A Stonewall woman is being remembered for blazing a trail around the globe, with strong roots that continued to bring her back home.
Margaret Saundry was born in Stonewall on Aug. 10, 1926, to parents Agnes and Joseph Saundry. As the second of four daughters, she made her mark in her family, in the community and in the world.
Saundry died at the age of 97 on Nov. 23, 2023, and her legacy continues to serve as an inspiration. She never married or had children, yet she remained a pivotal presence in the lives of her seven nieces and nephews.
“She always said she felt blessed that her sisters shared their families with her,” said nephew Scott Koetke. “And, of course, we felt blessed to have Auntie Scottie.”
Saundry, a highland dancer, earned the “Auntie Scottie” nickname in honour of her family’s Scottish heritage.
From humble but hardworking beginnings, Saundry graduated from Stonewall Collegiate in 1943 and launched her career at McConkey’s General Store followed by Stonewall’s CIBC branch. She gained skills that led to other accounting and clerical positions with several companies in Winnipeg.
In 1959, she accepted an accounting position at CBC, which evolved to other assignments. Two years later, she became a script assistant who mainly covered sports — right up her alley since she excelled at both tennis and baseball.
In the late 1960s, Saundry accepted a promotion and moved to Toronto, which became her home base while she travelled internationally to cover sporting events including the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Pan-Am Games and more. Over time, she became a sports production assistant followed by a unit manager.
After the death of Saundry’s dad, who was known in the community as the former owner and editor of the Stonewall Argus, she moved back to Stonewall to care for her mother — all while commuting to the city to work for CBC Winnipeg.
She retired in 1985 after 27 years of service with CBC. The broadcasting company recognized her extensive contributions and inducted her to the CBC Hall of Fame in 2013.
During her retirement, she continued to take contracts — even from competing broadcasters who sought her skills.
Saundry remained in Stonewall until 1998, where she stayed active with the Stonewall United Church. A prodigious knitter, she also donated many handmade baby items to Stonewall hospital.
In 1998, she moved to Winnipeg and lived on her own until 2020. She spent her later years at Tuxedo Villa.
Looking back, Koetke remembers his Auntie Scottie as generous yet practical. He fondly remembers how she would give gifts of savings bonds or other investments to her nieces and nephews to save for post-secondary education.
“Even though she didn’t go to university, she made sure all of us had the resources and the money to do so,” Koetke said.
“She was generous with not only money but also her time. In return, she had a loyal legion of nieces and nephews. She was always there for us, and I’m proud to say we took care of her in her final years. She deserved every bit of it. She was so gracious.”
At the same time, Koetke credits his aunt for showing him from a young age that women can aspire to anything and rise up the leadership ranks.
“She was a quick learner and she worked hard. She did everything. I grew up curious about travelling the world because my aunt was always going to these interesting places,” he said. “She was producing sports shows from the Pan Am Games in Colombia or the Munich Olympics, and I thought that seemed like a cool job.”
Koetke’s mom, Darlene, agrees that her older sister Margaret was a special person on many fronts.
“She was 10 years older than me, but we were always close as a family,” she said. “She was a wonderful woman and she had quite a wonderful life.”
The family will celebrate Margaret Saundry’s life at a private gathering in Stonewall this spring.
Tribune Photos Submitted
