Margaret Sieben

Margaret was born in Saskatoon on December 6, 1945 to Edith and Harold Anderson. She was a rough-and-tumble kid, having many adventures with her brother John, great friends, and family pets. She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan and then ventured to Regina to work as a social worker, where she met her soon-to-be husband, Mike. They were married in 1968 and a big loving family of Siebens was added to her life.

Margaret and Mike moved to Saskatoon, built the house we still call home, and welcomed their twins, Tim and Tara, in the very busy year of 1969. Kaireen was added to the family in 1979 and Margaret gained her additional sons Eric and Ryan in the 1980s and 1990s. Margaret's pride and joy, Ellie, came into her life and their indescribable bond was born in 2008. Margaret also made many cherished memories with her Anderson family (John and Mary; Jennifer and McGill; Kathy and Troy; Kristin, Ryan, Fia and Teo) and close family friends throughout her remarkable life.

Margaret passed away peacefully on July 25, 2025 with her gullies (as she lovingly called us) surrounding her, reminding her how much she is, and always will be, loved and appreciated.

An Angel Among Us

In so many ways, Mom / Amma / Ackie / Pook / Mugs / Auntie Margaret has been an angel in our lives. She is the ultimate and most selfless caregiver, always prioritizing the needs of others above her own. She embodies goodness, with humour, strength of character, and moral certainty.

From her early days as a social worker, to her life as a fiercely protective, loyal, fun, silly, and caring Mom and Amma, she used her remarkable intelligence and wide range of talents to take care of people. Her academic strength brought us success through school and in our careers, her garden and yard full of flowers brought us nourishment, joy, patience, and an appreciation for hard work, and her amazing cooking fed us while she listened and celebrated us at every meal. She volunteered actively in the community and tirelessly provided care for her husband through a long illness. One of her greatest joys was helping raise Ellie and we all see in Ellie’s character the impacts of her love, presence, lessons, games, stories in the play structure, turnips thrown at “Trencherup”, rides in the snow scoop, and general appreciation for life.

Margaret was warm and caring, but also tough. Her sense of right and wrong was unwavering and perhaps that’s why she cared so much about world news. She fiercely wanted good to win over evil and kindness to prevail. She also believed in the inner strength and power of people. We’ve all heard her mantra of “mind over matter” and that has helped us to find our own strength to persevere. The strength and determination that came from this attitude provided her with an energy that was contagious and knew no bounds right up until the end, as she continued to hike remarkable distances in difficult terrain, carry heavier loads than the rest of us could manage, offer herself up to fight the bear we encountered on a trail, and spend twelve-hour-days gardening/landscaping in her big beautiful yard.

In the countless adventures travelling with family, especially to her much-loved Waskesiu, Margaret was always providing. She cooked, she baked, she shopped, and she harvested so she would have everyone’s favourites ready to enjoy after a long family hike. She never just enjoyed the forest, mountains, and lake for herself – she shared the joy of it with all of us, so we could see it through her excited eyes and share the biggest smiles over the smallest marvels. Perhaps the greatest thing she provided for us was each other. She has been our glue, our compass, the trunk of our tree, and the centre of our wheel. She is the one who always brought everyone together and we pledge to now use the lessons, values, and strength she gave us to take on that task together in her honour.

She may have been tiny in stature, but she was mighty in her love for us, in her physical and emotional strength and energy, in her selflessness, in her excitement for life, and in her appreciation for the little things.

May her surprising strength remind us how strong we can be;

may her selflessness remind us to always think of others;

may her sense of humor allow us to laugh and be silly;

may her love for the little things help us appreciate what we have;

may her moral compass guide us to do what is right;

may her love and loyalty help us hold each other close;

and may the memory of her smile light up our days.