Cecil Keast

CECIL LEONARD KEAST November 19, 1921-June 30, 2019 Cecil was born November 19, 1921 to Harry Keast and Agnes (Sharpin) at Happy Valley Post Office, 3 miles south of Coronach. He and his sister Alice moved in with their brother Charlie (Lena Fritz) when their mother died in 1932, and they attended Bannerman School. Charlie and Joe Fritz sold horses and when Cecil was 13, they had him ride a horse with them to Swan River, Manitoba. They stayed a few months, then went home and left Cecil there with a farm family to attend Pretty Valley School in Manitoba. At age 16, he moved in with his father at the hotel and worked with him in the post office. At age 18, he joined the army. He was mentioned in dispatches “in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the combined attack on Dieppe” as follows: “During the Dieppe operation, 19 August 1942, Lance Corporal Keast was a signaler with the South Saskatchewan Regiment. Throughout the action, encumbered by his No. 18 set, and, in consequence, always presenting a conspicuous target for enemy snipers, he moved and operated his set often over fire swept ground, with great coolness and entire disregard for the fire on the enemy. His devotion to duty was of inestimable value in maintaining intercommunication. During the withdrawal near a pill box, four wounded men lay in the road vulnerable to enemy fire. Keast organized a group of men at once to evacuate the wounded men leading the squad himself, improvising stretchers out of some old beds. Although bullets were striking all around him, he disregarded them entirely. His calm assurance and his systematic manner helped complete the task quickly. His fearlessness was an inspiration to all.” He was a prisoner of war for nearly 1000 days and was in handcuffs for 13 months of that time. When the war was over, Cecil returned to Coronach and was postmaster 1945-1978. In 1948, he married Isabel Greenwood. While working as postmaster, he studied to complete his International Accounting papers in 1954 and his Certified General Accountant (CGA) degree from UBC in 1963. He was secretary manager for the building and managing of Coronach’s first hospital, and he set up a fund to keep Coronach donations in Coronach after amalgamating with Weyburn. He acted as “Receiver” for the Coronach Hotel and the Rockglen Hotel. When the power plant and mine were first being set up, and the gov’t ignored all the town’s concerns, Cecil had a wartime solution to get everyone’s attention: cut the road! He worked with the Poplar River Surface Rights Association to obtain fair land prices and to make land reclamation mandatory. He was secretary for the Borderland Grazing Co-op. He was secretary for the Town of Fife Lake for twenty years. He was the secretary-treasurer for the Municipal Building Committee for the construction of the Sportsplex. He was one of the overseers of “Two Valley Construction Company” that built ten homes in Willow Bunch and ten homes in Coronach for low-income families. He was overseer for the “Big Muddy Beavers”, a non-profit organization which provided employment geared toward community improvement. He was also a Justice of the Peace. When he retired from the post office, Cecil set up an accounting office which he ran with the help of his wife and Patsy Galbraith from 1978-2011. In his accounting business he enjoyed consultations with people of all ages and was happy to give free advice. He liked helping people. So he worked until he was 90! In his brief retirement, Cecil lived at Coronach, Rockglen, Regina, and Emerald Park. Cecil is predeceased by his parents Harry and Agnes (Sharpin) Keast, his brothers Charlie and Howard, and his sister Alice (Elliott). Cecil is survived by his loving wife of 71 years, Isabel, his daughter Colleen Pritchard (Allen), his grandson Shane Kessler (Connie), his granddaughter Mandy Giffen (David), and his great-grandson Adriel Giffen, and numerous nieces and nephews. A private family graveside service was held Friday, July 5, 2019 at the Coronach Cemetery. Pallbearers were: Neil Montgomery, Ron Thorhaug, Rick Lesperance, Brian Wrolson, and Bryce Wrolson. Expressions of sympathy for the Keast family may be shared at ww.rossfuneralservice.com. Arrangements entrusted to Ross Funeral Service, Assiniboia, SK