It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father Kaj Rejmon Bisgaard on May 4th following a stroke. Kaj was born in Odder Denmark to Rasmus & Nielsine on Feb. 10, 1932.
Following his formal education he took a carpentry apprenticeship with Jorgen Knudsen. In June of 1952 our dad immigrated to Canada. After travelling across Canada to Vancouver then through the Okanagan picking fruit for some cash he ended up in the Trail area boarding with the Klit family, a Danish family he came to know.
The following year on May 17 he married Ellen Margrethe Mikkelsen once she arrived from Denmark. After boarding another few weeks in a room next to the Klit’s they rented a small house in Waneta behind the drive-in until they were able to build their first home on Waneta Road. In 1954 a son, Allan, was born, then in 1960 a daughter, Alice, followed by another son, Stanley in 1962. Over 1962-63 Dad built a second home on half of the property they purchased for their first home. Then in Dec. of 1967 Kaj purchased an acreage past Fruitvale that had stolen his heart the year before.
In the fall of 1968 he moved the family to the new place after building a house for the previous owners as part of the purchase agreement. So began the adventure of owning a large property suitable for many endeavors. Kaj worked in the construction industry for many years with various people and for a number of years formed a partnership with Jorgen Jorgensen, a dear friend who had also immigrated to Canada. They called their company J K Construction. Not long after moving to the acreage, Kaj left the partnership and worked either on his own or for other people including Karl Monk of Fruitvale. Much of his time was devoted to working on the acreage in various ways including a thorough renovation to the home: haying, selling firewood, snow plowing and growing potatoes to name a few. He also acquired an adjoining piece of property in 1971 and built a 4-plex as well as three houses for rental income.
Over the years much of the property has been sold including the rental property, but he always found things to do whether for income or as a hobby: riding his electric powered bikes picking up cans, building saw horses or ladders and building pelton wheels to power a table saw which he used to make wedges that he sold and delivered to Maglios for over 15 years. He was still doing this up until his passing.
Kaj is predeceased by his beloved wife Ellen of nearly 57 years in 2010, a granddaughter, Belinda Hawkins in 2014, a brother Frederick Howard formerly of Trail in 2009 as well as his other siblings who lived in Denmark. He is survived by his son Allan of Torrington, AB, daughter-in-law Vicki of Trail, granddaughter Jessica (Darcy) of Edmonton, AB, great-granddaughter Taylor, grandson Josh of Fruitvale, daughter Alice (Jay) Hawkins of Fruitvale, grandson Kris Hawkins (Jenn) of Fruitvale, great granddaughter Jordyn, grandsons Eric & Daniel Hawkins of Fruitvale and son Stanley of Fruitvale.
A celebration of Kaj’s life will be held Thursday, May 14th with a graveside service at the Fruitvale Cemetery at 11:00 am followed by a luncheon at Fruitvale Christian Fellowship. Pastor Bryan Henry will officiate with Jordan Wren of Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services™ entrusted with arrangements.
The family also invites you to a Memorial Barbeque in honour of Kaj and Ellen Bisgaard at the acreage, 3059 Hwy 3B, commencing at 4:00 pm the same day. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the charity of your choice. We would like to express appreciation to Dr.’s Behrens and Dryden of the BV clinic for their compassionate care of our dad over the last few months and to the nursing and care staff of 3rd Floor Medical West wing at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital.
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family’s online register at www.myalternatives.ca.