Obituary of Henry Sprague

A memorial folder from the funeral service may be printed under the "Memories" tab, then choose "Memorial Folder". SPRAGUE - Henry Sprague was born on September 10, 1920 in Neepawa, Manitoba, the eldest of four children of Henry and Bertha (nee Gillis) Sprague. After his schooling, Henry worked on farms until war was declared and he enlisted with the Queens Own Highlanders in 1940. He was medically discharged and two months later joined the Fort Garry Horse Regiment. While serving overseas during the war, he met a young woman at a dance, and after courting for a year, Henry married Dorothy Elliot in 1943. Henry eventually served as a Corporal during the war. His regiment landed on Normandy Beach on June 6, 1944 and, after fourteen days of intense fighting, advanced inland to Cairn, France and later Belgium and Holland. Henry was wounded twice in Holland. After being wounded at Bergen op Zoom in Holland, he eventually returned to Winnipeg in 1945, with Dorothy following later that year. Together they had two children Wayne and Carol. Henry worked moving furniture and as a transport operator for twenty-eight years in Winnipeg. After the children had grown up and were married Henry and Dorothy separated. Henry moved to Saskatchewan in 1972 and lived in Kennedy until 1996 when he moved to Yorkton. Henry met Florence Burchill in Edmonton and they later married on April 11, 2001 in Yorkton. They enjoyed spending their summers at the cottage at Lake of the Prairies. Henry possessed a strong work ethic, which served him well throughout his life. He was strong-minded and generally chose to follow his own path rather than the crowd. Although serious by nature, he enjoyed a good laugh and was quick to engage in banter with friends and fellow truckers. He had a competitive spirit, whether it be for sports, cards or just who could catch the most or biggest fish. Henry enjoyed many interests and pastimes including camping, hunting and fishing, sports such as baseball and hockey, playing horseshoes, doing gardening and carpentry work. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Saskatchewan and Manitoba Wildlife Federations. Henry passed away on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre. He was ninety- one years of age. He was predeceased by his parents, Henry and Bertha; his brother, Robert and sister, Edna (Arnie) Turner. He leaves his two children Wayne (Donna) Sprague and Carol (Malcolm) Jackson and their mother Dorothy; all of Winnipeg; his wife Florence of Yorkton; her three children Sharon (Dale) McKeith, Darren (Sandra) Burchill and Daryl (Kim) Burchill; grandchildren Cheney (Krystal) Wright, Travis Jackson and Ainsley Jackson and one great grandchild Olivia Mikayla Wright; his brother David (Eleanor) Sprague of Winnipeg; sister, Edith (Bill) Neuman of McCreary, Manitoba; sister-in-law, Muriel Sprague of Winnipeg. The funeral service was held on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 from the Yorkton Memorial Gardens Family Centre with Rev. Ken Buchan officiating. Tributes were given by Wayne Sprague and Carol Jackson. Members of the Royal Canadian Legion, General Alexander Ross branch #77 attended the service and performed the Legion Tribute Service. The interment took place in the Garden of Devotion with Wayne and Carol serving as the urn bearers. A reception followed in the Family Centre Reception Room. Arrangements were by Bailey's Funeral Home (baileysfuneralhome.com) Interment Details Yorkton Memorial Gardens