Jean-Anne Sanderson

Jean-Anne Sanderson was born on October 14, 1964, in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, to parents Annie Jones Hope and Thomas Little Hope. While she didn’t talk about her parents often, Anne would fondly remember watching her dad tinker in their shop on the farm. As she wrote in her sister Margaret's obituary, Thomas taught them “the value of hard work and having the persistence to never give up. If you don’t know how to do something, you read up on it and teach yourself until you do.” Perhaps one of Anne’s favourite examples of this was when he made a bombardier from bits of broken-down equipment because it could take them to town in the winter better.

Meanwhile, her mother was the epitome of a hardworking housewife. She taught her girls, Anne and Margaret, to be proud of what they had, even if it wasn’t a lot. Annie Hope was a meticulous cleaner and taught her girls to be the same. If you asked Anne’s kids, they would tell you that Anne was particular about everything. Saturdays were spent cleaning the house from top to bottom: everything had a place; when the floors were mopped, you didn’t dare leave your room until they were dry; and doesn’t the rug look so much better when the vacuum lines match up?

Annie Hope would create something out of seemingly nothing by thinking outside the box, using something old in a new way, and always finding a cheaper way to do it. Naturally, her daughter Anne loved a good deal. She hunted for sales daily. If she couldn’t find it cheaper, she would figure out what things she could put together to be similar. Sometimes this led to masterpieces, like her youngest daughter's ocean-wave-painted room, or complete disasters, like sponge painting with plastic bags and latex paint. Anne was a perfectionist, but she knew when to laugh at the imperfections.

Anne was the youngest of four children: Ernest Hope, Margaret Bowles, and John Hope. The family moved from the farm into a two-story apartment building in town. This was known as the “Hope Block”. She then lived with her brother Ernest for a time with his three boys, Darcy, Tracy, and Sheldon Hope. Those boys were trouble, she would tell with a smile. Anne remembered them throwing Legos at her through the gap in the stairs. As they grew, they became more like brothers to her.

Anne would eventually come to live with Margaret and her husband, Keith, for the rest of her rebellious teenage years. She watched as they expanded their herd of Angus and Limousin cross cattle, expertly balanced their finances, and still found time to help a neighbour in need. Anne loved branding season and watching the new calves play in the pasture. But most of all, she loved Margaret and Keith. This love only expanded as they welcomed their daughters, Belinda (Sheldon Guckert) and Michelle (Shane Scott), into the family.

Belinda recalls how Anne excelled at anything to do with written words, despite not really caring about school. As she remembers it, Anne looked forward to the beginning of the school year so she could show off her wardrobe of sweaters and knit vests. Both Belinda and Michelle recalled how well Anne did in 4-H, not only with speeches but with cattle as well. Michelle also spoke of Anne’s wild side, appreciating how this “instant older sister” broke in Margaret and Keith and paved the way for her and Belinda.

Anne developed a strong sense of independence through her early life experiences. She encouraged others to do the same. Her friends and later bridesmaids, Dena Weiss and Roberta Needham Howell, recalled that Anne was always thinking about what was best for everyone else.

According to Ivan, he met Anne in October of 1981, when she asked him out, and that was that. They married on August 5, 1983, in Maple Creek United Church with temperatures reaching 39°C. However, Ivan would tell you that it was 42°C inside the church. Anne was understandably quite nervous as she married into such a passionate and outspoken family, but it didn’t take long for their mischievous antics to help her feel at home. When reflecting on the day she became a Sanderson, Anne would recount with a laugh the time Aunt Phyllis Pierce playfully convinced her the flowers on the cake were edible - they were not! This mischievousness wasn’t limited to the Pierce side. In fact, for years to come, her father-in-law, George (Buck), would make it his life mission to get a picture of her mid-bite. They would laugh about this over their shared love of white rum at that time. Anne greatly admired her mother-in-law, Shirley Sanderson. She loved Shirley’s matching sets right down to the shoes and clutch. Moreover, she respected that Shirley had no hesitation in getting her hands dirty helping on the farm or verbally whipping her boys into shape. Shirley treated Anne just like family, despite their glaring differences in baking ability… specifically in the bun-making department.

They moved around a lot in their early years. Their first home was a camper/trailer on a farm in PFRA pastures out on the frontier. They had their first daughter, Lacey-Anne, during this time in 1984. They then settled on a farm near Consul when they welcomed their son Levi in 1987. Anne was a modern-day superwoman—working, raising children, and still taking supper out to the field. Although the latter was more of a challenge, Ivan would laugh and say, thankfully the kids were with her, or he wouldn’t get the meal because she would never see or find him.

Anne worked a variety of jobs in those early years, first with the RM of Reno and later with the RM of Lakeview when they moved to Wadena in 1992. At the RM, Anne was one of the few women working, so naturally her coworkers were hard on her and played a few pranks. Anne never let this stop her from being her honest self, which of course included pranking them back. Anne and Ivan welcomed their “surprise” baby, Layne, after a few years in Wadena. Anne briefly worked as a housekeeper at Blue Willow Inn and at the local accountant's office before starting what she became best known for—working as a news reporter for the Wadena News from 1997 to 2013. It was obvious to everyone that this was a career she was made for. Anne was passionate about finding the “true story” and upheld journalist ethics that are not often seen today. It wasn’t just the locals who appreciated her work, but also the province as she won numerous awards: Best Saskatchewan Cultural Story (3rd - 2010), Best News Story (1st - 2010), Salute to Veterans (3rd - 2010), Best Photo Essay (2nd - 2012), and Best Health/Healthcare Coverage (2nd - 2013).

The more she learned people's stories and their challenges, the more she wanted to help them. When June Drauardy, the local MLA, was looking for a part-time secretary in Wadena, Anne saw this as an opportunity to make a difference. She became good friends with June as she ran her office in Wadena. June valued Anne’s insight on what the people needed and how she was able to rise to any challenge… except when it came to running Google Maps.

When June retired from politics, Anne moved into housing management, starting with Wadena housing. A few years later, she would take on Watson and Quill Lake housing. This was the perfect job for her “retirement” because it allowed the flexibility for her to spend time with her grandbabies, but still help people in need. Anne understood what many of her clients were going through and treated them with respect. They would say how kind she was - that she was professional but still treated them as human beings. Anne especially admired how the single parents were able to seemingly work magic with their too-small budgets.

Anne was also creative. Her neighbours would marvel at her garden and outdoor decor year after year. Especially when they renovated the exterior. Layne remembers spending hours in the garden with her mom. Her fondest memory was how Anne couldn’t “weed” out these pansies in her front garden bed. Pansies would become a reminder of her mother for Layne, and later, when she told Anne this on their annual greenhouse trips, Anne smiled and said: “Pansies remind me of my mom too.” This creativity was also evident in her seasonal decor. Atlas loved watching her decorate and challenged Grandma to make it bigger and better each time. Anne, of course, obliged her grandson while also attempting to teach him the basics of design. However, Atlas went toe-to-toe with her when it came to her neutral designer Christmas decor and starless trees.

Lastly, Anne will be remembered for her quick-witted humour. For example, on the first April Fool's Day, her son Levi lived in his own place, with Layne in tow, she plastic-wrapped his front door. She nearly got caught because she was snickering, thinking about his face when he would rush to work, not fully awake and run straight into it. Another time when Lacey announced she was pregnant with her first, Anne’s shocked response was, “Well, don’t expect me to start knitting!” She stayed true to her word and never knitted a thing. This humour was also bestowed upon her grandchildren. One time, Kayden explained that he didn’t actually know Grandma’s first name, to which Anne said without skipping a beat, “My actual name is Grandma Ethel.” Or another time when Connor decided that he was too old for his nickname of Connor-boo, Anne gravely respected his decision and started calling him Conrad instead.

All of these stories shaped the person Anne was. In the end, we are all made of stories. Well Mom, your life story is one for the history books.

Anne will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Ivan Sanderson; her daughters, Lacey-Anne Sanderson and Layne Rorquist (Clayton); and her cherished grandchildren, Kayden and Connor Kucheran, Atlas Sanderson, Ember Rorquist, and Atlas’s siblings, Ava and Aubree Ward, whom she loved as her own. She was predeceased by her beloved son, Levi Sanderson. She will also be remembered by Jodie Kucheran, father of Kayden and Connor. As well as both the extended Sanderson & Hope families. Lastly, Anne will be greatly missed by her friends, including those she met through her many years of volunteer work with Mallard Industries. The family would like to thank everyone for their condolences and generous donations to Atlas’s trust. A casual celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 1st 2026, at Greenwater Lake Recreational Hall from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

In leui of flowers, donations in Anne’s Memory can be made at the Crossroads Credit Union to Anne’s Grandson Atlas’s fund. You can do so in person at the Credit Union, or via etransfer atlaslevisanderson@gmail.com