Dad was born on Thursday, October 16, 1952 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Orlando and Polly Bestland, one of 10 kids. His family farmed in the Brunkild area until they moved to The Pas, Manitoba in 1962 where they continued to farm, including breaking several parcels of land.

As a young man, he started hauling freight across frozen lakes to various settlements and pursued a variety of other jobs. He worked as a bricklayer in B.C. and hauled logs, gravel and dirt and ran a cherry picker in the local area. He frequently came back to the farm in The Pas to help out and eventually bought his first piece of land, finally taking over the family farm until his gradual retirement within the last few years.

He met mom (Gloria) in 1981 and they were married on August 20, 1983. Together, they had two children: Amy and Kate. He also became a grandpa to Hayden in 2011.

Mom and Dad lived in town until they moved to the farm in September 1990. The farm continued to grow with land and cattle. It was always exciting when Dad brought a newborn calf into the house for special care, often needing to be warmed up and bottle fed.

Dad was a social butterfly, making new friends everywhere he went. He loved telling jokes and stories. He enjoyed gatherings with family and friends, always stopping what he was doing to visit someone that dropped by or came to the field. He was constantly buying used equipment for spare parts to fix some other piece of equipment, adding treasures to "his" side of the yard. He was a proud Legion member and regularly stopped in for a quick "one", visiting friends and getting caught up on the latest gossip.

Dad passed away peacefully at home on Friday, December 16, 2022, at the age of 70, with Mom by his side.

In keeping with family wishes, cremation took place and a service of remembrance to celebrate Orson's life was held on Thursday, January 5, 2023, 1:00 pm, at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall, The Pas, with Neil Hemauer presiding.

In lieu of flowers, donations, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, 6 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L 0K6, would be appreciated by Orson's family.

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba
6 Donald Street, Winnipeg MB R3L 0K6