Obituary of Ivy Evelyn Saunders

Please click here to view the livestream of the service

It is with great sadness that the family of Ivy announce her peaceful passing on February 4, 2022 at the age of 90 years. 

Ivy Evelyn Saunders was born in Regina on November 21, 1931 the fourth child of five to Hill and Dora Bredin.  She grew up on the farm about 10 miles north of Regina on the SE12-19-20-W2.  She attended a one room school called Rose Plain and it was there that her Grade 3 teacher recognized her talent and became her art mentor as she developed her passion to draw. Helping out on the farm was a given and at a young age she was helping her father in the fields, driving the tractor or operating the binder.  After taking grade 9 and 10 by correspondence she moved to Regina to attend Balfour Collegiate to finish her high school and take a secretarial course. Ivy was very athletic and while attending school she made it to the Provincial High School Finals in Saskatoon, getting a medal in the relay.

She married the love of her life Earl Saunders on July 14, 1951.  Ivy and Earl have three children, Janice and her husband John Hicke, Bruce and his wife Susan and Bill and his wife Colleen and grandchildren: Jennifer, Joey, Jill, Michael, Evan, Craig, Brett, Austin and eleven great grandchildren.  They celebrated their 50^th anniversary shortly before the passing of her partner Earl.  As a couple they loved to travel and did several cruises, destinations and bus tours on their own or with family and friends.  Ivy continued to travel right into her 80’s with sisters, girl friends and family.  Her other passions included music, singing, church, square dancing, gardening, baking, knitting for the family and the Bridge Club

Ivy has worked in a number of Government offices; she was a telephone operator at Sask Tel and worked in the Provincial Lab.  In 1982 she started working in the Legislative Building doing secretarial work for the ministers of Social Services, Education, Energy and Mines, Municipal Affairs and eventually became the private secretary to the Deputy Premier.  She retired in the 1990’s from Sask Power.  Ivy’s love for nature and the outdoors has always carried through to her art. She joined the North Regina Artist Guild in 1981 and was a member, instructor and on the executive for over 35 years. Prairie scenes where her favorite subject and she was always working on a art project or getting several paintings ready for the Guild’s annual show.  Passing on her skills as an artist has always been her passion and many artists in the Saunders family have taken home more than one award in the family category during Exhibition time.  Many of her family and friends have her art works displayed in their homes. Family and friends were always the most important part of her life and she will be greatly missed by anyone who knew her.

Private Family Service will be held on Monday, February 14, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. To view the livestream of the service, please click on the link above which will be made available on the date and time of the service. Interment in Riverside Memorial Park. Flowers most gratefully declined.  Friends so wishing may make donations in memoriam to the St. James United Church, 4506 Sherwood Drive, Regina, SK, S4R 4B4 or the charity of your choice.