Margaret Eleanora Peters (nee Koop) was born May 5th, 1928, in Dundurn, Saskatchewan. Her parents had moved to Saskatchewan from Imperial Russia in 1923. They were Mennonite farmers with a strong religious faith. Before starting school, she spoke only German.
Marg trained as a nurse at Saskatoon City Hospital and worked at City, Kelowna, and Rosthern hospitals over the next years. Although she loved nursing and maintained many nursing friends throughout her life, she gave up this career when she married Edward Peters on July 24th, 1954 and moved to his family farm, 13 miles west of Hanley. Given the shortage of water, they called the farm “Dryland Farms”.
Marg and Ed had four children: 2 boys followed by 2 girls. The oldest son, Douglas, succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 51. This was a devastating loss for the family.
Bill Peters, the next oldest, lives with his wife Virginia on a farm near Perdue. They have a daughter named Tiffany (Kris). Marilyn lives with her husband Bob in Ontario. They have two sons: Ryan (Sarah) and Sean (Makiko) and five grandchildren (Julian, Evan, Aria, Ren and Fin.) Margaret, the youngest lives in Saskatoon. She has a son, Malcolm (Jen) and two grandchildren (Jackson and Grayson).
Marg loved the farming life and embraced all its joys as well as the hard work. In the ‘70s Ed and Marg took an interest in an exotic breed of cattle from Europe called Simmentals. This changed the nature of farming for them as they formed the Hanley Hi-Lite Simmental Association, with a group of farmers from their community and became influential Simmental breeders, attending shows throughout North America.
The farm gave Marg the space to engage in her love of gardening. She had large fruit and vegetable gardens and preserved a lot of food for the family table through the winter months. She grew beautiful flowers and shrubs, turning the house and surrounding grounds into an oasis of beauty. She became an active member of the horticultural club in the region and, for a while, became known as ‘the Gladiola Lady’.
Church life and faith were always important to Marg. She was a hard-working volunteer for church projects and was particularly proud of having directed the children’s choir along with her sister Hedie. Music was a big part of her life and singing 4-part harmony in choirs and with family was one of her favourite pastimes.
Marg enjoyed countless wonderful times with her extended family, gathering on all the major holidays as well as any minor ones they could fit in. She loved to celebrate these occasions with her five siblings and their families. Although her brother Vic (Hertha, dec.) passed away, three of her sisters live in Saskatoon: Agnes (Nick, dec.), Hedie (Henry, dec.), and Marlene (Dave). Melita (Wayne, dec.) lives in Toronto and her sister-in-law, Ella (Helmute, dec.) lives in Calgary.
Marg’s outgoing personality got her involved in numerous community projects. She and Ed played a major role in Hanley’s town fair. Along with a group of women, she started a successful annual dinner theatre company. She enjoyed curling, skating, cards and other forms of amusement. She took pleasure in hosting meals and events where she could engage
with others in conversation.
Cooking and baking filled Marg’s kitchen with appetizing aromas. She loved reading cookbooks and trying new recipes. She engaged in many hobbies,
including, sewing, quilting, painting, crocheting, card-making, needlepoint, ceramics and keeping a daily journal. Throughout her life, she believed in
keeping her hands busy.
Ed loved to drive so he and Marg went on many driving vacations. They travelled across Canada numerous times, journeyed into the United States, and
saw many interesting sites close to home and far away. Their destinations often included visits with relative and friends along the way. Other memorable trips were taken to Europe, Alaska, and Hawaii. Their
adventurous nature also took them on one particularly unforgettable trip to Bogota, Colombia where they volunteered in preparing a school for the new
school year.
In 2009, Ed and Marg sold their farm and moved into the town of Hanley. Marg easily adapted to town life, taking morning walks with friends and availing
herself of Hanley’s amenities. Unfortunately, Ed became ill and passed away in 2012. Marg continued to manage the home for some time, but decided in 2020 to move to Luthercare Riverside Terrace
where she could receive assistance with newly emerging needs.
With declining health, Marg transitioned to long term care. She participated fully in music and chapel services and staff often remarked on how they adored her.