Sunday, November 24, 2024
Franz, affectionately known as “Coyote” to our family, joined us when my cousin Delnora and he got married. He and Ralph hit it off instantly when they used to go hunting together. We had just moved into a new home in Chestermere, and Franz came over and helped us build a beautiful fireplace. It was clear that he put a lot of love and effort into it. Franz’s passion for horses started when he moved to BC. The first horse he got was Dolly, an old quarter horse mare. Sadly, Dolly passed away, and instead of replacing one horse, Ralph gave him three. That’s when the love affair with horses really began. Franz used his horses to go up into the mountains with Ralph to hunt. He even made a buckskin shirt that we still have today. One summer, we went camping at Fort Steele and left a note on his door saying we were in the campground. We saw him driving around and the only way we stopped him was by yelling “Coyote”! He slammed on the brakes, got out of the truck, and gave us all a big hug. The last time Ralph saw him, they spent the whole day reminiscing about old times.
