Obituary of Doris Saunders

Doris May (Vernon) Saunders December 4, 1913 — January 29, 2014 Doris May (Vernon) Saunders was born to William and Lilith Vernon on December 4, 1913 at the family home at Craigmyle, Alberta. She grew up on the farm, the only girl with three brothers, and learned to ride horseback, hunt gophers, play in the hayloft, follow a spinning hoop, swim in the "crick" with the best of them. She attended schools at Lilico, Craigmyle and Calgary for Grade 12. Then went on to Calgary Normal School to become a teacher. Her first school, in 1933-34, was Bingo in southern Alberta, followed by time spent at Lilico, her original home school, and then she moved north to the Peace River country to the Two Rivers school close to Beaverlodge and then on to Appleton for her final year as a single woman. It was in Beaverlodge that she met the love of her life, Arnold Herbert Saunders, originally from Osgoode, Ontario but by then a complete Alberta convert. They walked out together for three years until finally marrying in August of 1940 and moving to LaGlace, Alberta where Arnold opened the first Co-op Store and he and Doris became founding members of the LaGlace Credit Union. In January of 1942 their first daughter, Sharleen May, was born. World War II was already raging so against the wishes of his customers, Arnold signed up with the RCAF and Doris moved back to Craigmyle with Sharleen for the duration of the war. They were back in LaGlace when second daughter, Wendy Lynne, was born in 1946. By 1948, with wages still extremely low in the north, the Saunders moved to Killam on the promise of a higher standard of living and Arnold became the manager of the Killam Co-op. Later they purchased their own store, operating Saunders Grocery and then Saunders Variety until 1982. Doris and Arnold were both community minded and very involved in the life of the town. Doris helped out with the Baby Band at the church, sang in the choir for many years, lead the C.G.I.T., helped with the Figure Skating Club when the girls were members, held a number of offices in the Eastern Star, was a dedicated member of the Knox United Church Women's group, holding various offices throughout the years of it's existence, a founding member of the Ladies Afternoon Group which made and donated 100's of quilts to the needy. In fact she only resigned as Chair of that group when she was 97. She also spent several years involved with the Killam Senior's Group and served as its President. In between all of these activities, she was a busy Mom and housewife who went back to teaching when Wendy was in Grade 7. And when she finally left teaching she went to work in Saunders' Store with Arnold. When he retired, they started a picture framing business together which lasted until shortly before his death in 2000 at age 88. She lived a busy, productive life filled with family, friends, camping, travelling every chance they got, writing, (she was Treasurer of the Flagstaff Writer's for 25 years), doing needlepoint, knitting, crocheting and especially, quilting. Each of the great grandchildren received a handmade quilt as their special gift from her when they were born and for several of the children, those have become treasured keepsakes. She loved to read and passed along her love of the written word to both her daughters. And she adored her grandchildren, great grand-children and great-great grand-children. Doris Saunders is survived by her daughters, Sharleen (Stan) Chevraux and Wendy Saunders; grand-children, Roger (Heather) Chevraux, Corey Chevraux, Darren (Laura) Murray, Stacey (Terry) Jacula, and David (Tammy) Murray; great-grandchildren Jacqueline, Derek, Summer, Jared and Justin Chevraux, Kelsie and Taylor Jacula, Olivia, Ethan, Katelyn and Emily Murray, Brant (Sharilyn) Smith, two great-great grandchildren, Daisha and Madden Jean Smith and her brother Ron (Muriel) Vernon. She was pre-deceased by her parents, William and Lilith, her husband Arnold, two brothers, Cecil and Calvin, and eight brothers and sisters-in- law.