Mary Margaret Brown

Mary Brown was gracious, full of strength and loving. She was a wise woman who gave good counsel, a woman who shared her love and her life with her family and especially her adored partner, Ivan, and a woman who exemplified the finest examples of what a mother, grandmother, and citizen should be. Mary celebrated life by being a thankful person, and she was one who believed in moderation and self-control. During her lifetime, she would come to touch the lives of many people with her gentle and caring ways.

Mary had her first beginnings in the small prairie town of Central Butte, Saskatchewan on October 8, 1930. She was born at home to Walter and Lydia (Runions) Thompson. Her parents chose her second name, Margaret, because of their friendship with Margaret Crawford, a nurse in the Central Butte area. Mary was the oldest child in the family with younger brother Ralph, and younger sisters, Lola and Fae, joining the family later. Aside from taking her first grade in Nova Scotia, Mary spent her youth in Central Butte.

Mary’s father, Walter, had a number of occupations in his lifetime. At one time, he worked as a farm labourer and later, around 1929 or 1930, managed a garage business. Making a living on the prairies could be difficult in the thirties, so in order to provide for his family Walter, his wife and children, Mary, Ralph, and Lola, left Central Butte for one year and returned to Nova Scotia, where they located near some relatives to seek employment. It was there that Mary’s sister Fae was born. During that year away from Saskatchewan, Walter found work in a woolen mill and carried on with other odd jobs. When the family returned to Central Butte, he started a garage and eventually became the manager of a hardware store. Mary’s parents succeeded in raising a closely-knit family and instilled in them many of the fine qualities that blossomed as Mary matured. She and her siblings remained closely connected throughout her life, but it was her brother Ralph who was her special charge, and she came to his defense many times. She seemed to be the family member that had the most influence on him.

Although Mary had a large circle of childhood friends, there was one particular girl who was very special, Janet Turner. She and Mary were always together, and Mrs. Turner gave these teenage girls twin dresses and nick-named the two of them her “coal-dust twins.” Mary and Janet remained life-long friends, and distance was never a deterrent for them to reconnect throughout their life. In their innocent youthfulness, they made a pact never to marry farmers! As it turned out, this was not to be.

Mary told a childhood story of her fearful memories getting her appendix out at a young age. She recalled that her parents wrapped her in blankets and took her across the street to the old hospital building. The operation was performed by a surgeon who had a fondness for alcohol in whatever form was convenient.

Life in the little village of Central Butte wasn’t all work and Mary’s father became the bandmaster. He organized a fine marching band where Mary played the clarinet, Ralph played the trombone, Lola played the alto horn, and Fae played the trumpet. The Central Butte band attended many band gatherings, including the Band Festival in Moose Jaw. Over the years, Mary would learn to play the piano accordion and the piano. In the years ahead, she would spend her first cheque from teaching school on the purchase of a piano accordion. Walter had given Mary all her musical instruction, but she played by ear as well. Mary was a very good pianist, and when she played the piano she had a distinctive, gentle, light touch, and if you watched her while she was playing you would detect her thorough enjoyment of playing music. Those childhood musical skills would stand her in good stead throughout her life.

Mary’s father worked hard in his garage, not only to support his family, but to be able to give her the means to attend teacher’s college at Moose Jaw in 1949-1950; it was called Normal School in those days. Tuition fees and boarding house costs were required during this educational year. After graduation, her first teaching position was in Spring Valley, a community south of Moose Jaw. She chose to leave that school after that first year and proceeded to look further afield for another teaching position. Both Balcarres and the Allindale country school, between Wolseley and Sintaluta, were advertising for teachers, but fate would determine that she would be hired very quickly for the Allindale School. Mary borrowed her father’s car to make the move to her new school district. Ivan caught his first glimpse of Mary on the main street of Sintaluta as she walked down the sidewalk, on her way to Black’s store to ask directions to the Olmstead farm. She had been requested by her parents to locate their friend Margaret Crawford, who was now living in the Sintaluta area. She did not respond to the wolf whistle Ivan sent in her direction, and later, Mary would come to realize that she actually heard her future husband before she met him.

In the fall of 1951, while teaching sixteen pupils in nine different grades at Allindale School, Mary boarded with Isabel and Raymond Sexsmith. It was in this home during a community bridal shower that she first met Ivan. Ivan has vivid memories of their first encounter sharing a graceful handshake with Mary, and he recalls that, “Something happened right there. I never forgot that. She was mine from that time on.”Mary used to say, “I met Ivan in the pantry and have been in the kitchen ever since!”

Ivan and Mary were married in Central Butte United Church on July 10, 1952. It was a very large wedding with many from the Allindale and Sintaluta districts making the three and a half to four hour drive, in order to attend. Naturally, Janet Turner, Mary’s best friend was her attendant and Ed Bottomley from Sintaluta was groomsman for Ivan. Rev. Wm. Keall of Sintaluta performed the ceremony.

The newly-wedded couple set out to enjoy a honeymoon in the Banff-Lake Louise areas. Ivan cherishes a photo of Mary sitting on a mountain rock, during that time. They had a bit of a scare when an overly-friendly park bear got too close to their car and took a liking to a red blanket on the rear seat. If it wasn’t for Ivan’s quick action of stepping on the accelerator, Mary may have sported a few scars on her face, because of the bear’s proximity to the open window on her side of the car. When they returned from their honeymoon, they had $19.00 left between them. For a short time, they lived on the home farm, sharing the same dwelling with Ivan’s parents, Albert and Fanny Brown, and the two couples had a harmonious relationship. Ivan’s parents moved into Indian Head a short time later. Albert and his sons, Ivan and Orval shared the farm duties as well as farm income.

In the fifties, farm communities made their own entertainment, and it was a common practice to take turns hosting a meal and an evening of socializing at each other’s farms, especially in the winter time. Included in Ivan and Mary’s circle of friends were Raymond and Isabel Sexsmith, Herb and Ruby Sexsmith, Harold and Eileen Sexsmith, Lloyd and Edith Reed, Bill and May Lister, and Ed Thompson and his mother, Agnes.

It wasn’t long before Ivan and Mary were parents. Janet Elaine was born in 1953; Judy Diane arrived in a hurry in 1955; Sharon Darlene was born in 1959; and Leslie Ivan, in 1963. All the children were born at the Indian Head Hospital. Ivan recounted the exciting story of Judy’s birth. It may have been one of the very few times in Mary’s life that she got excited because events leading up to the baby’s birth became a bit chaotic. When Judy’s birth was imminent, Ivan, Mary, and little Janet, age two years, were in the car on the way to the hospital, when Mary suggested strongly that Ivan should make haste. The bridge below Albert Luther’s was washed out, thus a detour was necessary. Mary let Ivan know that the sooner they reached the hospital, the better. They were surprised to find a big hole in the road they were travelling on, and realized it would take some skill to by-pass it. Janet became caught up in the excitement of the moment and warned her dad repeatedly, “Don’t fall down the hole, Daddy!” About six miles out of Indian Head, Ivan, who was driving at frightfully high speeds, felt the steering wheel start to shimmy. Somehow, he managed to hold tight to the steering wheel and get his wife to the hospital just in time to herald Judy’s arrival. He later discovered that there was a very loose nut on the sector shaft of the vehicle.

Mary’s life centered on her family and she set an excellent example for her children giving them love, encouragement, and attention to help them grow and develop. Discipline was never a problem and it was meted out in the same quiet tone of voice that she spoke with all the time; it was “talk discipline.” Errant children might be told to go and think about what they had done or said. She was very much in control of any situation, and thus never yelled and very rarely spanked her children (only in life threatening situations). From her, the children learned that “no” meant “no.” She instilled in them life lessons such as the importance of doing a job right and to be thankful in all situations. Mary suggested that it was usually wise to spend less energy on being angry and to be more accepting of things. She urged them to think situations through before making a decision. Swearing was not tolerated and her family remembers her saying, “My Gram always used to say, ‘What’s wrong with a good, clean damn?’” This saying, amongst many others, was inherited from her mother and Gram Runions. The Brown family had fun too and Mary taught her children to have enjoyment when doing some of the chores around home. There were crafts, games, and music lessons that she shared with her family. Her natural kindness and considerate treatment of others did not go unnoticed by her children, and they were proud to call her their mother. Mary extended her loving and caring ways to each grandchild and great-grandchild, as the family enlarged, and her best holidays were spent with her own family or her siblings. Often, Mary’s family caught glimpses of her just sitting and smiling at the family’s activities on holidays. Reunions and gatherings were something that the Brown family planned and took part in, on a regular basis. Included in these gatherings were her married children and their families. Janet married Albert (Bert) Eisler. The have three children: Tammy (Bill), Scott (Judy), Lorianne (Brian), and Mary’s great-grandchildren from this union are Jessica, Robin, Victoria, and Albert. Judy married Laurie Price. Their three children are: Richard (Tracy), Marty Jay (Kristine), and Sheila (Sebastien) with great- grandchildren: Keston, Copper, Emily, Makayla, Kane and Kyeran. Sharon married Kim Woods and their two children are Carrie (Dustin) and Trisha (Andy) with Landri being the great-grandchild of this branch of the family. Les married Barb Ozirney. Their four children are Kelli, Kristie (Chris), Kayla and Kendra (Jeremy) with Mary’s great-grandchildren, Jazmine and Farah.

Ivan and Mary had a very special relationship. They not only worked together, but they planned their life together for almost sixty years. Their deep love, affection, and consideration for one another were visible to their family. Ivan said that he and Mary were never very far from one another. This special bond was an inspiration to their children who saw them express affection and tenderness towards one another. Many couples celebrate special wedding anniversaries and the Browns celebrated theirs in fine style. On their twenty-fifth anniversary, the neighbours caught Ivan and Mary off guard and surprised them with an impromptu celebration. Ivan was in his work clothes, because he was in the midst of attempting to re-locate some moldy bales, when the neighbours started arriving in their yard for the festivities. The family also organized a twenty-fifth celebration in the Sintaluta United Church C.E. Hall. Their fortieth, in 1992, was celebrated in their house in town, and their fiftieth wedding anniversary, in 2002, was celebrated in the Sintaluta Memorial Hall. Ivan always said that Mary was very much the love of his life.

Although Mary was not raised on a farm, she came to love the country way of life. She and Ivan made a good pair and she enthusiastically helped to milk cows, put out chop, and she tended to the chickens. When required, she helped in harvest by driving the grain trucks, even though she was happy to see relief help. Mary had an ongoing interest in all aspects of the farm business. One of her fortes was her ability to manage the farm books, recording expenses and income. She and Ivan were a real team; they talked everything over and made decisions together. One year, when there was a particularly large amount of money being expended, Ivan was having doubts about the decisions that were made about this new debt. He queried whether they would ever see the light of day again. Mary replied calmly that they most certainly would, “…if we keep our head on our shoulders and watch what we’re doing.” Her calm, level-headed, rational thinking saw her family through many situations. She felt that the farm was definitely the place to raise children, although on a few occasions she had some angst, like the time a very young Les, as well as the family dog, Lucky, went missing. Lucky was known to go everywhere that Les went. Dog tracks were visible at the dugout and it was feared that perhaps Les had fallen in. Mary and Ivan were soon relieved to see Les coming up a coulee hill, clutching some wild flowers which he had selected especially for his mother. Even though she was a person who reacted to most situations calmly, Mary did experience anxiety on another occasion when she couldn’t locate Judy, who was very small at the time. Unbeknownst to Mary, Judy had decided to leave the farm; she had something she wanted to do at her Auntie Ivadell’s farm, up the road. The toddler had managed to walk a very long distance, before being found unharmed and oblivious to the fact that her departure was anxiety provoking. She had been hoping to have a “wing” in her aunt’s yard. It wasn’t long before Ivan constructed his own swing in the farm yard.

Mary was methodical and careful in completing whatever projects she adopted. In her spare time, she crocheted, knitted, and made crafts. Her placement and arrangement of family photographs, which was a very time- consuming effort, was done meticulously and with great care. As a result, the Brown family will be heirs to their history in a clear pictorial form, all because of Mary’s efforts. This project meant that Ivan lost his resting place on the farm chesterfield for the duration of one winter, because Mary used it for sorting photographs. As well, Mary was very sentimental about cherished family heirlooms that she passed on to her children. She also loved genealogy and kept track of all births, marriages, and deaths in the family.

Mary’s community of Sintaluta was the recipient of her involvement and her many talents. She and Mona Willoughby founded a drama group, and for seventeen years Mary directed the locals in a yearly dinner theatre production. This undertaking was something that she enjoyed so much. Ivan worked with her on these productions, but always behind the scenes. She was secretary-treasurer as well as a member of the United Church Women’s group, and in earlier years she was a replacement organist at the church. She and Ivan were on the church board as well.

In 1987, after thirty-five years, Mary and Ivan left their farm home and moved into Sintaluta. They were fortunate to be able to purchase a Kinsmen show home and have it moved to a location on the main street. Mary really loved that house, because the layout was everything she had ever dreamed about. Once again, she showed her thankfulness and she and Ivan had twenty-six happy years in that home.

Mary endured many surgeries throughout her life, and she always took them in her stride. Her biggest health challenges came in the last five years of her life with difficulties experienced following knee replacement surgery, which left her with some limited mobility in one leg. In December of 2009, it was discovered that Mary had bowel cancer, and she required major surgery to correct this situation. In addition, she required medication to eradicate any cancer that might be left in her body. She had a few relatively healthy years, but unfortunately, the cancer returned and presented in a very aggressive form. It had spread to other parts of her body causing her health to fail, and at the end it caused her to experience much discomfort, which she tolerated with patience and courage. Ivan, always faithful and concerned, accompanied Mary to all her doctor’s appointments and stayed with her for many of her hospitalizations. When Mary was told she would not live much longer, she voiced that she had enjoyed a good life. She died November 10, 2011, in the Palliative Care Unit of the Pasqua Hospital in Regina.

On November 15, 2011, a largely attended funeral was held for Mary in the St. James United Church, Wolseley, with Rev. Jaimie Bushell officiating. Her children paid tribute to her in a eulogy. Her cremated remains were interred in the Sintaluta Cemetery.

This entry was in Mary’s funeral cards, written by her children:

Anyone who met Mary, with the beautiful blue eyes, loved her from that moment and forever connected with her in a special way. Her wisdom and quiet strength encouraged many through hard times. She loved to hear from family and friends from near and far away. Mom treasured family reunion camping trips as she watched the love and laughter of her family. She loved to re-live the great times through her pictures that she organized into photo albums that are cherished by her family. Our gracious, faithful Mary went to be with God with a sparkling smile of welcome that touched us all.

FAMILY MEMORIES OF MARY

SAYINGS: Mom had a great love and respect for her Gram Runions. Many sayings often started with “My gram always said,…..” or “My mom always said…” For example, if someone was angry or being rude to us, Mom would say, “My gram always used to say ‘Kill them with kindness. They won't know how to handle you.’” Many sayings have been passed down through four generations and come to mind when we think “What would Mom say?” Mom will always be the patient, calm side of us all, as this is how we were raised and how she taught us to handle life's hurdles and to raise our own families. Mom had enough love for everyone and we still feel the invisible string of love from Heaven.

MARY’S WORDS OF WISDOM-AS REMEMBERED BY HER CHILDREN

-“A penny here and there adds up.”

-“When making a decision, look at all sides, then write down the pros and cons and weigh it all out.”

- “When something goes against you, you have to decide when to dig in your heels or just let it go.”

- “Always look for the good in every situation.”

- “There is always something to be thankful for, if you look hard enough.”

- “When life deals you hard times, you might as well accept ‘what is’ as it takes less energy than fighting ‘what is’.”

-“Always make sure your own backyard is clean before saying anything against someone else's.”

- “Don't ever say, ‘My child would never do that!’ Be sure they will, at the first opportunity.”

- “Always listen to your child, even if you don't agree with them. Then have your say; they tend to listen better to you, if you do it in that way.”

- “If it's worth doing, it's worth owning up to.”

- “If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.”

- “You might as well laugh, as cry.''

- ''Fight nice!''

- ''Do it right or not at all.''

- “But it was fun while it lasted.”

- “Let's not and say we did. It might be just as much fun.''

- “Kill 'em with kindness!”

- “If you want it done right, just get at it and do it yourself.”

- “Let's git at 'er, pitter patter.”

- “If I could just get this leg going, I'd sure give you a run for your money (or give you ‘what for’).”

- “I can never remember if someone is not speaking to me, so I say hello anyway.”

MARY’S FAMILY REMEMBERS………

There was one male student of Mom’s, at Allindale, who had unacceptable behavior which Mary met with equal discipline. It was many, many years later that this boy, as an adult, thanked Mary for her discipline, which helped make him the man he had become.

- At our camping reunions, Mom liked to walk to the park and watch the grand-kids play. On one of our family camping reunions, Mom took her grand-kids and great-grandkids into their little Pleasureway van and rehearsed a singing performance, using hairbrushes for microphones. Then they later put on a show for the adults. Mom enjoyed it as much as the kids did.

- When Sharon was in high school, Janet, Mom and Sharon took ceramics classes together, at Dorothy Bottomley’s house. We made many ornaments and mugs, experimenting with the different forms of paint. We all still have some of these works of art thirty-five years later. We cherish these items more than ever, now.

-Mom saved a few dollars by cutting our hair. One day, after she had trimmed Dad’s hair, she left the electric clippers on the table. Les, who was about three, wanted to do his own trim, and he ended up cutting a path of hair, from the front to back of his head. Mom was more upset with herself than Les. He ended up with a brush cut after that. She also cut many of the grand-kids’ hair over the years.

-Mom said to Judy, ''Hi, Doodles! Sure glad to see the whites of your eyes!''

- Sintaluta Fowl Suppers: Community suppers were our chance to get dressed up and have a variety of pot luck eats. Of course, Mom had cooked or baked all day in preparation for this event. While loading everyone and the baking into the car en route to town, Judy remembers laying one of two pies down on the seat of the car before she reached over to help Sharon who was about two years of age, into the backseat. Before Judy could get the pie placed safely, Sharon hopped up to stand on the seat. “Flump!” There was one little patent-leather shoe positioned right in the middle of a pumpkin pie! Although we tried to salvage the damaged pie, it was too late and the next calamity was when her elbow went into the lemon pie that was in the car’sback window. We soon were plastered in a sticky, but yummy mess. No one had ever seen three people disrobe, re-dress and get scrubbed down in so short a time. On our second attempt to reach town, amazingly Mom carried her ''backup plan'' in the form of a jelly roll to the car, herself. We all felt badly for her, as she had spent hours preparing the pies and we could feel the disappointment, though her voice never rose and her body language did not indicate her feelings. “When stuff happens, you have to figure out what you are going to do about it.”

- When we were young, Mom sewed many of our outfits such as, jumpers and matching dresses for church. Those were the days where little girls wore white bonnets, gloves and socks to match. We all remember a few “spit baths” in the car while we travelled to town, as we had a hard time keeping clean. With three girls there was always a new pair of “Sunday best shoes” to pass down. As we grew older, she would find a pattern and sew the ''in style'' elephant pants, vest and slacks or skirt outfits, that we liked, and even cozy night gowns. Then each of our wedding dresses was lovingly sewn, and no doubt with a bit of frustration, by Mom. She also sewed our bridesmaid's dresses as well; each of us still has them. When we window shopped for clothing, she would assess the shirt or slacks, then comment, “Man, I could buy the material and make four of these shirts for the same price.”

- Mom saved the big white cotton flour bags until she had enough to sew together for our huge white tent in the yard. Dad put fence posts on each corner and a taller one in the middle to hold the peak. Now we had the biggest tent in the land, and because it was white it was cool inside on a hot windy day. We negotiated a chair or two, then a table (to do homework on), as long as they were returned to the house at night in case of rain. We quickly learned not to bring out too much furniture for our daytime Arabic tent. The Saskatchewan wind and rains took their toll on the tent, not to mention the dog who wanted his own corner door entrance, and the poor tent didn't last forever, but was fun while it lasted.

- Raising kids, i.e. teens: Mom would patiently listen as Judy related some latest frustration with teen attitudes or miscommunication. She'd give a little chuckle and say, ''Just eat it,'' then Mom attempted to help by explaining different scenarios of what seemed to work with one of us as teens. By the time we were done talking, whatever the problem was just didn't seem quite so daunting anymore.

- She helped us all learn to cook, bake and sew, if we were willing to learn at the time. When it came to teaching us to play the piano, Mom wisely knew that we had to learn the piano first even though our future goal was to be able to play the ivory keys of Mom’s accordion.

- One time, when Mom was busy with Les, who had whooping cough at the time, Judy was trying to be helpful by stirring lemon pie filling, while it cooked on the stove. Sharon was standing beside Judy, on a chair, helping. Judy reached above her head for a tea towel and somehow dumped the hot lemon pie filling down her leg and foot. Within seconds Judy had Sharon under her arm to avoid the spill, Mom had Les tucked into her arm and was able to lift Judy up and put her foot into the sink to run cold water over it. Immediate first aid was performed. And people think that they multi task these days. Ha!

- Knitting was a fascinating spectator sport for us. Grandma Thompson amazed us with her “clickety-click” needles. She would measure our hands to make sure the mittens she was making, would fit. Mom learned to knit the same way, rarely looking at her needles, completing a mitten or slipper while we visited. She did try to teach us to knit. Judy produced a scarf that was barely fashionable or correct, for sure, but it was warm. Mom usually started us with spool knitting so that we would get the feel of pulling stitches and not missing any. Judy still has one of these wooden spool knitting spools in her sewing basket; each of my kids had a try at it too. We learned not to jump into the middle of a project, and that your learning had to start at the bottom and work up.

- On one occasion, we were all down in the coulee perfecting our hut, when Sharon stepped on a wasp nest which was lying on the ground. We could not outrun the wasps and five year old Sharon was bitten the worst. Half way to the house yard, Mom met us, then quickly tended to Sharon's many stings, as well as calmed her tears with a cool, wet tea towel.

- We all remember the Christmas pictures of us with mumps, measles or chicken pox. We thought we were hard done by at the time, but Mom and Dad made it as comfortable as possible for us. Dad would play the guitar and Mom played the accordion, and after listening to them our mood quickly changed and we didn’t feel as miserable anymore. Mom and Dad were tuned to each other's timing, even though Dad didn't sing all the words, and the music was enjoyed by us all.

- When Sharon was about six, she had new rubber boots. It had rained a lot and Mom had told us to stay out of the garden. Sharon had watched the dog walk across the garden, and figured if he didn't sink, then she wouldn’t either. So she didn't listen and got stuck in the garden and had to leave her boot there and run into the house with a muddy, cold foot to get her Mom. Mom went to the garden and got her boot out and said something like, "So now you know why I told you not to go into the garden. Not a good idea, was it?”

- Sharon remembers, as a child, asking what she could get her Mom for Mother’s Day. Mom replied, “Just a clean house and the dishes done.” Sharon kept insisting that she buy her something, but she said that was all she wanted. Sharon understands that request now.

- Sharon remembers coming home from school many days to the smell of homemade bread. Mom would offer us a slice of bread, as an after school snack. Mom also spent days, sometimes weeks of home canning everything, always in addition to what she had stock piled in the cold room.

- Les wanted a peanut butter and jam sandwich, but wanted the jam on top. Mom quietly turned back to the counter and pretended to make another sandwich, but Sharon saw her just flip it over and give it back to him; Mom was very creative.

- Mom always went to bat for us on the farm, especially at harvest time. She would drive the truck, hauling from the combine until either Kim could come down or Les got finished swathing. It was always a laugh when she would pull up in the grain truck and say, “Oh, am I ever glad to see you here!” And she gracefully retreated to the house. She would get the grain dust off of her clothes and get hot meals, complete with dessert, ready to take to the field throughout harvest. She often called herself “gopher” because she often had to fetch things needed for the farm, as in, “I have to go for this and go for that.” There was never a complaint, she just jumped in and helped where it was needed. That was Mom.

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Memories of Mary’s brother Ralph:

“Mary was not one for a lot of mischief. However, when she was in Normal School, she came home for the weekend, bringing classmate Vi Turner with her. She played a trick on me and set a trap. You see, I had been getting in late on weekends. So our parents locked the back door, and then I had to enter the house through the front door, located directly beside their bedroom. They would hear me and not say anything until the next day, about being kind of late last night, and to get in sooner next weekend. This happened to be the weekend that Mary was home. I had been looking after business in the other part of town, so of course, I was late. I was skillfully practicing my ‘sneaking in’ technique. As I stealthily entered the front door, there was a loud series of deafening crashes of many pitches, as a board piled with pots, pans and lids flew crashing to the floor, waking our parents. Once my heart settled from in my throat, Mom, Dad, Mary and Vi appeared and we all laughed and laughed. We have had many laughs about this since then too. This was the one time that Mary ‘got me.’ “

Memories of Mary’s sister Lola:

In high school, Mary worked at Gower’s restaurant in Central Butte. She loved to go to dances on the weekends. Most evenings, Mary played the piano and her father played the violin, as they played snappy dance tunes. Walter often said that it was the way that he unwound from his day of work.

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We found a note pad of Mom’s writing called memories: Here is a few of them:

-As children, Ralph, Lola and Mom looked after three gardens and sold the vegetables to their mom.

-Her dad paid for her appendix operation by welding bed frames, tea kettles etc.

- Gram Runions would tell bedtime stores of her young adventures to Mom and siblings. The kids got to know her stories better than Gram did and could ‘correct’ her as she talked.

-In 1939, at age nine, Mom went to Moose Jaw with a group to see King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (Queen Mother).

- When Ralph and Mom were children, their mother would ask one of them to open the trap door into the cellar to get a food item. They played the game of “you’re closer.” They ran outside and down the street, all the way to the livery barn, to prove who was “closer.”

- Mom had a challenge to keep Dad from knowing what he was getting for Christmas, as he always seemed to be able to guess. One year, she thought that she had outfoxed him, by wrapping his gift upstairs in their bedroom, only to look up and see that Dad had climbed a ladder and was smiling at her through the window.

- Mom would always take in a stray. Over the years, it was Tiggy, the cat, a couple of domestic rabbits, an orphaned rabbit, even a small bobcat we found in the tall grass behind the back yard, that she arranged to go to Ipsco Wild Animal Park. She even had enough patience to get our house cat and a wild rabbit to eat out from the same dish. She would put a radio under a pail in the garden to scare away the raccoons rather than using any other method of keeping them out of the corn.

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On Thursday, November 10, 2011, Mary Margaret (Thompson) Brown, beloved wife of Ivan Brown, Sintaluta, SK., died at the age of 81 years. The funeral service will be held in the St. James United Church, Wolseley, SK., on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Jamie Bushell officiating. Interment of cremated remains in the Sintaluta Cemetery. Predeceased by her mother Lydia (Runions) Thompson in 1969; her father Walter L. Thompson in 1978 ; mother-in-law Fanny Brown in 1968; father-in-law Albert S. Brown in 1978; an infant sister Nellie Norma Thompson; niece Connie (Thompson) Spittal; nephews: Glen Willoughby, Ron Brown and Barry Brown; in-laws Howard Alden Brown, Orval Albert Brown, Lyle and Evelyn Willoughby, Vaughan MacPherson ; Ethel Thompson and Sophia Brown. Mary is survived by her husband Ivan and their children: three daughters: Janet (Bert) Eisler, Taylor, B.C., Judy (Laurie) Price, Fort Nelson, B.C., Sharon (Kim) Woods, Grenfell, SK.; one son Les (Barb) Brown, Provost, AB.; three grandsons; nine granddaughters; thirteen great grandchildren; one brother Ralph Thompson, Lethbridge, AB; two sisters Lola MacPherson, Westbank, B.C. and Fae (Mac) Sheppard, Saskatoon, SK.; and sister-in-law Ivadell Brown, Regina. Mary is also survived by her nieces and nephews. Mary was born at home on October 8, 1930 to Walter and Lydia Thompson, Central Butte, SK., eldest of four children. She received her schooling in Central Butte with the exception of grade one which was in Eureka, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. She graduated from the Central Butte High School in 1949. Mary then attended Moose Jaw Normal School where she received her teacher training, graduating in 1950. She then taught in a rural school in Spring Valley, then the Allindale School in Wolseley where she boarded with Raymond and Isabel Sexsmith. On July 10, 1952, Mary married Ivan Brown in the Central Butte United Church with Rev. Wm. Keall, the Sintaluta minister, presiding. Mary and Ivan lived on the Brown family farm where they raised their four children. In 1987 they purchased a show home, which in the fall became their new home in town. They continued farming until 1999 when the family farm was sold. In addition to being a wife, mother and home maker, Mary also served on the United Church Board for several years (nine years as treasurer), the Sintaluta U.C.W. Committee (Secretary Treasurer), the Memorial Hall Board and was also a member of the Silver Horizons (Secretary Treasurer). In 1985 Mary co-founded, along with Mona Willoughby, the Sintaluta Players Drama group. Her favorite time of the year was the dinner theatre weekend, usually in April as she enjoyed seeing the plays come together to become successes for seventeen years. Mary also loved family reunions, visiting with friends, and organizing pictures taken of those special times together. She enjoyed many hobbies such as drama, knitting, crocheting, sewing, crafts, making things for kids and grandkids and geneology. Anyone who met Mary, with her beautiful blue eyes, loved her from that moment and forever connected with her in a special way. In lieu of flowers, if friends so desire, contributions to St. James United Church, Wolseley, SK., S0G 5H0 or to the Sintaluta Cemtery Fund, Sintaluta, SK., S0G 4N0 may be tokens of remembrance. Arrangements in care of Tubman Funeral Home/Valley Crematorium, Wolseley, SK.