Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Saskatchewan for funeral details
Peggy Thorsness
October 16, 1924 — October 13, 2024
Peggy Belle Thorsness (Wood) passed away on October 13th, 2024, three days shy of her one hundredth birthday, surrounded by her family. She was predeceased by her 3 year-old son, Daniel, her husband, Wilfred, her son in law, Peter Kolenick, and 15 siblings. She will be sadly missed by her daughter, Wanda Kolenick; son, Robert (Cheryl Kolbinson); and daughter Myrna (Jack) Livingstone and 8 grandchildren; Dan Kolenick (Stacey), Lee Kolenick (Kriti), Ellen Nasser (John), Amy Pfefferle (Brian), Kaitlynn Livingstone (Steven Monahan), Scott Livingstone (Claire Fadul), Claire Livingstone (Kevin Young), Todd Thorsness (Kelsey Targerson); and 11 great grandchildren.
Peg was born to Ruth (Flodin) and Frank Wood. She grew up on a farm near Yellow Grass, SK. After graduating high school in Regina she attended the U of S in Saskatoon on a one-year bursary from the College of Engineering. The following year, she attended normal school to become a teacher. She taught in Pilot Butte, Lake Valley and Bredenbury. There, in 1945 she met her husband Wilfred, who owned the local hardware store with his father. In 1948 they moved to Saltcoats to open and operate a second family hardware store. In 1960 they built a home on the lake shore in Saltcoats, where they enjoyed the sun and moonlight reflecting off the water and the other gifts of nature, especially the songbirds and waterfowl. In November of 2014, Peg and Wilf moved to Saskatoon to be closer to family. They resided at Riverside Terrace where they continued to enjoy the beauty of nature from their balcony overlooking the South Saskatchewan River. Peg also enjoyed singing and was part of the choir at Riverside Terrace.
Peg was active in the Saltcoats United Church (on session and the UCW), the Saltcoats Legion Auxiliary and Saltcoats Housing Authority. She led Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT), and was always contributing to community events.
A phenomenal baker and cook, Peg’s home was welcoming and her kitchen filled with the aroma of fresh baking. She remembered everyone’s favourite foods and prepared them in advance of a visit. Her bread, cinnamon buns, and scuffles were thoroughly enjoyed by all. She preserved many vegetables from their large garden, and made jams and jellies from the berries that Wilf loved to pick. For the Christmas season, a variety of salty and sweet treats appeared, homemade fudge being her specialty. Family gatherings were delicious and joyful celebrations.
Peg loved to play Scrabble with her family, and with her sharp intellect, she proved to be a tough opponent. Peg enjoyed travelling. Over the years, the family took numerous trips to different parts of Canada and the U.S.A. Peg and Wilf travelled to several countries and enjoyed touring in their motor home.
Peg was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great grandma and friend. She was close to her siblings and parents, making treks to the ranch in Alberta for visits and family reunions. Peg maintained a close relationship with her five sisters. She loved to host and attend beloved sister reunions filled with coffee, laughter and games of Aggravation, a favourite of the “Wood pile”.
She lived a wonderful full life – one hundred years of love. What a gift! She felt truly blessed as was reflected in her strong faith. Peg, a truly remarkable lady, will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by many.
At Peg’s request, a graveside family gathering will be held at the Saltcoats Town Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
-Saltcoats United Church, PO Box 58, Saltcoats, SK S0A 3R0 Please designate “Building Fund”
-The Saskatchewan Heart and Stroke Foundation
Autobiography of Peg Thorsness (nee Wood) Written in 2016
My mother’s parents immigrated from Sweden to Minnesota, U.S.A. In 1904 they homesteaded in the Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan area. My father’s parents were from Iowa and homesteaded in the same area.
My parents, Ruth Flodin and Frank Wood met and married and were together for 63 years until my father’s death. I was born in 1924, the 7th in a family of 17 children. There were 6 girls and 11 boys (which included 2 sets of identical twin boys). To say that times were hard would be an understatement but some of my fondest memories are of my childhood. We were taught to respect and support one another, to share and take turns and say our prayers at night. Even to this day, I marvel at the amazing person Mom was. She was always dependable, capable and resourceful. Her unwavering faith gave her great strength. She was still living at home when she died at 95 years of age, dearly loved and sadly missed.
By the time I was old enough for high school we were living in Regina. I attended Scott Collegiate and graduated in 1942. I then attended U of S in Saskatoon for one year on a bursary from the College of Engineering. That summer I signed up to work in a munitions plant in Ajax, Ontario. Representatives came to campus to interview students and provided train fare and barracks for those who worked on the assembly line rolling T.N.T. pellets for antiaircraft guns. I remember thinking of family members overseas fighting the war and feeling I should be doing much more. However, I returned home and attended Normal School that fall. I received my teaching certificate at Easter when I was asked to go to teach at a rural school near Pilot Butte. After taking summer school classes, I took a teaching position in Lake Valley for one year and then moved to Bredenbury to teach in 1945. It was there that I met Wilf who had returned from air force duties overseas, serving as the pilot of a Lancaster bomber. He and his father were the new owners of a local hardware store. Wilf and I were married in 1946. I moved into the family home to take over for his younger sister Shirley who was leaving to study nursing. She had been caring for her younger brother and father following the death of their mother.
In 1948 we moved to Saltcoats to operate a second hardware store. Wilf was a dedicated and hard¬ working entrepreneur and the business expanded over the years to a chain of 5 stores in 5 different towns.
Saltcoats was home for the next 66 years. We were blessed with four children, two boys and two girls. Tragically, we lost Danny, our first-born during the polio epidemic in 1952, the year the vaccine was discovered. He was not quite 4 years old. That seemed like the end of our world, but eventually life did go on.
In 1960 we moved into a new home that we had built on the lake shore. It was a great source of pleasure for us where we enjoyed the beauty of nature and all that the lake had to offer year round; boating, swimming, skiing, skating and ski-doing! We also had a huge garden, sometimes two, keeping us supplied with vegetables, both eaten fresh and frozen for the winter. In addition, Wilf was a terrific hunter and there was always an abundance of birds, game and fish on hand for those “free meals” he loved to have prepared for the family and any guests he could round up.
One of the joys of our life was when our oldest daughter Wanda, a Reg. Nurse, and her husband Peter, a lawyer with Legal Aid, built their home beside us and raised their 4 children. They were there for almost 20 years and it was a sad day when they left following Peter’s judicial appointment to Estevan before moving on to Saskatoon.
Holidays were fun, travelling in our motor home to many parts of Canada and the United States. We also travelled to various other countries over the years; The British Isles, Jamaica, Bahamas and Nigeria (stopping in Rome and Zurich en route).
We were community-minded, partaking in many things; town council, park board, air cadets, housing authority, Legion and Legion auxiliary. We were also volunteers at Lakeside Manor Care Home. We were members of and regularly attended the Saltcoats United Church. I was a Session member for many years and at times taught Sunday school and led C.G.1.T. I was a member of U.C.W. for over 50 years and received my SO-year membership pin from the Legion auxiliary. These two memberships allowed for ample baking, sandwich-making and tea serving over the decades!
Our son Robert graduated from U of S with a B.A. in History and also completed his M.B.A. He has one son who is presently studying Engineering at U of S. He and his wife Cheryl also reside in Saskatoon.
Our youngest daughter Myrna is a physiotherapist and moved to Calgary after graduation where she met her husband Jack and continues to reside. They have three children which gives me a total of 8 grandchildren. Not only Wanda and Peter, but three of their children have homes here in Saskatoon. Between them they have 7 of my 8 great grandchildren to light up my life!
Sadly, Wilf passed away in April a year ago, just 4 months after we moved to Riverside. I am so thankful to be here with my family. They are a big part of my life. I very much appreciate the beautiful river view, the services provided and especially the friendly residents here. I am certain I could not be in a better place.
Note: Since Peg wrote this autobiography, her family welcomed two additional great grandsons and one more great granddaughter.
2024
Death notice for the town of: Saskatoon, Province: Saskatchewan
death notice Peggy Thorsness 2024
obituaries notice Peggy Thorsness 2024
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Peggy Thorsness 2024 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
