A ray of recognition is being shone down on a Macklin resident who has been honoured with a Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal. Susan Conly, who is 100-years young, was one of just 12, 2019 Volunteer Medal recipients.

After talking with her, her daughter Kathy and her nominator Darlene Kidd, it is glaringly apparent why she was chosen.

“There is just no on like her,” said Darlene, “There is never a problem that she can’t fix and when I think about everything she has done, and at what age she did some of those things, she’s just a fearless woman and a very special person”.

Susan lived on her family farm until she was 98-years-old and then has since moved into Villa Marie, a retirement community in Macklin, where she is just as spry as ever said Villa Marie employees.

Throughout her life, Susan has always been actively involved being apart of numerous co-ops and sitting on many boards as she was always ready to give her opinion and help out in anyway she could.

Darlene shared that Susan’s literary talents were put to good use over the last few decades as she not only wrote several books, but  taught in Manitoba and at the collegiate level in Estevan. Susan was never shy to do her best to inspire and uplift those who she talked to, or by the written word and received an award in the 80’s for being the best inspirational writer in Canada.

Darlene shared one of her fondest memories throughout the years was a poem that Susan had wrote when her daughter Kathy was getting ready to leave for university.

"I'll never forget it, to me it was profound and just shows her perception and how deeply she thinks - it was a poem about how her and Kathy were getting ready and making lists making sure they didn't forget anything - and then at the very end she says - but what I never ever counted on - was the sushine she would take out of my kitchen...I don't rub shoulders with too many people that think that way."

Susan took her opinions and writing to the local paper where she wrote a column covering a wide variety of topics from local initiatives to recent decisions from the federal government, all while keeping her roots in the forefront of her mind.

“I would comment on it, and I really enjoyed having the column and it could be about an event that happened in the country as a whole, but always based on the thought that I was living in Saskatchewan, living on a heritage farm,” said Susan.

Darlene shared numerous stories about Susan’s zest for life and learning and said there was never any task too big or too small, if it needed to be done, Susan – got it done, which included taking people into her home in their time of need.

“You know, she wasn’t young when she did a lot of these things either – she was in her 80’s and still doing just as much as people in their 40’s would – in all of my years of knowing Susan, I’ve always been so amazed at that woman’s energy levels, she never tires I tell ya,” laughed Darlene.

Susan and her husband Jim, who passed away three years ago, were married in 1949 and had three children, Rob, Doug and Kathy, all of whom have always been active in the farming industry in the west central region.

Susan said she was “very honoured” to have received the award and said she is amazed with how far, not only farms like hers has come over the years, but also the province and country.