Mary Insull

Mom was born on April 16th, 1928, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, at a hospital on Windsor Street. Around 132-33, the family moved to Petaigan, Saskatchewan, to a homestead twelve miles north of Carrot River. Mom attended school with her older sister and brothers. From Petaigan, the family moved to the Osler District.

At about the age of 16, Mom moved to Saskatoon and began working in the sewing department at City Hospital. This was where Mom met a handsome young nursing orderly named Bill. Mom has told us how the other girls working in the sewing departments would get all excited when Bill Insull came around. But as it turned out, Dad only had eyes for Mom. They were married on September 14th, 1947.

Mom was a stay at home Mom but did house cleaning once a week for the Braithwaites, who became like family to her. She also knit siwashes for Admilman’s Department Store. After her children were grown, Mom worked outside the home at various places, including the laundrey room at Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers; in the kitchen at Kelsey Institute (now known as Polytechnic). Mom and Dad also took in foster children – we almost got a brother when Dad wanted to adopt the one little boy, we had who was going up for adoption, but Mom told him she was too old. 

Mom loved knitting, sewing, needle work and crocheting. As soon as she heard someone in the family or a friend of hers was going to have a baby, her knitting needles were busy. Mom also sewed both Marlene and Karen’s wedding dresses, as well as the bridesmaids and flower girls’ dresses. Mom wasn’t afraid to tackle anything – and if she saw a mistake in her knitting, she took it apart and fixed it.

Mom also loved having a garage sale. Once the date was decided, she was busy making pies, baking buns, cookies and butter tarts. She even had repeat customers who would walk into the garage and ask if she still had pies.

Mom also got her driver’s license when she was in her forties. Fridays were always family supper nights, and many times she would work on the suppers for a few days. Later, when the great grandchildren started to arrive, Wednesdays became girls lunch day. Liam was the first great grandchildren, and when he was learning to say Grandma, somehow, he came up with the name Nummy, so that is what the great grandkids called her – Liam knew where all the good food came from.

Mom also looked after Dad, with the help of the Nightingales, when he was sick, and she looked after him at home until he passed away. After being there for Mom these last two years, we know the strength and courage it took for her to look after Dad the way she did.

In closing, Mom lived her life for her faith and her family. He faith in God was her comfort and her strength. Her family was her pride, her joy, and her happiness. We are so very grateful for the importance Mom placed on family – organizing and hosting many opportunities for us to gather, creating cherished memories.

Mom was a beautiful woman, inside and out. She will be remembered as kind-hearted, loving and sincere, with unwavering support and compassion for everyone who came into her life.

The person Mom was, the way she lived her life, her legacy that lives on in each one of us, taught us by her example, the importance of kindness, compassion, empathy, and most of all, loving unconditionally and the importance of forgiveness.

Mom is survived by her daughters Marlene (Andy) Neufeld, Karen (Abe) Driedger; grandchildren Heather (Colin) Regier, Jason (Seanna) Neufeld, Stacie (Driedger) Siemens, and Chad Driedger; great-grandchildren Liam Regier, Rowan (Austin) Regier, Willow Regier, Rhiley Neufeld, Emiley Neufeld, Lilley Neufeld, and Fiona Siemens; siblings Laura, Ila, Melvin (Leona), Ruth (Neil), Ronald (Lydia), Leonard (Susan), and Leona; sister-in-law Katherine Peters. 

Mom was predeceased by her parents Peter B. and Agnes Peters, her beloved husband Bill Insull, siblings Clarence, Walter, Helen, Gilbert, Clifford, Robert, and Norma.

We would also like to thank the staff in the Bethany Manor Villa who helped Mom for the last two years, and a special thank you to the wonderful people at the Hospice at Glengarda, who took such good care of Mom on her final journey home.

Funeral Service will be held Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, 1:00 pm. At Bethany Manor Fellowship Center, 110 La Ronge Rd, Saskatoon. SK.

Martens Warman Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the care and arrangements for Mary Insull.