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16TuesdayNovember262013MotorcyclemissionaryFatherEbnerpassesawayOblatepriesthelpedfoundNorthernLifeMuseuminFortSmithByMEAGANWOHLBERGSurvivingthreemajormotorcyclecrashestwoshotstotheheadandhepa-titisthroughouthis40yearsasanOblatepriestinCan-adasNorthFatherFrancisEbnerfinallypassedawayattheageof95lastweekonNov.17.AchampionmarksmanwiththeWesternCana-dianRangersandeven-tualfounderoftheNorth-ernLifeMuseuminFortSmithEbnerwasknownforhiseclecticinterestsandtalentsacrossNorth-erncommunitieswhichtookhimfromFortNor-manTulitatoAklavikCoppermineYellowknifeHayRiverFortSmithandInuvikstartingin1944attheageof26.Butperhapswhatdistin-guishedhimthemostwashisobsessionwiththeHar-ley-Davidsonmotorcyclesthattookhimeverywhereevenin40-below.InYellowknifewherehelivedfrom1947to1962hisgoodhorsewouldcarryhimacrosssnowyfootpathsfromOldTowntoGiantMinetotheIn-dianVillageonLathamIslandandoncenearlydrownedhimwhenhebrokethroughtheiceonYellowknifeBayonhiswaytovisittheSignals.IshouldhaveknownbetterEbnerrecountedinSusanJacksonsillustratedhistoryofYellowknife.Ebnerwouldtakehisse-riesofHarleysbackandforthbetweentheNWTandMilwaukeetovisithisfamilysometimesdrivingasleepless26hourstogettherestoppingonlyformassandbreakfast.Hewasabeastonamo-torcyclechuckledRayCurrie.AstheFortSmithmuse-umsmostactivevolunteerCurriehasbeendedicatedtogoingthroughEbnersmassivecollectionofar-chivedbitsandpiecesofNorthernhistoryeachdayforyears.CurriedescribedEbnerasabitofahoardercon-sumedforthemostpartbyhispassionforcollecting.Thatwashislovehispastime.Hemoreorlesslivedoverthereatthemu-seumCurriesaid.ItwasduringEbnersfirsttripbackhomein1952thathebegancollectingitemsnowhousedintheNorthernLifeMuseumoldcoinsarrowheadsandmineralsamples.HehelpedtofoundtheYellowknifeMuseumSo-cietybeforemovingtoHayRiverandthenontoSmithin1974bringinghiscol-lectionwithhim.Thecollectionwasini-tiallyheldinthebasementatGrandinCollegebeforeitwasmovedtothecur-rentmuseumconstructedin1974whereEbnerwouldbecomecurator.Overhis11yearsinFortSmithbeforemovingtoInuvikin1985thatcollec-tiongrewto12000pieceswiththehelpofBrotherHenriSareault.EbnerdescribedtheitemsasthingsthatpeoplenourishingqualitiesofnatureBergerwroteaboutEbnerforaseriesonOblatesattheAlbertamuseum.Borninatrainstationduringablizzardin1918EbnerraisedthepopulationofhishometownNickersonMinnesotatosix.Hewouldspendthenext14andahalfyearsthereimmersedinthenaturalwondersprovidedbythewoodssurroundinghishome.HisfamilylatermovedtoSuperiorWisconsinwherehefirstdreamedofbecomingapilot.Itwasinthelasthalfyearofhighschoolthathedecidedtobecomeapriest.ThoughBergersaidheinitiallyfoundEbnersloveofnaturetobeatdiscordwiththeCatholicmental-itythatthepresentworldisimperfectandjoyisintheworldtocomeEbnerwouldtellhimonseveraloccasionsTheworldwascreatedbyGodsoitisholy.Hislovefornaturewasnotinhibitedbyhispriestlyresponsibilities.RatherIthinkthathisgiftscametotheirfullestarticulationwhenhewenttotheNorthBergerwrote.NorthernersOblatesHislovefornaturewasnotinhibitedbyhispriestlyresponsibilities.RatherIthinkthathisgiftscametotheirfullestarticulationwhenhewenttotheNorth.BenjaminLyleBergerProvincialMuseumofAlbertawouldliketolookatin-cludingmineralsbirdsflowersbutterfliesAb-originalartsandcraftsandtools.Evenaftersemi-retiringtoSt.AlbertAlta.EbnercontinuedtocontributetotheProvincialMuseumofAlbertainEdmontonuntilhisdeath.AccordingtoBenjaminLyleBergeraresearchassociatewiththeProvin-cialMuseumtheloveofnaturethatfueledEbnerspassionfortheNorthwasthesamethatinspiredhimtohonourthroughpreser-vationthemanypiecesoflocalculturalandnaturalhistoryandeventobe-comeamanofGodinthefirstplace.FatherEbnerwasraisedwithanunderstandingoftheintrinsicallypower-fulaweinspiringandAshismissionarylifebecamemoreinvolvedhisreligioussenseswerehonedthecommunityas-pectofhislifebecamemoreimportantandhisaweandrespectforthenaturalworldwasdeveloped.Icannotrecalladis-cussionwithFatherEbnerthatcreptintotherealmofscriptureortheneedforconversionbutIhavehadinnumerablediscussionswithhimcenteredonthepeoplehelivedandworkedwithandthenaturalworldoftheNorth.AfuneralforEbnerwasheldlastThursdayNov.21attheSt.AlbertPar-ishwiththefollowingin-termentattheSt.AlbertCatholicCemetery.DonationsmaybemadetoFoyerLacombe1St.VitalAvenueSt.AlbertABT8N1K1.PhotocourtesyofConnelly-McKinleyFuneralHomePhotoscourtesyofFrancisEbnerFatherEbnerandhis1954KH750ccHarleyinYellowknife.FatherFrancisEbneronhis1952125ccHarley-DavidsoncrossingYellowknifeBay.FatherFrancisEbneranOblatepriestwhoworkedintheNWTformostofhislifepassedawayonNov.17at95yearsold.