Life is fleeting, but Mary Picken doesn’t play by the rules.
The Cochrane icon recently celebrated her 100th birthday on March 15!
Her family hosted a party at St. Mary’s Catholic Parish to celebrate Mary’s big day.
Mary was born in McDowell, Saskatchewan, in 1924.
She is the sixth of ten children from Suzanna and Andrew Nagy.
The family of 12 moved to Lethbridge, Cochrane Lakes, and finally settled in Cochrane in 1927, where Mary would spend most of her childhood.
Vitality must run in the Nagy family because Mary went on to have seven children of her own, including Rosemary Gailey.
According to Rosemary, Mary has many fond memories of growing up in Cochrane.
“Because they lived so close to the big Cochrane Hill, after school, her, her friends, and her siblings would go to the hill and chase the cows home for the neighbours that didn’t have any kids. She loved to go up on the hill and pick crocuses for her mom,” Rosemary told the Cochrane Eagle.
But Mary actually spent most of her life in Calgary. She moved to the big city after marrying her husband, Douglas Picken.
Wartime Love Story
Mary and Douglas met at Senator Lougheed’s former mansion, better known as the Lougheed House, in 1941.
In 1939, the House was transformed into a training facility for men and women who could not obtain work-related training due to the Great Depression.
Almost 80 young women lived at the House, learning housekeeping and nursing skills. According to Mary’s son, Dan Picken, his mother and Douglas met on a blind date in 1941.
The pair hit it off immediately, but every relationship has its obstacles.
In the case of Mary and Douglas, that obstacle was World War II.
“So, they dated for quite a while, and then, of course, World War II got in the way. My dad asked whether or not she would wait for him, and she quickly responded – yes,” recalled Dan.
Shortly after Douglas got his answer, he was shipped to England, where he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) from 1942 to 1945.
Douglas was dedicated to serving his country. The same day he returned to Canada and was discharged from the RCAF, Douglas signed up to serve in the RCMP and the Calgary Police Service from 1947 to 1978.
Douglas and Mary married in Melville, Saskatchewan, at a church ceremony on May 24, 1947. But even on his wedding day, Douglas was committed to his work.
“They had pancakes for lunch, then my dad went for a 16-hour shift with the RCMP, and mom went to the hotel room, but as a very happily married lady,” said Dan.
Mary didn’t mind. The newly married couple moved to Calgary to start and raise a family that same year. The rest is history.
A Life Full Of Memories
Douglas and Mary were happily married for 72 years. Unfortunately, Douglas passed away in January 2020.
Douglas’ obituary remembers him as a proud father who enjoyed spending time with his family, listening to music, camping, travelling, and driving with Mary and his children.
In addition to his intelligence, Douglas was known for his musical talent, humour, and great storytelling.
Mary fondly remembers her late husband and their time together in Calgary.
Although Mary spent most of her life in Calgary, she still considers herself a tried and true Cochranite, even though the town has greatly changed since the 30s.
“It’s still good ol’ Cochrane; it’s just grown a little too much,” commented Mary.
Mary’s childhood home in Cochrane used to be located at the bottom of Cochrane Hill. But in 1984, the house was sold to the government.
In March of that year, the Cochrane Fire Department used the house as a training exercise and burned it to the ground.
That ground is now part of Highway 1A. Mary’s home is no longer standing, but a statue in the middle of town immortalizes Mary.
Cochrane’s Legacy Statue, better known as the “chicken lady” statue, depicts a woman feeding chickens with a milk can at her side.
Mary’s relative, Don Begg, and his wife, Shirley Begg, were commissioned to create the statue in 2003 to commemorate the town’s 100th anniversary.
Mary’s name and the names of about 40 other Cochrane women are inscribed at the statue’s base to highlight women’s important role in developing the town.
Mary said she doesn’t feel a day over 100, stating, “I don’t feel old because I keep busy all the time.”
The 100-year-old busybody hasn’t just left her mark on Cochrane. Her family roots span the world through her seven children, 14 grandchildren, and 19 great-great-grandchildren.
