April 11, 1932 – March 4, 2024

Margaret Hart passed away peacefully, at the Willow Creek Continuing Care Centre, with her family at her side, on March 4, 2024 at the age of 91, just one month shy of her 92nd birthday.
Margaret was born April 11, 1932 on the family’s Haysmuir Farm, Stewarton, Ayershire, Scotland. She was the first born daughter of John and Margaret Lindsay Miller, she had two older brothers and two younger sisters.
Mom grew up through the years of the great depression and the Second World War. She told stories of air raid drills, carrying a gas mask, blackout curtains and even German POWs who worked on her father’s farm.
Margaret was an active member of her local chapter of The Scottish Young Farmers Club and it was a chance meeting at a SYFC event in 1951 where she encountered a young rancher named Orrin Hart from Claresholm, Alberta. Orrin was travelling Great Britain on a Nuffield Scholarship studying agriculture. It has always been unclear how he made such a lasting impression on Mom, but after a time corresponding she boarded a flight to Canada. It was the spring of 1953 when she arrived, she often spoke of the muddy streets and wooden sidewalks of Claresholm that were her first impression. Her father had made her promise to keep enough money for a ticket home in case it didn’t work out. She never needed to buy that ticket.
Margaret and Orrin were married on July 1, 1953 in Calgary and housekeeping commenced on the ranch west of Claresholm. Together, as a team, they operated their ranch and developed a world renowned purebred herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle. In time they grew a family, as three sons, William (Bill), John, and Andrew (Andy) would arrive. It was a very busy time, their guest book reads like a veritable United Nations as friends, agricultural exchange students and Angus business acquaintances from around the world dined at Mom’s table. Mom was a wonderful cook and if you left her table hungry it was your own fault.
Mom loved to garden. In her younger years she had some spectacular flower gardens, but it was a constant struggle with southern Alberta weather. She leaves a legacy in the trees she planted and nourished in the various yards she occupied over the years. Her cinnamon buns and rhubarb pie were legendary as well.
Margaret was an active member of the United Church and a fixture for many years as a member of the choir. Mom loved to sing, whether it was in church, at family gatherings, Angus events, funerals or merely washing dishes; she always could be heard singing her favourite Scottish folk songs. She involved herself in many organizations over the years, Meadow Creek Ladies Club, Meals on Wheels, Claresholm Fair Board, Claresholm 4H Beef Club and many more.
Although Mom never had any daughters of her own, overtime she welcomed daughters-in-law Helma, Kerry and Ramona into the family fold and cherished the grandchildren who would eventually follow. She enjoyed gathering her family and friends around her for special occasions and impromptu visits.
Margaret was pre-deceased by her loving husband of sixty years, Orrin; her parents John and Margaret Miller; brothers John and Robert Miller and her sisters Jean Warnock and Susan Peters. Margaret is survived by her sons Bill (Helma), John (Kerry) and Andy (Ramona) and seven grandchildren: Gelein, Alec, James, Shannon, Monty, Nate and Katie. Margaret is also survived by brother-in-law Art Peters and sister-in-law Pat Miller, as well as numerous nieces and nephews in Canada, Scotland and New Zealand.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at Zentner Funeral Homes at 1:00 PM with private family interment to follow at a later date.