Obituary of Margaret Louise Eleanor Martens

MARTENS MARGARET LOUISE ELEANOR (NEE HOUSTON) OF REGINA_ With great sadness, the family wishes to announce the passing of Louise, dear mother, grandmother, and aunt on Sunday January 6, 2008 at the age of 92 years, with her grandson at her side, after a brief illness and her half-century-long battle with osteoarthritis. Her memory will linger in our hearts forever. Louise was predeceased by her husband Ernest Allen Martens in 1953 (b., family homestead, Main Center, Saskatchewan), her parents, Kate Matilda Gardiner in 1960 (b., family farm, Westbrook, Ontario) and Arthur Russell Houston in 1966 (b., family homestead, Starbuck, Manitoba), her maternal grandparents, Charlotte Eleanor Leonard in 1916 (b., Westbrook, Ontario) and Jacob James Gardiner in 1923 (b., family homestead, Westbrook, Ontario), her paternal grandparents, Margaret McBurney in 1943 (b., Beverly, Ontario) and Robert Houston, Sr. in 1934 (b., Lesmahagow, Scotland). A true Canadian with deep roots here, Louise is a descendant of a family (Leonard) who came to North America in 1620 on the Mayflower, and she is also a descendant of another family (McDonell) of United Empire Loyalists. She is survived by her sons Geoffrey of Westport, Ontario, and James (Lorena May Blondin) of Regina, her grandchildren, Robert and Miranda, her sisters-in-law, Theresa of Regina, Katherine and Leona Both of Abbottsford, B.C, Hertha and Katherine both of Herbert, SK, Victoria of Swift Current, SK, and Colleen of Weyburn, SK, her brothers-in-law, Edgar (Ruth) of Red Deer, AB, Corney of Swift Current, SK, and Donald (Audrey) of Oyen, AB and a host of nieces and nephews. Louise was the daughter of a CPR stationagent and was born in the station-house in Perdue, Saskatchewan, in 1915. Her early schooling was there, and her piano-lessons only a short ride away over the rails to Saskatoon where she subsequently attended the University of Saskatchewan (Home Economics), and later on, business school in London, Ontario. With a young family to support, Louise returned to work (Government of Saskatchewan), finally retiring in 1982. Where did the time go? She will be remembered for her independence and her dedication and generosity to her family, friends and co-workers. She loved Rachmaninoff; but despised countrymusic. She was her own woman to the end. The family would like to thank Regina's Pasqua Hospital Emergency personnel for their efforts through the last and only night that Mum spent away from her house in many, many years. A memorial service will be held at Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina, Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 1:30PM; coffee and tea to follow at the Speers Family Centre.