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L'Association des anciens
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Ernie Ritson HENDERSON
11 January 1905 - 9 November 2011
Ernie passed away on Wednesday November 9th, 2011 at the age of 106. Ernie had a wonderful life and only gave up driving when he was 102. Ernie is survived by his daughter, Jean Hillenbrand, of Shellbrook, Saskatchewan and a son Rob Henderson of Victoria, B.C. He also is survived by 7 grandchildren.
Regimental Number 11992 Ernie Ritson Henderson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on January 11, 1905 – six months before Alberta joined confederation. He grew up in the Cardale area of Manitoba with a brother and sister. He started farming on his own when he left home and did so until the days of the depression in the early 1930’s when it became almost impossible to make a living. So, in 1933 at the age of 28, Ernie joined the RCMP in Winnipeg. He trained in Vancouver and had his first posting in the interior of B.C. at such places as Golden where he spent a lot of time “chasing Hobos” on the railroad. Eventually, he was transferred to Alberta (“K” Division) where he spent most of his service at postings in Drumheller, Hanna, Turner Valley, High River and Cardston. Ernie married Fanny Brown when he was stationed in the Drumheller/Hanna area and had a son and daughter. In 1948, while stationed at Cardston, Ernie decided to leave the Force for much better paying job with the Canadian Shorthorn Association where he worked out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan as the Western Canada representative for the next 11 years. After that, he bought a McLeod’s hardware store franchise and operated it in Shellbrook, Saskatchewan until he retired to High River, Alberta in 1971.
Funeral services will be held in High River at the Snodgrass Funeral Home on Friday November 18th, 2011 at 1:30 PM at 301 MacLeod Trail, High River, Alberta. A section of the sanctuary has been set aside for the RCMP Veterans which will accommodate around 30. Interment will be at “Depot” at a later date.