Kenneth "Ken" Murray Davidson

Kenneth (Ken) Murray DAVIDSON

Born:  May 8, 1935

Died: September 26, 2023

Age: 88 years

Ken passed away on the 26th of September, 2023, in his home town of Carberry, Manitoba at the age of 88 years.

Ken was born on the 8th of May 1935 in Neepawa, Manitoba.  He was the only child of Alex and Phyllis Davidson.  He spent his early years there, and by all reports he was a rambunctious young fellow despite being afflicted with polio in his infancy. 

The family moved to Carberry when Ken was in his teens and that’s where he soon met the love of his life, Freda Wells.  A courtship followed under the watchful eye of Fred’s Mom, Mabel, and they were wed on October 6, 1956, in Carberry.

Ken and Freda lived in Brandon after they were married.  Both worked in the meat and grocery business with Freda as a cashier and Ken as a butcher.  In 1959 they moved to Winnipeg where Ken became the meat department manager of the Loblaws store at Portage and Moray.

It was in Winnipeg where their children were born: Roy in 1961, Darcy in 1963, and Lori in 1964.

In 1964 they moved back to Carberry where Ken, Freda and his parents purchased WD McMillan Meats and Grocery and renamed it Davidson’s Meats Ltd.  They raised their children in Carberry and operated a thriving meat and grocery store, and abattoir.  Ken retired in 1998 leaving the business in the hands of his daughter, Darcy, and her husband, Todd Witherspoon.  The business was sold in 2013 after 49 years in the family.

Ken was an active outdoorsman enjoying hunting, fishing and camping with his family, and friends.  A tent soon became a trailer which then became a cabin on Pelican Lake.  The family acquired a boat, and with Ken as the captain, they enjoyed many hours of boating, fishing and water skiing.  The Pelican Lake cabin was sold in 1996, and he and Freda bought a cottage at Clear Lake where they enjoyed many more years of summer cottage life.

Sports were a big part of Ken’s life as a participant, coach and fan.  Despite his disability, he played hockey and other sports in his teenage years.  He grew up listening to Hocky Night in Canada broadcasts on the radio on Saturday nights.  When family came along, he enjoyed watching his children as they played various sports.  When his son, Roy, began playing hockey, Ken became a coach in the Carberry Minor Hockey Association for a number of seasons. 

Golf was a popular past time for Ken.  He and Freda enjoyed many rounds in Carberry, Clear Lake and many other courses in southwestern Manitoba.  He was a founding member of the Carberry Sandhills Golf Course, and a regular participant in the “19th Holers” golf trips.

As a sports fan, Ken followed baseball, hockey and football avidly, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were his favorite team.  For many years he had season tickets and enjoyed going to the games.  If the Bombers were playing on TV, you had best be prepared to join him to watch the game. 

Ken enjoyed travel and he and the family went on various of camping trips across Western Canada over the years. The Caribbean and Huatulco, Mexico were favorite winter destinations for him and Freda to get some warmth and sun during the Manitoba winter.   Other trips, taken through their IGA business, took them to the Caribbean, Hong Kong, Italy and Portugal.

Like his father before him, Ken was always up for a good chin wag with just about anyone who happened to come by.  In his later years, he could be seen chatting from the seat of his scooter at various places around town.  Coffee was often part of this, and he was a regular at the morning coffee klatches year-round at the golf course.  He especially enjoyed his weekend coffee and gab sessions with his son-in-law, Brett Thomson.

Ken is predeceased by his wife, Freda (Wells), and his parents, Alex and Phyllis Davidson (McKee).

Left to commemorate his life are his three children: Roy Davidson (Shelley) of Kamloops, BC, Darcy Witherspoon (Todd) and Lori Thomson (Brett) of Carberry, MB; his seven grandchildren: Lindsay Witherspoon of Brandon, MB, Scott Witherspoon (Samantha) of Killarney, MB, Joe Witherspoon of Winnipeg, MB, Layah Davidson (Myles) and Emily Coombs (Dylan) of Kamloops, BC, Mitchell Ursel (Nevada) and Brady Ursel (Ryleigh) of Kelowna, BC; and seven great grandchildren

A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 11:00 AM, at the Carberry United Church with Reverend Emma Seamone officiating. 

Honorary pall bearers will be all of his grandchildren, as well as Charlie Hope, Jimmy Scott, Al Felowich, Brian and Sharon Salt, and Rick and Dorothy Dempkey.

Internment will be at the Carberry Plains Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that a donation be made to the cancer or Alzheimer’s society of your choice.