Margaret Anne (Brown) Krutz

 Mrs. Margaret Krutz, beloved wife of Steve Krutz passed away suddenly on Saturday June 8, 2019 at the age of 82 years. The funeral will take place on Saturday, June 15 at 2:00 p.m. at Preeceville Funeral Home with Pastor Hein Bertram officiating. The interment will follow in the Lutheran Cemetery in the Preeceville Community Cemetery.

Memorials in memory of Margaret may be made to Canora Hospital Auxiliary as gifts of remembrance.

Arrangements entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.

     Margaret was born April 29, 1937 at Preeceville Saskatchewan to Joesph Henry Brown and Inga Bertine Berg. Margaret grew up on the farm at Endeavour (two miles south of the Krutz farm where Steve grew up). She attended Midland Rural School for elementary school, Outlook Lutheran College for grade 10, and then graduated from Sturgis Composite in 1955. At a very young age Steve bought the farm across the road from his parent's farm so it was here that he and Margaret lived and farmed for over 45 years following their marriage on October 28, 1955 at Grace United Church, in Sturgis Saskatchewan. Their home, on the farm, was planned and built by them in the summer of 1955. It was not until 1963 that they got electricity and then water works in 1971. That same year, they put an addition on the house to accommodate their growing family and to make a large dining room which would be the gathering place for many family meals when Margaret would prepare a feast. She was known far and wide for her excellent pies, especially her famous carrot pie.

     Margaret and Steve raised Aberdeen Angus cattle, pigs and chickens. They also owned a saw mill which they worked at in the winter for several years. Margaret and Steve both enjoyed wood working. Steve would build the furniture and Margaret would do the finishing. Many of their creations are still in the homes of their children and grandchildren as a cherish possessions. Later they began refinishing antique furniture for themselves and for resale. They had a large collection of antique glass and china and had a small antique shop on the farm which drew buyers from all over the province. Margaret and Steve loved auction sales and travelled together many miles in search of a rare find for their shop. In 1983, they sold the cattle and turned much of the land into alfalfa. The rest was used for straight grain farming.

     Throughout her life, Margaret loved gardening and flowers. She had a huge garden on the farm which fed her entire family. In later years, she kept a garden in both Canora and the farm. She loved lilies and her flower beds were brilliantly coloured each year with a huge variety. The first year Margaret and Steve lived in Canora, they won several first-place prizes for their beautiful yard and flowers. Margaret loved all things in nature, she walked miles in search of mushrooms and berries and spent endless hours picking and preserving apples from the large orchid on the farm. She loved feeding the birds and deer. Many happy family moments were spent watching both deer and birds enjoy the food that she and Steve would put out each day. Family was central to every aspect of her life. Margaret always put her three daughters, Steve and grandchildren first. She always commented on taking everyone moment possible to create a special memory and there were many. Eating ice-cream outside Greba's store, wiener roasts on the hill at SW42, fishing on Twin Lakes, summers with Joyce and Christine Knight, visiting with the Covey family, time with her grandchildren and visiting with many neighbours and friends. Margaret believed it important to share her life experiences so they would be remembered. She told stories about Christmas time with the Bergs and Jaques, blueberry picking in Flin Flon with Bruce and Ann Moore, summers with Bill and Vi Moore and happy times spent with Grandma and Grandpa Berg, who lived down the road, Grandma and Grandpa Brown in Meaford, Ontario and at Brown’s Corners with the Greenlys.

     From a very young age Margaret was interested in her family tree. She spent years researching her Brown and Berg family roots as well as the history of Steve's family. She published a family history book to ensure her children and grandchildren would know their roots. In 2001 Margaret and Steve moved to Canora where they retired. It was difficult to leave their home of so many years, so the two of them built a cabin on in the quarter across the road so they could still look out onto their farm. For the next 18 years, Margaret and Steve would travel weekly, sometimes daily, to tend to the garden at the cabin. Even this year at age 82, Margaret planted a row of peas on the farm. Faith was central to all she did. Margaret faced each challenge in life confident that God was by her side and in a quiet way she ensured that her children held the same belief. Each journey and decision was made in the presence of God knowing he was her constant companion. Margaret is predeceased by her parents Henry and Inga Brown and parents-in-law Nick and Michalena Krutz. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Steve, daughters Teresa (Ian Winrow), Corinne (John Lam Ma), Janet (Rob Krogstad), her grandchildren Christopher, Keenan, Jordan (Meaghan), Brittany (Jonathan), Rachel and Joel and the many cousins, neighbours and friends who loved her dearly and saw the bright light within her soul.