The Millet and District Museum is will be honoring two Millet residents who have, in the past, laid their life on the line for their country and their community.
A dedication evening will take place Jan. 26 at the Millet Royal Canadian Legion at 6 p.m. to celebrate Millet’s oldest living veteran Owen Horlacher and long-time Millet volunteer Al Hegge.
Executive director Tracey Levitt says any other time the dedications would have been held in the spring, but the museum and the Legion have partnered to host the event in conjunction Horlacher’s birthday. “This is a very special event … We knew his (96th) birthday was coming so we tied it in with that.”
Horlacher will be bringing in photos for the museum and Hegge is donating his first fireman from his time on the Millet Fire Department.
Hegge was born and raised on a farm east of Millet. He owned and operated Mullen Insurance from 1970 to 1990. He then became assistant executive director of the Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta until retiring in 2010. During his years in Millet Hegge was a member of the Millet and District Historical Society, Millet Legion, Millet and District Lions Club, the Board of Trade, East West Millet Rural Fire Co-op, Millet and District Seniors Club and Millet Fire Department.
Horlacher was born Jan. 2, 1922 near Claresholm, Alberta and lived there until 1955 when his family moved to Lethbridge where he completed school. He joined the RCAP in 1940 and served in various locations in Canada, USA and Europe until 1945 when he returned home. In 1979, Horlacher, his wife Julie Ann and son Darcy moved to Millet where he still resides.