Mervyn Abrahamson

Mervyn was born Dec 17, 1935 in Norquay. He grew up on the farm in the Pines before moving with his family to the Malonek area. His first jobs away from home were working in Kamsack for a farmer and then for a honey farm in Benito.  He then moved to the Chilcotin plateau in BC to work in the logging industry where he met Donna, who became his wife for 62 years. He worked in the logging camps as a forklift operator and then as a bucker/scaler for 8 years until 1966. Merv returned to the Malonek area to keep bees and then he set up a honey house on the farm at the Pines in 1969. He farmed in the Pines raising honey and grain(seed) until 1987. Here he became involved in the community serving on the board of Pelly Fellowship Chapel, Chairman of Pelly School Board, helped found the Ketchen Lake Bible Camp & was a charter member of the Pelly Lions Club.

Merv served the beekeeping industry as board member and President of the Saskatchewan Beekeepers Association, Vice President of the Manitoba Honey Co-op, President of the Canadian Honey Council, & their representative to the Canola Council of Canada. Here he learned how to manage committees and meet with governments as he worked to control the spread of honey bee diseases and Africanized bees. He traveled throughout Canada and to Mexico and Chile to meet with government and industry leaders to negotiate import regulations. Through all of this Merv developed a strong reputation as a man of integrity and wisdom.

By 1987 farming had become uneconomical and he moved into computers and business management. He worked in the soil sciences lab at the U of S. He then managed the Toronto office of a bee supply company before moving back to Saskatchewan. Merv and Donna moved to Pinehouse Lake where Donna was teaching at the school. He started working at the Pinehouse Lake Co-op setting up the inventory management computer system. Once the board saw Merv’s potential they quickly promoted him to general manager. Merv developed great relationships at the store and invested into his staff, and using good business sense, he and his staff more than doubled the sales at the store. After building up the store he tried to semi-retire but the Sandy Bay store called him up to help rebuild their business. After managing the Sandy Bay store for 6 years he retired back to the farm at the Pines.

Mervyn stayed active growing amazing tomatoes and raspberries, tapping maples and building things. He served in the community on the church board, the camp board and the museum board. Merv contributed his time and experience to many community projects like setting up the camp water system, fixing problems on the Model T and many other projects around the home & community with inventive solutions.

Predeceased by parents Wilhelm and Edith, brothers Delno, Howard, Gerald, Lawrence, Sidney, Clifton, sister Francis, father and mother-in-law Harry & Bertha, brother-in-laws George  and Bishan, and sister-in-laws Ada, Louise, and Doreen. Mervyn is survived by his wife Donna, children; Randy(Lana), Karen, Ian(Tara), Andrew(Jenn), and chosen daughter Natasha(Norm), grandchildren; Joshua, Ryan, Zac, Kate, Deanna, Karalynn, Jordan, Kanon, Cymric, Leif, and Gavin; In-laws Kay, Wanda, Shirley, Nita, Silvia, Linda(Gordon), Ken(Ann), and Anne(Dean).

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