Elsie Morrison

Elsie was born August 11, 1931, to John and Lydia Lutz. She was raised on a farm near Eatonia, along with siblings Eric, Alma, and Arthur. Her mother recalled turning a little wagon into a bed for Elsie so she could take her along when she tended their depression era garden.

When she was 24, Elsie moved to Craik to work as a nurse’s aid at the hospital. In 1961, she married Bert Morrison and moved to their farm near Davidson.

On the farm, Elsie managed to grow a huge garden every year no matter what challenges the Saskatchewan summers threw at her. The feat was particularly remarkable as she was also raising six children: Darla, Gary, Kevin, Dale, Neil, and Monte. Her kitchen was the heart of the home. There she prepared the family meals and fought the impossible battle of stocking a freezer with baking faster than her children could raid it. And it’s where she kept her aquarium of multiple generations of guppies.

In 1981, Elsie and Bert made the difficult decision to give up farming and move the family to an acreage near Saskatoon. Elsie soon had Bert rototilling. Before long they were tending an enormous garden and producing a bumper crop of tomatoes and cucumbers in their hydroponic greenhouse.

They moved to a house in Saskatoon in 1996, then to Preston Park Retirement Residence in 2013. Elsie turned the little apartment balcony into a beautiful flower garden every summer, despite the northern exposure that she loathed - but wouldn’t give up because she liked the view. Inside there were lots of plants, often two or three little aquariums, and always a 1000 piece puzzle in progress on the kitchen table.

Elsie was smart, funny, and fiercely independent. She liked to fish but refused to touch or eat the catch. She was a big Blue Jays fan, unless they were losing. She loved her family dearly, but liked to say, “Happy to see them arrive; happy to see them go home.”

Elsie is survived by Darla (Steve), Gary (Shannon), Kevin (Adele), Neil (Jenny), Monte (Glenda), her brother Arthur, 15 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Bert passed away in 2014, and Dale in 2024. In the hospital, Elsie said she was sure looking forward to seeing them again.

The family is so very grateful for the excellent care and support provided by Elsie’s family physician, Dr. Enweani, and the incredible staff at St. Paul’s Emergency, 6th Floor, and Palliative Care.

Elsie's memorial service will be held in the Mourning Glory Acadia - McKague's Funeral Chapel, in Saskatoon, on Monday, May 19, at 11:00 a.m.