Mrs. Margaret Santo of Bender, Saskatchewan, whose eight of nine children served during the Second World War, was the 1973 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1973, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On May 5, 1943, her son, Warrant officer Class I Frank Robert Santo, was killed while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

On August 1, 1944, twin son, Pilot Officer John Alexander Santo, was killed while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Mrs. Santo married Alexander Santo in 1916 in Bender, Saskatchewan. They raised nine children on their family farm, daughters Edythe, Jean and Phyllis, twin sons, Robert and John, David, Carlyle whose twin, Calvin, died at six weeks, Edward and Richard.

In an interview with a local newspaper, Mrs. Santo commented on her children’s service, “They felt they had to go, and I wouldn’t try to stop them. One after the other they left for Regina to join the Air Force. Mostly I would be too busy in the day to think about them, until I would open a closet door and the hangers would be swinging empty where their clothes had hung. They were so young, so young to go to war.”

Santo Bay and Santo Island in Pinehouse Lake, Saskatchewan were named in honour of her sons Robert and John.

Margaret passed away in November 1976 at the age of 81.