Maggie,

I have missed you and our special bond and will forever remember it.  There are some things you and I have missed out on together :)  I was a first time Grandma (Nuni in Haida, on August 8 and I know that you would just get a kick out of that....I truly enjoyed our time together and the wisdom you passed on to me.  Thank you for the priviledge :)  Enjoy your Angel wings "Mags", you have earned them.

To all our cousins – We were deeply saddened to hear about Aunty Marg.  Please know that our hearts and prayers are with you all.

For Mom

My name is Celia . . . number 6 of Margaret’s  7 kids which in itself had one great advantage.  Everytime one of us did something wrong, mom would get all frustrated and start calling out our names to try to identify the guilty party but she always started at the top and ya didn’t always know who was in trouble so when I heard . . .
“An . . . Ja . . . Caro . . . Da . . . Tom . . .”  I was already out the door before she could get to my name.  The funny thing is is that when I looked up the street my little brother Graem was already half a block ahead of me.  He wasn’t waiting around either.
She quite often got our names mixed up so when we teased  her about not being able to keep all her kids straight she would just say “Oh . . .you with the face” just to make sure she covered all her bases.
Never let it be said that mom didn’t have a sense of humour.  She often said she’d like to meet the other kid that lives at our house.  We’d say “What other kid mom?”  She’d say . . . you know . . . the only one that ever does anything wrong around here.  Everytime I ask who did something you all say the same thng “I dunno” . . . so if I ever get my hands the kid called I Dunno he’s grounded for life.
Mom was many things to many people.    She started out as a dream. . . and on the day she was born she became a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin, and later a big sister.   Then she became a wife, an aunt, a sister-in-law, a daughter-in-law, a mother, and a mother-in-law.   But  I think the two roles that brought her the greatest joy was that of grandma and great-grandma; which she would be known as Nana.  She also became a stundent, a neighbour, a co-worker, and in the words of her niece Joan the “cool  aunt”.   But over the years  the one thing she was trhoughout her entire life was a friend to many.  
Mom not only filled all the roles in the family dynamics but she also held positions that she actualy got paid for.  She was a bookkeeper, retail sales associate, and a medical receptionist and office manger. 
As a mother she was an ispiration, a medic, a cook, a tower of strength, a protector, a seamstress, a spider exterminatoer, a story-book reader, a boogieman chaser, and a tear wiper.   Sometimes with 7 kids she even had to become “The Enforcer”  
Mom was always open to trying different things especially if they were fun and she found many things that brought her joy.   She was an artist, a bowler, a curler, and she even tried her hand at golf and body surfing.  Most of all she loved her music and loved to dance.  She was a member of the Chinook Winds  Chapter of the Sweet Adelines for 25 years so our house was always filled with music and laughter.  
Growing up I remember always celebrating Sunday dinners and holiday meals with a house full of family.  She would spend hours in the kitchen and the house would be filled with the unmistakable aroma of mom’s home cookin’.  
She carried on this tradition when she moved out to Lake Isle in the ‘70s were she lived for many years before she came back to the city.  Everyone looked forward to the warmer weather  so we could plan our holidays and weekends up at mom’s.  We didn’t always have to have fair weather tho.  There were some xmases and new years spent ice skating on the frozen lake and cooking a turkey in the BBQ.   Friends and family would travel from near and far to gather around her whenever they could.  We would be sleeping on mats, in tents, or even on the floor.  She loved having her family close.  All of us  have years of memories at the lake with late nites around the firepit in the backyard singing songs and cooking whatever would fit onto a twig over the open flame.  But that was always the dessert after we had devoured a feast of whatever she had barbequed for supper.  
In the earlier years at the lake,  her  brother Alec had built a house just around the bend from her, and he and a long-time friend of our family named Arden would start sharing songs that they learned in the Navy.  Well you can imagine how colorful those songs were  and mom would always pretend she wasn’t embarassed by the lyrics but even by the light of the camp fire you could see her eyes widen and her cheeks flush  and you just knew she was fighting back the urge to send the kids to bed.  But then she would resign herslef to the fact that we were all now adults and was shocked when some of us already knew the words.
There were a couple of years in the ‘80s when she moved to Grande Prairie to help her sister when they expanded their business and opened a second craft store.  Well . . . putting mom in a craft store is like opening the doors of Lego Land to a nine year old.    But as the months went by she realized that this would be the first Xmas she would’nt be with any of her kids – her first one away from home.    We were also very aware that this was OUR first Xmas without our mom so we had already arranged to bring her home as a surprise.  Her sister knew what we had done and  was insturmental in getting mom out of the store so when they walked into the travel office my aunt asked if they were holding something for Marg Monilaws – mom was confused cuz she wasn’t expecting anything.  The agent handed her an envelope  with a return plane ticket to Calgary addressed to her and said that she hoped she understood what was written on it cuz it made no sense to her at all.    All it said was “Merry Xmas – Love your 7 Dwarfs.”  With tears in her eyes she  assurred the agent that she  understood.  
Mom was not a complicated person.  She liked her coffee strong, her scotch on the rocks, and her music loud.  She loved getting her hands dirty in the soil, her  word search puzzles and for a time when she was a teenager; she loved Gene Kelly.   She loved reading, playing cards and watching pretty much any kind of sport on TV.   She was never technologically savy . . . she proved that on many occations by trying to answer the remote control and changing channels with the cordless phone.  She gave to every charity she thought worthy and every year spent several months knitting outfilts for dolls that she would donate to the the fire department for needy children at Christmas time.  
I was alsways proud to be  recognized as her daughter.  I remember one time as a teenager a total stranger came up to me on the street . . . looked me straight in the eye and said “Are you Marg Monilaws’s daughter?”  
So I guess that just proves that we come from a pretty unmistakable gene pool and obviously mom had quite an imapact on a lot of different people.  
Thank you allowing me to share some of my memories.
Mom  has lived in our hearts for many years and will remian there for many more to come.  

I love you mom

Goodnight my Mammasito – Sweet dreams.

Toby’s Tribute To Marg
Families may come and families may go,
This I know to be true.
But I am so very very blessed
To have found a family with you.
You were always there when I needed you,
Be it morning noon or night.
We held each other close in the sad times,
And laughed out loud in the light.
I can’t believe it’s nearly 70 years
That you came into my live.
That was when my brother Roly
Took you for his loving wife.
Thank you for all the roast beef dinners, 
And the Christmas turkey too.
 I could have drank your gravy right from the bowl,
But that would have been quite rude.
Thank you for all the wonderful times 
I shared with you at Lake Isle.
I might have left with a tear in my eye,
But mostly with a great big smile.
Thank you for the wonderful barbeques 
And the endless cups of coffee and tea.
They were so very very special Marg,
And they meant the world to me.
So now it’s time to say goodbye 
To a lady with a whole lot of charm.
The only happy thought I have in my mind is;
Roly has his Maggie back in his arms.

Love you forever – forget you never.
Love Toby
 
ps : I’m so awfully glad that 7 years old brat you met in 1941 finally had the grace and maturity to grow up.

The Monilaws Family;on behalf of Max and Kay Monilaws I would like to extend their
sympathies for the lost of Auntie Marg and wish the family all the best.Due to my parents present situation and health issues,they are unable to attend.love George.

with our deepest sympathies and love,we would like to pass on wishes to the family.Our hearts are with you.Sorry we can not make it down.George,Katie,Megan and Samantha Monilaws.

Graem
Sorry to hear of your Mum`s passing.
Take care bud , I hope we see each other again.
Don Kerr

Danny
My thoughts are with you and your families at this time. Your warm memories will always keep your Mother close.
Susan Fee (Curran)

Tom and Pat, Tamara and Roland
So sorry to hear about your Mom Tom.  I remember her as always smiling.  I am thinking of you all, as I often do.  Take care of each other.
Lori (Abernethy)

Dear Ann & family:  Peter and I were sorry to read about your Mom's passing - we have fond memories of her from many years back.  We would love to hear from you, if you get a spare minute - Peter and Sandy Cormack.

HI Ann I have not seen you in many years But think of you often   When I saw your moms death announcement I knew I
had to write and convey my deepest sympathys to you and your family

Ann and family,
What a rich legacy to leave so many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in this world. Your mom looks like she was lots of fun! Our thoughts and condolences are with you at this sad time

Tom, Patty, and family.  We're so sorry to hear about your Mom. We're sending you lots of hugs and prayers from Phoenix.  Miss you.

Tom/Pat and family -- we're very sorry for you loss.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Mike and Cathy

Dan, 
We are sorry for your loss. Our thoughts are with you. Take care.

My condolences to my old schoolmate Ann on the passing of your Mom.  We lost our dad this last year and know of your sorrow...take care.

Tom and Pat and family

We are so sorry to hear of the passing of your mother. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Richard and Joyce Lowe

Tom and Pat
I am sorry to hear about your mothers passing.  My thoughts are with you.

Mark McRitchie ( Bones )

Tom, Pat and Families

We are so sorry to hear of the passing of your Mom.  It is a child's greatest burden that we survive our parents.  Although we cannot be with you on Saturday, please know that we are with you in our hearts.  

Louanne and Abie Brown

To our dear cousins, we feel your pain.  Aunty Marg was so special she touched our lives with so many happy times.  Her quick wit and just as quick smiles will always be remembered.  Alas, we can't be there as my mom also passed on Saturday our hearts and thoughts are with you.

OBITUARY

Margaret Maggie Agnes Robertson Monilaws

October 18, 1922 – August 17, 2011

South Calgary Funeral Centre and Crematorium

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