Mary Negraiff

Mary Negraiff (nee Wozney) passed away peacefully on May 19th at Stensrud Lodge in Saskatoon at the age of 100 years, a milestone which she was very proud to have reached. Mary was the loving mother of two daughters, Judy (Michael) and Brenda (Brent), the doting baba to 5 grandchildren, Andrew, Marla, Alexandra, Sarah, and Sydney, and the proud great-baba to 7 great-grandchildren, Michael, Maria, Summer, Jane, Teagan, Simona, and Ben. She was surrounded by love and her memory will be cherished by all. Mary was born on January 7, 1922, near Wroxton, Saskatchewan, and was the oldest daughter in a family of fifteen which meant she learned by doing. She helped raise all of her siblings and looked after the household while her mother was working in the fields. Her limited schooling was received at Brandon School. Still, while there she developed the most beautiful handwriting, a penchant for spelling, and a desire to teach others what she had learned. In 1943, at the age of 21, Mary married Alex (because he was thoughtful and kind) and they settled in Kamsack. Several times, during the early years of their marriage, they had different family members living with them, among them her youngest sister Carol, who is her only surviving sibling. After 14 years, they were blessed with two daughters and were excited to become parents, spoiling them whenever they could. When the daughters married, they were very happy with both sons-in-law and often came to visit and lend a hand - be it planting a garden, painting a house, or building a cabin. After Alex passed away in 1988, Mary made these visits a priority and was very close to all of her grandchildren, inspiring their work ethic learning while making sure they would always remember her cinnamon buns, tapioca pudding, and perogies. Mary also stayed very active in her Kamsack community. She was a longtime member of the Royal Purple and their drill team, she volunteered with the Canadian Diabetes Association, and she was very active in the United Church - always willing to lend a hand wherever needed. Her lifelong friends were in Kamsack so she wanted to stay at Eaglestone Lodge, and that she did, as long as she could. When she finally moved to Stensrud Lodge in Saskatoon, she was able to participate in many family gatherings at her grandchildren’s homes and was visited almost daily by family members. Wherever Mary went, she touched people with her wonderful smile and her loving, generous nature. She was a great teacher of kindness and we will continue to learn from her example

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