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Leonard Werden

1920 ~ 2015


Leonard William Werden was born in Fort Steele on November 6, 1920, and passed away peacefully in Fort Steele at the age of 94 on March 19, 2015.

He grew up riding and breaking horses and started working as a summertime pony guide at the young age of 15 at Lake Louise, AB.


Leonard left Fort Steele for the coast in 1938 where he soon enlisted in the Army-Engineer division in 1942.

He married Lenore Wilson on January 5, 1946, and they raised four sons in Burnaby, where he worked for CPR and Dominion Bridge as a welder and fitter.

In 1970 he left the coast and moved to Skookumchuk to build his retirement dream home which he did with no power tools – it was all by hand.

Leonard lived between Skookumchuk and Creston, working on the family orchard, for many years. He was always busy and could fix and repair anything - the bigger the challenge the better.


He was predeceased by his loving wife of 54 years Lenore Mabel Werden; three brothers: George, Bob and Jimmy; and three sisters: Peggy, Viola and Veronica.

Leonard, affectionately known as “Rab”, leaves to mourn his loving partner Dorothy Lescanec; four sons: Leonard (Marilyn) Werden, Bob Werden, Gene (Linda) Werden and Ronald (Shelley) Werden; eleven grandchildren: Andrea, Leonard, Ryan, Jaylene, Shannon, Barbara, Robert, Bianca, Sasha, Niesje Dee, and Anthony, as well as twelve great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial lunch will be held on Thursday, April 2, 2015 from 1:00 pm until 2:30 pm at McPherson Funeral Home in Cranbrook, with interment to follow in Fort Steele Cemetery.

Arrangements entrusted to McPherson Funeral Service. Condolences for the family can be offered at: www.mcphersonfh.com