Marguerite Jean Lockerby

With many tears and many memories of laughter we announce the passing of Marguerite Jean Lockerby (Strang), formerly of Baldur MB, at the Wawanesa Personal Care Home on Thursday October 13, 2022 at the age of 102 years.

Marguerite Jean Strang was born March 29th, 1920, eldest daughter of Harry Strang and Jennie (McLennan) Strang.  She had 2 more sisters join the family, Doris and Anne.

Being the oldest, Mom was given a lot of responsibility looking after household chores as well as helping her dad with outside chores, - I think she was the boy that grandpa never had - Grandpa nick named her “Deek” Grandpa contacted sleeping sickness and his health deteriorated to the point that he couldn’t drive, so at the age of 12, mom took over the driving duties.

Schooling was in Greenway for elementary years, they had a pony that Mom and auntie Do drove to school, but before the school bell rang, they delivered the cream to the train station.  High school years were in Baldur, where mom and auntie shared a rented room, as there were no school buses.

There was some rebel in Mom and her sister as they would take 2 of grandpa’s cigarettes, cut them in half & have themselves a smoke.  When she told us this story (and we never heard this story until we were adults) we were shocked!!

After high school, mom worked on the farm with her parents, until her marriage to dad on November 2nd, 1939.  They were married in Winnipeg at a united church manse, with no family members present, after a 2 day honeymoon, it was back on the train to the farm.

Working hard was a given, chores, seeding, harvesting, and feeding threshing gangs, but they also had their fun times.  Curling in winter, sports days in the summer, card parties, and weekly dances in Greenway, dad and mom loved to dance, money was hard to come by, mom could get into the dances for free if she took lunch, but there were times they couldn’t go, as there was no quarter for dad.

By 1945 there were three babies, Barbara, Garth and Lois, busy times, no running water and no disposable diapers, only cook stoves and ice wells.  The family moved to Baldur in 1946 & in 1950 the family was complete when Joyce landed on the scene.

As the family grew and started off to school, mom went to work outside the home, first at Tommy Lees store, then part time at the post office, eventually retiring as the post mistress in 1985.

While living in Baldur, we were busy, but most of all mom, she curled, belonged to various groups, while also supporting all the extracurricular activities that we belonged to.

Mom made all our clothes as well as costumes for Halloween, ice carnivals & figure skating.  The sewing machine would be humming 15 minutes before we had to go.  Many times, we would be standing with our long stockings & garter belts waiting to put on the latest creation.

Being a great cook, mom loved to entertain, and no one ever left hungry.  The house smelled amazing with the aroma of bread, buns, cakes and pastries as well as her famous stew and biscuits.

Being a people person, mom loved to socialize and meet new people & before long would know who was related to who - there was always a connection - her grand-son-in-law noted that if the authorities really wanted to find Osama Bin Laden, they should have got grandma on their team.

Raised by very strict parents, mom used this as her example when raising us, having a strong personality, and raising 4 people who also had strong personalities, some days OOOH MY!!!

While still living in Baldur, Mom vacationed in Arizona, some of her travelling partners were Enid Collins, Loree Eastley, and the Patterson’s from Pilot Mound to name a few.

In 2003, a move to Lions manor happened, it was quite a big step, but proved to be a good one.  Finding new friends and continuing to socialize and travel.  In 2017 we could see mom was struggling with her memory.  A move to Wawanesa PCH was necessary.  More new friends - some were residents, but most were the amazing staff & Doctors.  Her memory was reverting back, so some of the staff were called names of old school chums or hired girls who had worked for her parents.  She was treated like a queen.

Her tell-it-like it is spirit has been an unforgettable force in many of our lives, she left her mark and will be greatly missed.

Marguerite is survived by her daughters Barbara & husband Don Withers of Cartwright, MB, Lois Goodhew of Oliver, BC, Joyce & husband Delbert McDougall of Nesbitt, MB and daughter-in-law Sandra Lockerby of Killarney MB; grandchildren Blake, Kelly, Tannys, Todd, Kevin, Kent, Jennifer, Patricia, and Kyle as well as 25 great grandchildren and 4 great great grandchildren.

 Marguerite was predeceased by her husband Hersel (1975), son Garth Lockerby (2004), son-in-law Wayne Goodhew (2003), parents Henry & Jennie Strang sister Anne (2007) & husbands Ted Fisher & Lloyd Sigmar and sister Doris (2020) & husband Jack Stone as well as several other family members.

 A Private Family Graveside Service will be held at the Baldur Cemetery with Sharon Hamilton officiating.  Friends and extended family are invited to a gathering to celebrate her life on Friday, October 21, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. at the Baldur Community Hall.

 Memorial donations can be made in Marguerites’ memory to the Baldur & Area Foundation, Box 40, Baldur MB R0K 0B0 or to the Wawanesa PCH Activities, Box 309, Wawanesa MB R0K 2G0. 

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