Obituary of Margaret Inga Scott

Margaret Inga Scott passed away peacefully on November 6, 2023 at the Royal University Hospital in the company of all three of her cherished children:  daughter, Debra Ann Leask - Martensville; son, Dennis Walter Scott (Linda) – Saskatoon, and son, Dean James Scott (Debbie) – Chilliwack B.C.

“Thank you, I love you, they are friends of mine, and I am so grateful” are words that flowed off of Margaret’s tongue so easily.  During Margaret’s last months she could no longer speak but could communicate by using a white board to write her messages on in the most beautiful handwriting right up until the end. Margaret was so happy to have spent her final days visiting her 6 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren either in person or by facetime.

Margaret was born on August 5, 1931 in the Carragana Hospital near Weekes Saskatchewan. She was the only child of Pernilla Olava Davidsen (1909-1996) and Toralf Listol (1905-1933).  After the passing of Toralf, Pernilla married Hans Davidsen.  They then had a son James Davidsen (Stine) thus giving Margaret a half brother.

Margaret grew up on the family farm near Northern Lights Saskatchewan where she learnt the value of hard work which helped her through her entire life.  By 1950 Margaret made the journey to North Battleford in hopes of starting a career and finding a husband.  She accomplished both by training as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse at the Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford and marrying the son of the house mother from the nurses’ residence.

Thus began a 35 plus year career as an RPN and a 63-year marriage to Walter Francis Scott (deceased June 4, 2015).  Margaret and Walter had Debra in 1953, then Dennis in 1955.  Walter, or as he was most often called, “Scotty” had a saying… “We kept having kids until we found one we liked.”  Then Dean was born in 1960, and yes, he turned out to be the favourite, but Margaret had taught us not to hold grudges unless it was against the CFL’s Edmonton Elks management team. (But they are probably great guys).

Margaret loved her fellow nursing students and has kept a lifelong friendship with many of them.  In 1972 Margaret took a job as a Personal Service worker at the newly opened Riverside Special Care Home now known as Battlefords District Care Centre.  She finished off her career as the Recreation Supervisor until her retirement June 30, 1991.

Margaret loved those jobs, her only issue being the “fancy ladies with their fur coats from the big city” not visiting their elderly parents enough.  That was a not-so-subtle hint to her children to visit when Margaret and Walter retired.

In 1974 Margaret and Walter made one of the best decisions of their lives.  They bought “the cabin” at Turtle Lake. They immediately blended in with the Turtle Lake and Livelong community.  They played Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus for years at schools, hospitals, nursing homes and daycares.  Margaret loved golfing, square dancing, senior choir, boating, skating, fishing, cross country skiing, curling, bowling and snowmobiling.  No one excelled at retirement more than Margaret.

But sadly, Walter passed away June 4, 2015.  This resulted in Margaret having to sell the cabin and start the next phase of her life. Bethany Manor in Saskatoon proved to be the answer to Margaret’s prayers. She moved into Bethany on November 3, 2017, and spent the next 6 years with a smile on her face and a glow in her heart.  Margaret raved about her friends and all the activities they would do together.  They spent many hours cheering on Saskatchewan and Canadian curlers.  They also had their hearts broken too often by their beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Margaret spent the last year suffering, but the suffering has ended.  Rest in peace our loving lady. Margaret was predeceased by her parents, her brother James Davidsen (2022), husband Walter, granddaughter Ashley Meredith Scott (Feb. 3, 1984 – Sept. 26, 1988) and son-in-law Terry Dale Leask (Oct. 14, 2020).

On behalf of Margaret and her family we thank all the caregivers who made her passing as pleasant as possible. She appreciated you all and would want to say, ‘thank you.”