Margaret Douglas arrived in Saskatchewan from Ontario in 1914 with her family to join her husband at their homestead, located 16 kilometres south of Lafleche in the Harwood School District.
Those who knew her, described Margaret as a kind-hearted, slim woman with glasses. She was an amiable and communicative woman, who enjoyed social gatherings.
Although Margaret lacked official training, people in the Wood River community still described her as the nurse aften an incident in 1915, when the family鈥檚 neighbour, Mrs. Hendsbee, became ill as she was about to give birth. Margaret left home to help Mrs. Hendsbee and assisted with the birth of Kenneth Cameron Hendsee in 1915, thus earning her nickname.
Margaret officially began nursing in 1916, mostly supporting local women with child births. Her services were in perpetual demand until 1924. In her logbook, Margaret recorded 40 births in total on the Douglas farm during her nine years of rural nursing.
When the Spanish Flu hit the Lafleche area, she cared for people throughout the days and nights and helped them with routine household tasks.
Fondly remembered, Mrs. Margaret (Wilson) Douglas, the pioneer nurse of the Wood River district, passed away in 1946.聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽聽
