Ellen Agnes MacGregor

Ellen Agnes MacGregor

December 24, 1928 – October 6, 2026

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, loving sister, auntie, cousin and friend. Ellen Agnes MacGregor passed away peacefully with her loving family at her side on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the age of 97 years old.

Mom was the second eldest in a family of 8 children born to Jack and Nelly Smith.

She was born on December 24, 1928, in Hafford Hospital, Saskatchewan. She grew up in Redfield, Saskatchewan.

Mum loved to share stories of growing up on the prairies and shared all of these memories with each and every one of us. The changes she has witnessed in her lifetime are simply astounding. She often told us of the horse and sleigh rides to the school in the winter, heating up the stones on the coal stove to place in the sleigh to rest your feet on to stay warm as the horse pulled the cutter through the snow and the drifts to get to school, go to the store or to visit a neighbour.

One of her favorite stories she told us about was collecting old bones from the prairies that her brothers and sisters would all help collect and load into a wagon. Then her Dad would send her and her older sister Margaret to Aldercain to weigh and sell the bones. For the entire wagon full, they would receive a whole two dollars. She told me she said to her Dad, “But I don’t know how to get to Aldercain, Dad” to which he replied the horse knew the way there and back. The bones were then ground down and sent away to make bullets for the war effort.

Mum was always saying to us she has lived through three monarchies, 3 wars, horse n' buggy to cars, space travel and exploration, radio, gramophones, record players, 45s, LPs, CDs, juke boxes, ghetto blasters, Walkmans, to the inventions of computers and cell phones. It always amazed her. Growing up, Mom was no stranger to hard work and instilled that work ethic in each and every one of us.

In the early 40s, as war was ramping up, her father rejoined the Canadian Army and was sent to Camp Chilliwack. The family stayed behind in Saskatchewan while he was in training here, and soon the family came to join him here in Chilliwack. They arrived in Chilliwack by train in June of 1942, and Mum said after living on the prairies with no running water, no indoor plumbing and no electricity, they all felt they had arrived in paradise when they arrived in Chilliwack. She attended a one-room school her entire life until she arrived in Chilliwack, where she attended Chilliwack Central School and eventually graduated from Chilliwack High School in June 1948. Mum loved playing sports and was on the basketball and volleyball team in high school. One spring evening in 1946, she and her sister Lilian went out dancing at the Masonic hall in Chilliwack. This is where Mum met the love of her life, Irwin Stewart MacGregor.

Dad said once he saw Mum, he knew she was going to be his wife, and he said that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. They were married Dec 4, 1948, at St Thomas Anglican Church, Chilliwack, BC. Together they built a beautiful family of 6 children. Eventually had 17 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren, and Mum was so thrilled recently to learn of another (great-grandchild) (a girl) arriving this November.

In the early years, they lived in a one-room cabin at the back of her parents' place at 527 Yale Rd, then moved to a small place that is still standing near Little Mountain School. Then they moved to Cultus Lake and later purchased their first home on Coote Street in 1952 and eventually purchased and moved to 20-plus acres in Rosedale in 1954. This was the hub of all family gatherings. Mum was the hostess with the biggest heart. Often putting on a meal to feed over 30 people and would not even bat an eye in prepping it all and making all the desserts she wanted everyone to enjoy. It was the hub for all her siblings to gather when they arrived for a visit too. Her mother came from a family of 14, and my mum always told us she had every one of them for a meal at our home over the years at some point.

Mum was happiest at home, and she made it a special place. She cooked, baked, sewed and knitted for each of us and even made little gifts for friends of her children who were less fortunate. She made all of her grandchildren, all 17, a handmade toque from her. She made baby quilts for all of her grandchildren too.

Mum's memory and gift of sharing stories of love and wisdom is far beyond most. Her biggest love was her family, and she showed us that in everything she did. Right up until the end, Mum knew everyone's birthdays, and she had a relationship with everyone of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She knew them all and loved them all.

Mum and Dad raised beef cattle, grew raspberries and sold them at the Co-op. There were never any idle hands at our home. Always work to be done. All of us were taught a good work ethic, and Mum instilled in us the importance of love and of family.

Mum and Dad's place in Rosedale was the glue and gathering place for all of us. During Mum’s life, she was an avid member of TOPS and graduated to KOPS. She was a member of the Royal Purple and also enjoyed her Stitch n Bitch Group. Mum and Dad enjoyed many dances at Camp River Hall and also belonged to the Carpet Bowling Team there. Mum and Dad tried Square Dancing too, but Dad always said he had two left feet when it came to Square Dancing.

Mum and Dad were blessed with opportunities to travel and spent time in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Australia, Spain, England, and Scotland. They also loved the time they spent in Arizona at sister Margaret’s. They also enjoyed many bus trips to Reno and a couple to Las Vegas. Mum often reminisced about the time they drove with her sister Margaret to Arizona, a very memorable experience.

Mum held numerous jobs; She worked for Aitken Brothers Construction as a bookkeeper She also worked at Chilliwack Hospital serving meals to patients She worked out of home at a local Mink Ranch where she skinned the hides.She raked nuts at a local filbert hazelnut farm. Worked at York Farms, and the last ten years of her working life she worked at the Cafeteria at Chilliwack Sr. She was always working at home in the berry field or out in the Garden.

Mum was a very kind, loving, caring soul and always had a heart, an ear and an open door to all. She lived all alone after Dad passed, and it was only in the last year that her mobility started to fail, so we had to make the difficult decision to put Mum in care. She was always happy to see everyone and welcome everyone to her place.

Mum leaves us all a beautiful legacy of love and the importance of family.

Left to mourn this beautiful soul are her precious children, daughter Barbara Markle (Jim), her son Stewart MacGregor (Diana), her son Gordon MacGregor (Jacqueline), her daughter Beverley MacGregor, and son Irwin MacGregor (Angie); her precious sister Margaret Gosling, and all her loving grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Predeceased by her Father and mother, Jack and Nelly Smith; her brothers Ralph, Art, and David; her sisters Ruth and Lilian; her husband, Irwin Stewart MacGregor; her daughter, Shirley Ann Robb; and her beloved grandson, Dylan MacGregor.

Rest peacefully, our beautiful mother. Until we meet again