True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: October 2009
Reg.#12690, Constable Willis Edward Rhodenizer
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
In the dog domain the German Shepherd stands alone. The dog requires no introduction because its reputation and its bravery are legendary. The early roots of the RCMP Dog Section can be traced back to the 1930's, and over time the German Shepherd and its Master have been credited for solving some of Canada's more difficult crime cases.
The Shepherd is widely known for its soundness, temperament, high drive and a keen will to work and to remain on task hour after hour. The dog's reliability and loyal companionship form a unique bond with his or her Master. Loyalty is the theme which runs through our story -- a story of tragedy whereby both the Master and his Shepherd share the deepest of intuition for each other marked by an inexplicable unspoken, shared language.
Our story of Cst. Willis Rhodenizer and his partner 'Tell' emphasizes the strong connection between dog and Master that would prompt one to risk his life for the other! While working a case in 1939 with his German Shepherd partner, Cst. Rhodenizer lost his life while apprehending a murder suspect. The tragic events occurred not so many years after the formation of the RCMP Dog Section. The year 2009 marks the 70th year anniversary of Cst. Rhodenizer's death.
Reg.#12690, Cst. Willis Edward Rhodenizer
RCMP Honour Roll # 62
Lilydale RCMP Lunenburg, NS
Constable Willis Edward Rhodenizer was born and raised in the small town of Farmington, Nova Scotia. He is remembered for his striking qualities of determination, hard work and long hours of commitment to whatever task lay ahead.
Today, his siblings who include his sister Lola Conrad, continue to live in Nova Scotia. Although Lola and her siblings are in their mid 80's and 90's, they hold poignant memories of Willis and memorable stories to share about their brother.
Lola was 15 years of age when Willis was killed and in spite of all the years gone by, she has a vivid picture of Willis in his RCMP Red Serge.
Lola recalled one story about Willis before he had joined the Force. She remembers that as a young man, he had displayed unusual bravery by saving two Mounties from drowning when they fell over board into a lake near the Rhodenizer's homestead. It was these two Mounties, Lola said who influenced and convinced Willis to join the Force.
Cst. Rhodenizer joined the Force on July 2, 1935. After Basic Recruit Training, he was transferred back and forth between Alberta and Saskatchewan. In the field, Lola recalled that Willis started spelling his name with an ‘s’ (as in Rhodeniser). Lola said the reason for this was because Willis would get his mail from home with his name spelled with a ‘z’ (as in Rhodenizer) and he got into trouble with his supervisors for spelling his name wrong!
With the help of Vet. and Historian Jack White, the tragedy of Cst. Rhodenizer’s death can be retold. The story began with a man named Nelson Sammy who was in the midst of a family fight. Sammy’s wife left their house with their two small children and Sammy suspected they had gone to her parent’s house on a nearby Carlyle, SK Indian Reserve.
Sammy took his rifle and went to their house and shot both his mother-in-law and his father-in-law. Thereafter, he continued to search the Reserve for his wife and he eventually saw her through the window of her sister's home. He shot and killed his wife.
A number of RCMP officers arrived in response to the shootings. Cst. Rhodenizer was the Dog Master called into the case. He had about four years service in the Force. Cst. Rhodenizer and 'Tell' found Sammy's trail in the night darkness. Along with other members who were following, Cst. Rhodenizer tracked Sammy about 1 mile. At the time, Cst. Rhodenizer had allowed 'Tell' to work Sammy's scent freely or 'off leash'.
Suddenly, 'Tell' barked which was an indication to Cst. Rhodenizer that 'Tell' had located and scented his quarry in the immediate vicinity. At this point, Cst. Rhodenizer became concerned for Tell’s safety. Momentarily, he switched on his flashlight to locate 'Tell' but in the moment of visibility Cst. Rhodenizer was suddenly shot. Despite his mortal wound, Cst. Rhodenizer was able to return fire. He wounded Sammy before he (Cst. Rhodenizer) died. The date was August 26, 1939.
Sammy was arrested at the scene by the RCMP. Later, he was charged with four counts of murder. At trial, Sammy was convicted and sentenced to be hanged. He died at Regina, Saskatchewan on July 4, 1940.
Cst. Rhodenizer’s body was returned to his parental home in Nova Scotia. He is buried in the Parkdale Maplewood Cemetery in Parkdale and about 30km north of Bridgewater, NS. Cst. Rhodenizer was the first RCMP Dog Master to be killed in the line of duty.
RIP
Rhodenizer Road at the Canadian Police College in Rockcliffe (Ottawa), Ontario and Rhodenizer Road at the RCMP's 'Depot' Division in Regina, Saskatchewan are named after Cst. Willis Rhodenizer.
Written by: Reg.#47131, Cst. C. A. Morrison, Lilydale RCMP Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia and with the help of research by Veteran Historian Jack White.
Cst. Morrison is posted to Nova Scotia. She wrote, "I read the story about you (Joe) and the RCMP Grave Discovery Program in the Frontline Magazine. I thought the article was fascinating and of particular interest to me because I also serve near Cst. Rhodenizer's home in Farmington".
She also wrote: "I took a more sincere interest in his career especially when I enrolled a school in the 'Name the Puppy Contest'. I enjoyed taking an active part in the puppy contest and at the same time I made sure the Rhodenizer family knew that Willis Rhodenizer would not be forgotten."
Joe, "I also checked your website and I was happy to see that Cst. Rhodeniser’s name was listed in your database. I have a photo of his gravesite and I am happy to enclose it for your ‘Vet of the Month’ story. In a sad way, I think that Cst. Rhodenizer’s RCMP service is marked by dedication and his affiliation with the RCMP Dog Section and his dog 'Tell' was distinctive". Cst. C.A. Morrison.
I wish to thank retired Canadian Air Force pilot Major Richard Smith of Nova Scotia for his very recent photo of the entrance to the Parkdale Maplewood Cemetery. JJH
Update on Police Service Dog "Tell"
After the death of his Master, one must wonder what happened to Cst. Rhodenizer's Police Service Dog 'Tell'? A clue about 'Tell' appeared in the Obituary Section, V74(4) of The Quarterly, p.116.
Under the obituary of Reg.#11879, Cpl. Bruce Henderson McLaren, it stated: "He [Cpl. McLaren] was awarded two Commissioner's Commendations: Feb. 21, 1940 as a Dog Master. He with P.S. dog 'Tell' capturing an escaped mental patientand on Jan. 6, 1941 for prompt action and persevance in capturing some escaped mental patients in North Battleford, SK". After the death of Cst. Rhodenizer, we now know that PSD 'Tell' continued to serve the Force with RCMP Corporal McLaren and in the memory of his first Dog Master Constable Rhodenizer.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
October 23, 2009
