In Memory of Marie Sandham

Marie Sandham Marjerison was born in 1932, during the depth of the Great Depression and raised on the farm that was the homestead of her grandfather. She was the first of four children born to Harvey Sandham and Elizabeth Cunliffe Sandham in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Her elementary schooling began in Rolling Hills Elementary, and she really did walk 2 miles to a small country school. An outstanding student, she graduated from Coalhurst High School at the age of 16. Too young to enroll in nursing (her first choice), she attended and graduated from the Mount Royal College secretarial training program. When she met the age requirements, she enrolled in the Galt School of Nursing in Lethbridge, Alberta. Graduating in 1953 as an R.N., Marie was employed for the next fifty years in the medical field.

In 1954, she was the first volunteer at the Polio special unit for iron lungs in Edmonton during the severe epidemic of 1954. Subsequently, she was hired as an airline stewardess for Trans Canada Airlines (which became Air Canada) flying from Moncton and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Entry requirements were strict: RN, physical, and included special finishing school. After a year, Marie left TCA to resume her hospital and clinic experience in Claresholm and Drumheller in Canada.

Later, she was a nursing supervisor in Provo, Utah; Kapiolani Hospital, Hawaii, as well as Elsinore, Ceres, and Catalina Island in California.

Always interested in mental health and alcohol dependency since her training days, she was instrumental in implementing the drug and alcohol treatment center, based on the Hazelden Model, in the hospital where she served as a nursing supervisor in Ceres, California. During this time, she completed her B.Sc.N. nursing degree, and served as the director of nurses. She worked full-time while raising four children, was a source of wisdom and guidance to her younger siblings, a great contributor to her husband Bob’s education career and contributed greatly to her community.

A long trail for a small school farm girl to so many contributions.