Alfred Litzenberger
3 December 1919 – 16 December 1976
Alfred Litzenberger was born in Neudorf, Saskatchewan. He attended school in the town of Neudorf and later at a country school in the area. In 1941 he met and married Elsie Ulmer of Melville and the two farmed 5 miles west and 2 miles south of Melville. Three girls blessed their union, Sharon, Linda and Audrey. Alf and Elsie ran a small mixed farm and added 200 layers in the late 1940’s. The enterprise must have appealed to them as the flock grew in size and specialization until 7,000 layers were housed in 1966. Alf Litzenberger Eggs and later “Top Notch Eggs” were candled, graded and distributed over a wide area on all sides of Melville.
He was quick to recognize the value of publicity and the family prepared outstanding egg exhibits for shows in and out of the province. In 1968, he was awarded the trophy for the highest scoring entry at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. In 1969 they took the Grand Champion Egg prize at the Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.
Alf served tirelessly in many capacities in the poultry industry. He was leader of the Melville 4H Poultry Club and served on the District 13 Agriculture District Board. He served the Saskatchewan Poultry Association (Egg Producers) for many years and was the President during the last successful drive towards a producer egg marketing board in 1969.
He was active on the Saskatchewan Poultry Board and the Canadian Egg Producers Council. Alf was the first secretary-manager of the Saskatchewan Commercial Egg Producers Marketing Board in 1969 and worked constantly to preserve the egg industry for the family farms of the province. Much credit has to go to the family for taking care of the egg business while he was away on industry affairs.
Alf put his whole heart into everything he did and he did just about everything. He played, coached and was on the executive of the Melville Rural Hockey League and the South Melville Comets Fastball team. He was chosen as a member of the Fastball League All Stars in 1962 as pitcher-coach at an age at which most men have retired from active athletics.
He served his community in many ways. He served on the Board of St. Peters Hospital and was the chairman when they had their twenty fifth anniversary. He served in major capacities on the St. Paul Lutheran Church Council and St. Pauls Lutheran Home. He was the chairman of the congregation at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church when the new parsonage and the new church were built and dedicated. He also served on the board of the Melville and District Credit Union.
His experience and expertise in the field of producer marketing boards was recognized with his appointment, by the Government of Saskatchewan, to the Natural Products Marketing Board.
His untimely passing at the age of 57 deprived us of the strength and dedication of this husband, father and leader in the poultry industry and his community. Apparently his services were needed elsewhere.