Barb Sparrow – Obituary

Barbara Irene Sparrow passed away peacefully on June 10, 2022, at the age of 94. Barbara is survived by her daughter Connie Sparrow (Brian Brannagan); son Craig Sparrow (Yvonne Mitchell); daughter Shelley Sowter (Ken Sowter) eight grandchildren and one greatgrandchild.

Barbara was predeceased by her husband Merle (1999), son Blaine (1972), and daughter-in-law Marilyn Wood-Sparrow (2017). Barbara was born in Zealandia and grew up on a farm in Wiseton. She travelled by horse and buggy or sleigh, to Almonte School and later attended and graduated from Wiseton School. After completing studies at Normal School in Saskatoon, she began her teaching career at Minnesota School (Vanscoy District), in 1946. There she met a young farmer, Merle. They were married in 1949. Barbara and Merle’s farm began with two quarter sections

Barb Irene Sparrow

and some share and purchased cattle. Together with Merle’s brother Alan, they bought their first Charolais bull in 1963. The farm grew and their Sparvan Charolais herd became well known and respected. Barbara was a key partner in preparing for and hosting annual breeding stock sales, over a period of more than 30 years. Involvement in the cattle industry included active membership in the Saskatchewan and Canadian Charolais Associations. Showing cattle at the Royal Winter Fair, the Saskatoon Fall Fair and Agribition were interesting and rewarding experiences.

Barbara planted a huge garden to feed her growing family and share with friends. It was not uncommon for her to deliver a freshly picked bowl of berries, or a huge bouquet of flowers to a neighbour – just because … Barbara was integrally involved in the community. Throughout her lifetime she was an executive member and/or active participant with many organizations, including: Minnesota Merry Makers, UCW, Vanscoy Community Recreation Board, Sunday School, Canadian Charolettes, Vanscoy Senior Citizens Club, Vanscoy United Church Board, and cemetery committees. She valued personal family histories and the history of the Vanscoy area. In this regard, she dedicated many hours to research, contributing to the publication of several books. Barbara was a superlative hostess – frequently entertaining (and feeding) large groups of friends and relatives – and making it look easy! New friendships were forged as Barbara brought together people from different walks of life. Her family and friends will especially miss and remember Barbara for the way she observed the hidden beauty of the world around her … counting the seeds sprouted when grain testing … noticing how many inches a plant grew in a day … watching prairie chickens ‘tobogganing’ down snowbanks.

HERD HEALTH, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 60

testicular degeneration is such a gray area when it comes to insurance. Primarily because we often don’t know what the initiating cause is.

Spontaneous degeneration can occur at anytime in a bull’s life but is more common in older age (> 5 years). That is why it is imperative to semen test all older bulls yearly. If you have a past history of scrotal size you can pick up degeneration in the early stages and eliminate the bull. It is not uncommon for scrotal size to vary up to 2 cm depending on fat cover and season of year. An experienced veterinarian will pick up the palpable softness of the testicles along with the multitude of primary sperm defects, which accompany degenerating testicles.

The bull’s testicles are one of the most important anatomical organs when it comes to breeding ability and fertility. Always keep a close eye on this investment! Diligent observation and subsequent testing can eliminate potential disasters in your breeding program when a bull degenerates.

I have seen enough degenerations over time come back, so on the real valuable herd sires, give them time, as in many months, and often we may get them fertile again. On the real special herd sires, on-farm semen collection is also very good insurance in case something does happen in subsequent years. The more we can prevent fighting in any time of a bull’s life, the better. Whole articles have been devoted to this topic over time. Give them all the disease prevention shots they need and treat for internal and external parasites, they are always a great investment and offer protection. When purchasing, see what herd health program the bulls are on. They are willing to share this information and treat them as a partner in your operation. In some cases, watch for the need of foot trimming on older bulls. As far as productivity, longevity, profitability, phenotype and genotype, most experienced cattlemen, purebred or commercial, will tell you the higher quality and hence cost bulls will make them the most profits. Here’s to a great breeding season, 2023 calf crop, with no bull issues inbetween.