Donald Roger Sizer

LAST SON of the PIONEERS

Donald ‘Don’ Roger Sizer, age 93, passed away on Thursday, March 5th at North Battleford Union Hospital, with his daughter Kathy at his side. 

Don was predeceased by his wife, Vivian Pringnitz, his second wife, Sally Bell and his partner Joan Larson.  He is survived by his daughter Kathy Sizer of British Columbia and grandchildren Jared (Sharyn), Kalon (Janice), Roman (Christine) and Rhiannon (Matthew), along with three great-grandchildren:  Mercedes, Lexus and Phineas.

Born near Landis, Saskatchewan, on November 19th 1932, Don grew up the youngest of a large family in the midst of the Great Depression. He was the son of two Minnesotan homesteaders, Michael John Sizer (‘M.J.’) and Mary Ewy. From a young age he worked for his father on the farm, attending the Standard school across from the Sizer home farm. In the event of blizzards, Don was at such times the only student who had no excuse but to make an appearance!  As a child, he developed a keen, lifelong interest in model trains and cats. 

Growing up, Don gravitated towards farming as a career option, despite his own father’s misgivings, given the economic hardships after the ’29 Crash.  After the death of Don’s mother in 1953, he moved to the Tweedsmuir district where he met and later married Vivian.  By November 1954, he was a young father to Kathy.  Before taking up full-time farming, Don ran an IHC farm implement dealership, served as the Postmaster for Landis, operated a small greenhouse business and served on the town council.

In addition to his agricultural pursuits, Don also ran a grain-cleaning operation and worked tirelessly restoring old tractors and farm vehicles, including his enhanced IHC Model A and later, a 1/3 scale model train and trolley car.  The latter would later be donated to the Western Development Museum.  One of his prized possessions was his pilot licence.  He was also musical, and aside from listening to his favourite Johnny Cash songs on vinyl, 8-track and cassette, could also play classics like Debussy on piano from memory.

A son of pioneers, Don’s life spanned decades of wars and turbulent social and political change. In that time, he impressed friends and complete strangers with his talkative manner and an impulsive desire to help others.   A ‘character’ from another time, his passing marks a true end of an era. 

A Private Family Service for Don will be held at a later date. 

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