lasting impression on the 10-year-old boy coming from dried out Saskatchewan. Rudy loved remembering and sharing this family history to whomever inquired. In 1945, Rudy’s father passed away and being the oldest of the 5 siblings, Rudy became the patriarch of the family at age 18. He farmed with his mother and assisted his siblings in starting their lives. Harold, the youngest, had gone off to work in Peterborough, Ontario where he met his wife, Joan Rogers. Joan and Jean were very good nursing friends and on a return trip to Alberta, Joan and Harold brought Jean to meet Rudy. The encounter went very well as they were married in 1966 and started their life together on the family farm. Their only child David was born on December 10th, 1969. Rudy loved the farm and developed it from the first 35 acres that were broke in 1936 to about 500 acres of irrigation. He also loved the development of community and was very involved in the boards of the Rural Telephone, Rural Electrification Association, Rosemary Gas Co-op, and development of the Eastern Irrigation District’s community grazing associations. He was very proud of his 9 years on the Board of Directors of the E.I.D. and the work he did to help farmers flourish in the district. The Lutheran Church was also very important to him and his community. In 1993, Kathlyn and David were married and bought the farm from Rudy and Jean. Rudy semi-retired (and I use that in the loosest of terms!) to Brooks, but he still spent most of his time out at the farm driving tractor and helping wherever he could. I think I could say Rudy was fully retired in 2016, at 90 years old, when he came out to drive tractor and left after a couple of hours even though the job wasn’t finished. Besides farming another passion of Rudy’s was collecting and restoring old tractors. Upon restoring the tractors, he would display them in the parades and a few times pulled 4-H and church floats. He also collected and restored antique cars that he had driven throughout his life. During their retirement Rudy and Jean went travelling and participated in many agriculture tours and bus trips, where they met many of their long-time friends. Above all, Rudy’s pride and joy was with his granddaughters. He loved to watch and support them in all their activities. He loved to play card games with his family and watch his family grow. Rudy and Jean retired to Orchard Manor around 2 years ago. Although Covid was hard to navigate, they enjoyed their time there meeting new people and appreciated the staff and great care they received. Rudy enjoyed reminiscing about the past and would often say “look forward to the future, but to never forget where you came from”. Rudy was predeceased by his wife of 55 years; Jean Peltzer; brother Harold and Joan Peltzer; brother Alfred and Fern Peltzer; brother-in-law Glen Oberhammer and brother-in-law Don Arnell. He is survived by his son David (Kathlyn) Peltzer; granddaughters Bryanne and Lyndsey Peltzer; sister Lucy Oberhammer; sister Anne Arnell and numerous nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, July 19th at 11:00 AM from Trinity Lutheran Church. Pastor Maggie Thiess officiating. Interment to be held at Duchess Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to:
SMITH FUNERAL HOME LTD. AND CREMATORIUM
BROOKS, ALBERTA
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