Margaret Elinore McPherson

Margaret McPherson (nee Raven) died peacefully on March 19, having lived a long, rich, and rewarding life.

Margaret was predeceased by her husband Murray McPherson, her parents Martha “Aunt May” Raven (nee Hamilton) and Bill Raven, her younger sister Marian Mathieson (nee Raven) and husband Gord Mathieson, and Murray’s brothers and their spouses Howard and Jessie McPherson and Ken and Mary McPherson.

Margaret is lovingly remembered by her children Kathy/Kate McPherson (Ed Ratz) and Jack McPherson (Christie McPherson), grandchildren – Dominik Ratz, Ella Ratz, Meghan McPherson (Oliver Leslie), Andrew McPherson, Daniel McPherson, James McPherson (Meghan Dobie), William McPherson and Emily McPherson – great granddaughter Rose Leslie, and many caring nieces and nephews.

Born in 1927 in Winnipeg’s working-class community of Elmwood, Margaret grew up during the global economic depression of the 1930s. Her family was part of a close-knit cluster of friends and family, especially the “Hamilton” aunts and cousins, who supported each other through those lean years. World War II brought great loss with the death of her cousin George, but also opportunity; the buoyant wartime economy meant Margaret could afford to stay in school, finish grade 12 and enrol at the University of Manitoba, completing degrees in Science and Education before embarking on a teaching career first in Dauphin and then Winnipeg. While in the Education faculty, Margaret met another aspiring teacher, a young man from Brandon Hills named Murray McPherson, whom she married in 1951 and loved all her life.

The arrival of their two children prompted the young couple to buy a house in a new suburban subdivision of River Heights. From their house on Lanark Street Margaret chauffeured kids to track meets and basketball games, made delicious chocolate chip cookies, typed essays, tutored, hosted family parties, and dispensed wisdom. Margaret returned to paid work in the 1980s as assistant archivist for the United Church Archives, but she always acknowledged the social and economic value of her years as a parent and homemaker: when once asked by a Census-taker to state her occupation, she listed herself as a “manager” (later explaining, with a satisfied smile, that she “managed to get the meals on the table each night.”)

Volunteer work and community leadership were also defining features of Margaret’s life. She was active in the Schoolmasters’ Wives Association, many Westworth committees, and the United Church of Canada National Council. Rumour has it that she chaired a good meeting! Margaret was particularly proud of her decade-long appointment to the University of Winnipeg Board of Regents, for which she served as Chair from 1992-94. In 2000, her U of W work was recognized when she was awarded the inaugural University of Winnipeg Fellowship. Margaret also undertook significant writing and editorial work, co-editing of Prairie Spirit: Perspectives on the Heritage of the United Church of Canada in the West and co-authoring All Things Are Possible: A History of Westworth United Church, 1950-1990.

Margaret always credited her achievements to Murray’s support. Their more than 5 decade-long relationship anchored and empowered Margaret in everything she did. Life with Murray included wonderful time spent at the McPherson farms in Brandon Hills as well as summer holidays at Victoria Beach. The year in East Lansing held special memories. She and Murray loved to travel, especially if journeys entailed long car trips and scenic country roads. Every trip seemed to widen the family tree as distant relatives became new friends. In return, the McPherson house on Lanark often welcomed travelers invited to “bunk in” as they crossed the continent; guests visiting Winnipeg for conferences, basketball tournaments, or medical appointments; and international students. Murray and Margaret’s final years together were marked by his illness, as Margaret remained his daily companion through the tough years of Murray’s failing health.

Margaret was sustained through such difficult times by her networks of wonderful comrades, including the Bridge Group, her Library friends, book clubs and church friends. When Margaret moved to the Wellington in 2006, she re/connected with a lovely group of women who enjoyed evening dinners together and supported each other as they faced the hard decisions aging entailed. The Wellington staff deserve special thanks for all their kindness to during Margaret’s years there. By the time Margaret reached her 95th birthday, she was the last of “her” generation in her extended family, but Aunt Margaret (aka “Auntie” and “Auntie Marg”) continued to nurture and value her close relationships with her nieces and nephews, sharing with them all the family histories she had collected.

Unfailingly supportive of her children, Margaret was absolutely delighted to be a grandmother: she was fiercely proud of her grandkids’ accomplishments and cherished spending time with them. Getting to meet her great-granddaughter Rose brought immeasurable joy to Margaret’s final days.

Always willing to engage in kitchen-table philosophizing—about family, faith, feminism, and world affairs—Margaret loved talking about good books, about bad political decisions, about the CFL, and about curling. Margaret held enduring beliefs in the power of education, the value of a well-told story, the possibility of a completed crossword, and the importance of optimism. She will be dearly missed.

Special thanks are extended to Dr. Michael Coodin; the nurses, doctors, and aides of St. Boniface Palliative Care team; Dorcas Windsor and Rev. Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd of Westworth; the Boyes clan; Rosanne and Judy; and Donna and Tammy for their support of Margaret during the last phase of her life.

A celebration of Margaret’s life will be held on Friday, 9 June 2023 at 1 p.m. at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue, www.westworth.ca.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.thomsoninthepark.com for the McPherson family.