Mary Isabel HOUSTON

MARY ISABEL HOUSTON SVM, B.A., B.Ed. 1925 - 2019 Mary was born November 7, 1924 at on the family farm at Dilke, Saskatchewan to Mary and Stanley Belcher. With her sister Margaret and brother Boswell, she attended one-room Edwards School 4 miles away, completing the last 2 years of high school education by correspondence. She obtained her B.A. (with distinction) and B.Ed. degrees at the University of Saskatchewan, then taught for three years at the Yorkton Collegiate Institute. Mary married Dr. Stuart Houston on August 12, 1951. They had 4 children: Stanley Clarence (Venta Kabzems) Edmonton; Margaret Sigrithur (Richard Ehman) Rochester MN; David Vernon (Kathryn Bell) Syracuse NY; and Donald Stuart (Martha Helgerson) Winnipeg. David completed a M.Sc. at Queens University and Stan, Marg and Don all completed M.D. degrees at the University of Saskatchewan. They have among them produced nine wonderful and diverse grandchildren: Adam and Ilona Houston (Stan), Eric, Jeff and Katherine Ehman (Marg), Meg and Stuart Houston (David), and Anna and Mary Houston (Don). Mary's final thrill was the arrival of a great grandchild in Minnesota on November 15, 2018, the fourth generation to be named Sigrithur. Mary was able to live at home in her three-storey house till she was 92, and loved her yard, growing all her bedding plants inside under lights during the winter. While a patient in Saskatoon City Hospital in May, Mary had the great pleasure to spend time with baby Sigrithur, seemingly the happiest infant anywhere. Mary was transferred June 24th to the Luther Special Care Home, where she died July 19th. While raising her busy family, Mary was active in her church circle at St. James, the University Women's club, and especially in the Saskatchewan Natural History Society (now Nature Saskatchewan). She was the main provider of logistical support in the form of huge jugs of iced tea and a cooler full of sandwiches, cookies and fruit for Stuart's owl, pelican and vulture banding expeditions, and bean soup at noon during each Boxing Day bird-count. She was a gracious and generous hostess for frequent house guests and served innumerable dinners for visiting birders, students, and medical professionals at the house on University Drive in Saskatoon. She was a self-effacing gentle person with a gift for putting people at ease. In the provincial Saskatchewan Natural History Society Mary was one of the first four elected Fellows in 1987, and served as vice-president from 1979 to 81. She received the Douglas H. Pimlott Conservation Award from the Canadian Nature Federation in 1988, and represented Saskatchewan on the Canadian Nature Federation from 1979 to 81. Mary was named as one of the "Outstanding Saskatoon Women" in International Women's Year (1975). She received the Distinguished Canadian Award from the University of Regina Seniors' University Group in 1992, the Meewasin Conservation Award in 1996, the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal and Saskatchewan Centennial Medal in 2005, College of Education Alumni Wall of Honour in 2010, College of Arts and Science Alumnus of Influence in 2013, and was inducted into the Saskatoon Women's Hall of Fame in 2011. She wrote up seven species for the prodigious Birds of Saskatchewan published at Christmas 2018, co-authored 1 book, 11 book chapters, and 93 scientific papers, and provided editorial criticism of uncounted other works. Mary's bird banding record is unique in North America. She banded more Bohemian Waxwings (5,385) than all other North American banders combined, with many more recoveries. She also banded some 7,500 Mountain Bluebirds and 18,000 Tree Swallows fledged in the houses along a roughly 150 mile bluebird trail, and 4,900 Purple Martins in colonies, plus colonial island water birds including 8,000 Ring-Billed Gulls, 4,000 California Gulls, 2,000 Cormorants, and 2,000 Pelicans, and songbirds caught in her backyard (6,000 Juncos, 3,500 White-throated Sparrows and 3,200 Redpolls). Her funeral service will held in Emmanuel Anglican Church, 607 Dufferin Ave. Saskatoon on Sunday, August 11th at 12:00 noon with a reception after. Arrangements in care of Martens Warman Funeral Home (306-934-4888).