David Douglas Rennie

Doug was born to Dave (1892-1980) and Jean Rennie (née McRobert, 1901-1977) who emigrated from Scotland in 1924 with their three children: Tom, Nancy, and Jean. As Dave had served in the British army, he was allocated some land in the Gifford settlement of Matsqui.

Doug was born in 1928 and then came three more siblings: Helen, Jim, and Bonnie. They grew up on the farm during the Depression and it was tough. Everyone, including the kids had to do everything they could to make ends meet. Everyone in the community did things together and helped one another.

As a child, Doug was a member of the 4H and showed his first calf at the Gifford Fair in 1937, the last year of the fair. At the age of ten, Doug started milking cows. Each morning he would do the milking and then go on to school in Matsqui. He got five cents a cow.

Doug quit school and worked on the farm and eventually started filling silos and planting corn and beans for other farmers. When he was sixteen he got a job at the huge cannery in Mission. He’d ride his bike over the old railroad bridge, getting there at seven in the morning and often staying until midnight. He was paid thirty–five cents an hour.

By the time Doug was an older teenager, the Depression had passed and there was a little more money around.

Throughout the 1948 flood the family lived at the airport and kept their cows on ten acres of land where McDonalds is on the corner of Bourquin Crescent and South Fraser Way. They had the use of an old barn. Lots of other farmers had their cows nearby, and so trucks would drive along South Fraser Way with fellows on the back, pitching off feed for the cows.

Doug met Kathleen Anderson (1929-2010) in 1952. A friend, Doug Smith, was taking a girlfriend, Betty, to the Fireman’s Ball in Whonnock and had invited Kathleen. Doug met up with them at the beer parlour of the Bellevue Hotel in Mission, where they were introduced. They danced and it was instant love. They dated for a year and got married and had six kids: Alan, Catherine, Colin, Donald, Margaret and JoAnne.

Farming had always been Doug’s life. It was always a challenge but he loved it and took great pleasure in it.

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Doug Rennie passed away February 19, 2014 one day prior to his 86th birthday.

He is survived by his 6 children, Alan and Myrna Rennie from Armstrong, Catherine and Essie Villaluz, Colin and Ingrid Rennie, Donald and Joyce Rennie, JoAnne and Keith Nelmes, all from Matsqui, and Margaret and Tom Brent of Dewdney; 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren: Brandee and Mark Foster (Quentin), Amber and Jim Allison (Kalysta and Ivory Schellenberg), Shaun and Jaime Rennie (Hunter and Amelia), Tyler and Pam Rennie (Liam), Marc Lebo, Megan and Dan Kalte, Cristina Rennie, Tosh Rennie (Katrina), Keegan Brent, Alex Brent, Riley Nelmes, and Kaitlyn Nelmes. Doug is also survived by his sisters, Jean, Helen and Bonnie; as well as extended family and friends.

Doug was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen in 2010.

A Celebration of Doug’s Life will be held on Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 11:00 am at Cascade Community Church, 35190 Delair Road, Abbotsford, BC.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the BC Cancer Society.

Arrangements under the direction of Henderson's Fraser Valley Funeral Home, Abbotsford, BC.