URBAN – It is with great sadness that we share the peaceful passing of Henry Urban on June 14, 2022, at the age of 90, in Red Deer, Alberta.
Henry and his twin sister Helen Lylyk were born January 22, 1932, from immigrant parents, Stefan, and Cecilia in the small community of Kuest, in the Golden Prairie, SK area. The Urban family farmed in the Kuest area until 1948 at which time the family moved to Brooks. Henry attended school in Brooks and farmed with his father and brother Joe until he purchased a farm in 1960, in the One Tree area. He fell in love and married Kathrena (Rena) Rempel, June 3, 1961, and they continued to successfully farm in the Brooks area until 2004. It was then they packed up every nut, bolt and anything that wasn’t nailed down and relocated to a farm within view of Sylvan Lake. In 2016, they retired and purchased a home within the town of Sylvan Lake.
Henry is predeceased by his parents and two sisters, Agnes Laux, Julia Czoszor and brother-in-law Wally Lylyk. He will be forever missed by his wife of 61 years, Kathrena (Rena), son Rob and two daughters, Patty (Keith) and Kathy (Jack), numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Henry will be deeply missed by his many grand children and great grandchildren, which he willingly would use every opportunity to teach them many life lessons. Henry loved to entertain and host meals for family and friends, sharing many humorous stories, acting out some of the parts himself, especially while camping. He was a board member on the Brooks Central Feeders Association, an avid snooker player in his younger years, loved to dance, especially to a good polka, was a fan of playing a great game of blackjack and enjoyed curling. Henry pulled many a shenanigan and was known as quite the joker and entertainer; many a prank was pulled on the unsuspected, given the opportunity. As a hard-working farmer within difficult times, he dedicated his life to providing for his family; in the early years, raising black angus cattle then continuing to farm until he retired. Henry was an exceptional and well-respected farmer and always eager to be the first one to seed and first to get the harvest competed. He was well known at the local elevator as the “flax king”, having grown many acres of flax over the years. Henry was the first farmer to use wheel line irrigation sprinklers, which became the standard at that time. He was, however, always open to any new innovation that would make farming practices a bit easier despite the fact he always thought you could achieve anything with hard work; and that he did. He always said, “it’s better to wear out than rust out”.
Henry, a proud man, would appear much larger in life while wearing his Stetson firmly placed upon his brow. Henry was always willing to share a story and a smile and while Henry was a man of small stature, he made up for it with a huge heart, especially for his grandchildren and love of animals.
Please attend to celebrate a life well lived. In lieu of flowers, please donate to STARS as Henry believed it was a very worthy cause.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the United Church at 507 3rd Avenue, Brooks, AB, at 2 pm. Reverend Janice Whitlock officiating. Internment to follow at the Brooks Cemetery.
Condolences may be forwarded to www.sylvanlakefuneralhome.ca
Rocky and Sylvan Lake Funeral Homes, Your Golden Rule Funeral Homes, entrusted with the arrangements. 403-887-2151
