Wally Henderson
Wally Henderson and family moved to Inglis, Manitoba in the summer of 1965. Wally taught in the Inglis Elementary School as vice principal, then moved to the junior high and became principal in 1969.
Wally spent many summers umpiring fastball in the Inglis area and in the many towns near and far. During the winter months, he refereed many hockey games.
Wally’s favourite tournaments umpiring were at the Asessippi Beach tournament. Many local teams would be there competing.
Wally remained in Inglis until 1973. He then moved to Hamiota, Manitoba and took up residence on the Henderson homestead. In 1994, this farm was declared a “century farm”.
In 2016, Wally passed away at his home in Hamiota. Wally enjoyed his years of teaching, umpiring fastball, refereeing hockey and teaching hunter’s safety. Wally would be thrilled to know that westman border fastball has built a museum, remembering the “good old days”.
Miles Parr
Miles started playing softball in high school, after playing baseball while growing up. After high school, he started playing with the Endcliff Royals, then with the Russell Raiders. Parr finished his softball career with the Dales Dodgers. After the softball team folded, he played baseball again for a few years.
While still playing baseball, Miles Parr was encouraged to take up umpiring. As his playing career was coming to an end, he thought that umpiring was a good way to give back to the game that he had played for most of his life. During the past 25+ years, Parr has officiated at every age level of baseball from the U11 to Senior, at recreation and league games as well as tournaments and provincial playdowns, as well as all age categories in girls softball games and tournaments.
Miles holds a level 4 certification in baseball. He has officiated many games in the Yorkton-Melville area for the Western Major Baseball League and the Western Canadian Baseball League, as well as working at a Western Canadian Junior Tournament in Winnipeg and a Senior AAA tournament in Brandon. Parr was called on to umpire at five National Baseball Championships. He has traveled to Summerside, P.E.I. for his first nationals; it was at the Pee Wee level, as it was called then AAA championship.
Miles Parr has been in Vaughan Ontario, for three Championship events, all at the AAA Bantam level. Also he has been in London, Ontario for a National AAA Midget Championship.
The Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and continuing into 2021 saw most ball diamonds seeing very little action. Hopefully, later on this year or next year, for sure, Miles will be able to make that very familiar call, “PLAY BALL”.
Herman Zimmer
Herman was born in Endcliffe/Russell, Manitoba in 1925. At the age of 18, he joined the Army and served for 2 years. After being discharged in 1944, Herman returned home to Endcliffe. He played baseball with the Leonard Wildcats, and upon getting married and purchasing a farm in the Shell Vale school district (RM of Boulton), they made the big move to the Shell Vale/Shevlin area. It was here that he became involved with the Shevlin Panthers and later the Shevlin Aces Fastball Club.
Zimmer was a coach and player/mentor for many years, organizing games and tournaments. He made sure that young players had the opportunity to play and progress to a higher level if they so wished.
After his playing days, Herman then took up umpiring to stay involved with the game. He began umpiring at various tournaments and league games in the area. Zimmer attended wherever his services were needed. He became a mainstay at the July 1st tournament at Togo, SK. The twice a year Assesseppi /Inglis fastball tournaments were always on his calendar for years. He umpired many games where his sons and relatives were involved as players, but he never showed any bias in any way providing fair officiating for all teams involved.
Herman umpired for many years, contributing to the betterment and preservation of fastball for all to enjoy as players, and also as supporters and fans.
Herman’s old Shevlin Aces jacket is displayed in the Roblin and District Museum in recognition of his contributions to fastball in the area. The jacket also serves as a memento of the old School Districts that existed in those foregone years. Unfortunately, Herman died at the young age of 56 from cancer, cutting short any future contributions to the game of fastball. His legacy certainly lives on though in the memories that exist to this day of years gone by.
Thanks to those that have taken the time to establish a museum of this magnitude to preserve these memories for all to enjoy and provide to those who are younger the insight into how life was played out during those years.
Submitted but Rolly Zimmer (son of Herman)