Paul Edwin Breiter

Paul Edwin Breiter entered this world on October 16, 1957, the oldest son of Norm &

Toots Breiter.  He grew up in the Kinistino area, attending Kinistino school to Grade 10,

and then Caronport High School for Grades 11 and 12.  One of Paul's duties was

running the PA system for chapel.  Because he wasn't comfortable up in front of

people, he'd go well before chapel to make the necessary adjustments.  In Grade 11 he

learned that in the last semester of Grade 12 you had to get up in front of chapel and

preach.  He determined he wasn't going to do that so he finished his Grade 11 & 12 in

three semesters.

In his teen years he enjoyed having a huge market garden with an older neighbor

friend.  He told of taking truckloads of veggies to Kinistino Hospital.  If you can imagine

the size of the garden, they picked a half-ton truck box full of peas in one picking.  Paul

also took a TV servicing course.

Bible camp was a big part of Paul's life--he counseled at Torch Trail, directed at Ranger

Lake, spoke at Pine Ridge, helped at Faith Bible Camp.  He graduated from the 3-year

program at Nipawin Bible Institute.  It was at Torch Trail and NBI that he met and fell in

love with Welma Ens, whom he married April 5, 1980.  This union was blessed with

three children:  Conrad (1985), Camella (1989), and Carissa (1995).

I think God has a sense of humor.  Paul wasn't really intending to be a pastor but his

home church (Glen Mary Mission) didn't have a pastor so they asked if he'd consider

reading his Bible school notes to them.  He agreed... and one thing led to another--he

started preaching, and loved being a pastor.  His creative mind needed an outlet so

writing puppet scripts helped--all he needed was an idea and he'd write one.

Paul & Welma pastored at Wetaskiwin 5 1/2 years, took a break and moved to Calgary

for 1 1/2 years where Paul got a job in a helmet factory, doing a variety of jobs.  He

helped increase production by fixing sewing machines, saved the company big bucks

by learning to be the broker for USA shipments, used his motorbike to do their banking

in a hurry, etc.

In 1989 the path led back to Saskatchewan where Paul pastored the Spalding and Lac

Vert AGC churches for over 30 years--a year and a half at both churches and then just

Lac Vert.

Paul had a passion for kids and youth and spent hours working with them.  Youth group

grew to 30, Day Camp for 25 years with up to 55 campers each year.  Youth Bible

Studies were a hit with reward trips to West Edmonton Mall, a first for most of the youth

(by memorizing Scripture and some fundraising, they could go for free).  Kids Klub, Day

Camp and Kids & Youth Activities taught about Jesus and the need to personally

accept Him.

Paul needed a garage in Lac Vert so we mixed cement with a small cement mixer and

poured a 20 x 30' cement pad.  With lots of help from the Lac Vert Church a garage

was built on that, with a second story to be used as a youth centre, "My Second Home",

and for equipment storage, etc.

Paul also taught Hunter Safety for a number of years and hauled sports teams for

Pleasantdale school. We were getting numerous stone chips in the windshield of the

van we used for kids/youth activities so Paul researched repairs and then sourced a kit

to do our repairs, and offered this service to the church and community at cost.

Because it was smaller churches he pastored, Paul always supplemented his income

with extra jobs--milking at a dairy, working at a computer store and carwash, building

computers, running the water system in LV, fixing... 

He also enjoyed going to the bush to get wood, for us and for other people.

Paul had wanted to produce a coffee flyer for a long time, so he did research, talked to

people who were producing one, collecting hints/ideas/data.  In 2008, "The Wholesome

Bean" was hatched in Lac Vert and distributed to the surrounding area.  Paul used his

creative ideas to make up the ads, did the marketing, typed a lot of stories (with 2 or 3

fingers), and did the delivery.  That slowly switched till Welma took over quite a bit of

that but Paul still did the marketing and delivery, and we'd print in partnership.  In 2016

Paul was suddenly sent to Saskatoon for triple bypass surgery and was in hospital

when the Bean needed to be done.  Thankfully, only 2 new ads came in and Carissa

(home on reading break) helped me figure out how to do that--the rest I could do.

Conrad helped with folding (printing at least 2 folded sheets, 600 copies/week).  By the

next week Paul was home and could give instructions from his bed so another Bean

made it, and Welma continued to do more of the Bean.

Paul enjoyed telling stories, humor and pulling pranks... at Ranger Lake one of his

duties as director was night watchman.  Especially at teen camp, the kids liked to sneak

out of their cabins after lights out.  Paul warned them there might be bears around and

they should stay in their cabins but sure enough, several girls snuck out.  Paul could

have just told them to go back to their cabins but he did something much more

effective--he broke some branches and started growling like a bear...  It worked like a

charm.  He didn't have any more problems with them.

Because of his heart, Paul needed to slow down so we switched from Kids/Youth

activities to "Senior Moments" (events for seniors).

In 2019 Paul resigned from the LV church so we could focus on moving to Kinistino

--we bought Paul's Dad's house with the intent he could live there with us as long as he

was able.  With moving, we also sold "The Wholesome Bean".

Paul loved helping people and when the pastor of the Kinistino Community Church

asked if Paul might fill the pulpit occasionally, he agreed.  Then other churches asked...

Presbyterian, Free Methodist.  Paul was enjoying getting to know new people, and

helping out struggling churches.  One man told me, "We were hoping Paul might

become our new pastor." 

It wasn't just filling the pulpit, but Paul would help in numerous ways--clearing snow for

neighbors, growing and delivering produce from our gardens to people, spraying weeds

for others, being "Mr. Fix It".  Paul knew so much--as one friend put it,

"Paul knew it all but he wasn't a 'know it all'."

In Kinistino we were finding events were past before people realized they were

happening, and Paul was dreaming of having a coffee flyer again.  The Wholesome

Bean from Lac Vert had died so we could again use that name and the Kinistino edition

of The Wholesome Bean hit the ground in April of 2023.  It was well received and

helped the community become aware of events.  Paul enjoyed connecting with people

as he did his deliveries.

But Paul's time on earth was up and on March 12, 2024, he was ushered into the

presence of Jesus, whom he had accepted as his personal Savior at the age of 8, the

same Jesus who said, "I am going to prepare a place for you.  When everything is

ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me." (John 14)

Paul was always looking for the best deal-- now he's got the very best deal, he's in heaven with Jesus, forever.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife, Welma; son, Conrad (Amy), and daughters,

Camella (Jair) Sort, and Carissa (Derek) Harder; and grandchildren, Franchesca, Elliot,

Zachary, Rachel and Cobe Sort, Jace Harder; his father, Normand Breiter; brother Stan

(Karen) and sister Faith (Wes) Olmstead, numerous aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces,

and friends.

Paul was predeceased by his mother, Elizabeth Breiter, in 2017.

Memorial Donations in Paul’s name can be sent to :

Torch Trail Bible Camp

 Box 84, Choiceland, SK S0J 0M0

Or to Nipawin Bible College 

 Box 1986, Nipawin, SK S0E 1E0