Walter Melvin Braaten

Walter was born on March 14, 1931 in Ponteix, Sask., to parents Ingvald and Ingeborg Braaten. He was the 10th of 11 children.

From Ponteix, the family later moved a short distance to “The North Farm” in Neville, Sask. And it was there, at the age of 10, that Walter began his life as an entrepreneur.

The farmland in Neville was perfect for potatoes. So, young Walter started growing his own spuds and selling them to a restaurant in nearby Swift Current. By the time he was 16, he was ready to head out on his own. He helped the family plant one last crop, and then, with a cardboard suitcase from one of his older brothers and $20 from his father, he travelled southwest to Yale, B.C.

From the flatlands, to the mountains and cliff-sides of the Fraser Canyon, Walter quickly adjusted to his new surroundings. Before long, he got a job picking cherries. Being a prairie boy, fresh fruit was something new to him, so he probably ate the same number of cherries as he put in his bucket each day. His employers once joked that they should have weighed him before he went out picking so they would have known how much to charge him for his appetite.

After a year in Yale, Walter moved to Victoria for a short stint. While there, he caught on with Stolberg Mill Construction and was put in charge of building dry sheds. He already had carpentry skills and an eye for precision, so he was a good fit for the position. He continued to learn on the job, and carpentry would become a lifelong passion.

After three months in Victoria, Walter went back to Saskatchewan. He moved to Swift Current and teamed up with a brother-in-law Colburn for some work with the local school district. The district was interested in hiring Walter as a full-time carpenter but couldn’t meet his salary expectations. So, he was on the move again, this time to Prince George, B.C.

By now, it was the Cold War days of the early 1950s, and one of Walter’s first jobs was with Dawson and Hall Construction, helping to build a United States Air Force radar station at Baldy Hughes, southwest of the growing city. Walter then got an opportunity to work as a foreman with Dezell Construction and, being single and free to travel, he happily took charge of a lot of the company’s out-of-town projects.

And that’s when his life changed. While on a job building a gas station to the north of Prince George at McLeod Lake, he met a young lady by the name of Betty McKay, who hailed from Barrhead, Alta. Walter and Betty were married in the fall of 1958. In 1967, they welcomed a son, Brent.

Walter remained with Dezell Construction until 1970. After a short stay in Kelowna as a homebuilder, he resumed his career with Dezell in 1971, this time as co-owner with Betty. Walter and Betty stepped up to run the company after the passing of both Garvin Dezell and business partner Bert Braaten (one of Walter’s older brothers). Walter and Betty took Dezell Construction through the boom years of the 1970s and were the faces of the operation until they retired in 1986.

During his years at Dezell, Walter had a hand in several major construction projects in Prince George and throughout the north of BC. He was the first contractor in Tumbler Ridge, where he built a B.C. Hydro substation in 1981. Walter was proud to be able to complete construction of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in under nine months.

Smart, savvy and willing to share his knowledge, Walter enjoyed partnering with others to get them started in business. One of these was NC Contractors (A division of North Caribou Building Products) with Gary Witt.

Working and providing for his family was always important to Walter. But he also appreciated his downtime this included traveling the world with Betty and enjoying winters in warmer climates. Curling was another joy for Walter – both playing and watching on TV. He also loved to listen to live music, and boy, could he dance. Walter was also famous for his dry sense of humour.

With his Norwegian heritage, Walter was a charter member of the Sons of Norway lodge in Prince George.

Walter will be remembered as kind, loyal, honest, caring, fair, genuine, sincere and trustworthy. He was a true gentleman.

Walter was predeceased by his parents, Ingvald and Ingeborg, and by all but one of his siblings. Walter lost his wife, Betty, on March 1, 2012, after 54 years of marriage.

Walter is survived by his son, Brent (Sandi), granddaughter Emily, brother, Vern, numerous nieces and nephews, and his partner, dear Ada.

At this time, Walter’s family has chosen to honour his memory privately. To those who knew him, we invite you to raise a toast in his name, and to make a donation to the charity of your choice.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.firstmemorialfuneralkelowna.com

Arrangements entrusted with First Memorial Funeral Services (Dignity Memorial) Kelowna, BC 250-762-2299