Margaret Heltzel 1919- 2009
Margaret Elene Heltzel's life began on the 20th of February 1919 in Kirwin, Kansas. She was the 3rd of 5 children born to Claude Cogswell and Laura Sanders Cogswell.
The family moved to Agra, Kansas where her father farmed 150 acres of land and kept a herd of Jersey dairy cattle. She recalled how her mother churned butter by hand for the family and also supplied butter to a local store.
Adversity touched 6 year old Margaret and her family when her younger brother Raymond died at the age of 4 of pneumonia, a complication of measles.
While living in Agra she attended school & graduated from Agra High School.
In her late teens Margaret met Archie Heltzel whom she later recalled would skate down the frozen river to see her and take her to the Saturday night dances in Claudell, Kansas.
Margaret and Archie were married in 1937. They moved to Dutch Mills, Arkansas, where in 1942 a son, Vernon, was born followed by a daughter, Carol Ann, in 1946.
In 1947 the family moved to Ripon, California where Archie worked in the dairy industry and Margaret stayed at home to raise their family.
And in 1955 a third child, Dennis, was born.
Tragedy again touched Margaret in 1961 when husband Archie and son Vernon were in an auto accident. Archie passed away after 3 days in the hospital and Vernon recovered only after a lengthy hospitalization.
As a young widowed mother of 3, Margaret went to work at the Oak Valley District Hospital where she continued for 27 years, becoming the Medical Records Department Supervisor and Medical Staff Secretary before she retired in 1993.
After retirement she volunteered at the Oak Valley District Hospital as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary. She was a longtime member of the Community United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir and enjoyed being involved in many church activities. For many years she drew great strength from her church family.
She loved to garden and until a few weeks ago she spent as much time as possible in the back yard of her home in Oakdale. Her family will always remember the many backyard get-togethers each Easter. The question will always remain....Who had the most fun hunting Easter Eggs, the kids or the adults? It was evident to all who knew her that throughout her life she delighted in spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Margaret remained a vigorous , active person until she sustained injuries in a fall at home in 2001. It was then that she entered Oak Valley Care Center, her residence until her passing last Saturday, the result of a severe stroke sustained 9 days earlier. Family was constantly by her side, and during those 9 days Margaret continued to show the strength and stamina that so characterized her life. For her family and friends who witnessed this display of strength, Margaret provided a final loving gift that gave them comfort and strength to deal with their loss.
While in Oak Valley Care Center she was an active participant in activities and enjoyed some daily responsibilities that helped her maintain her sense of accomplishment. She came to realize that "family" comes in many forms. She enjoyed her weekly family outings but was always eager to return to her Oak Valley Care Center family.
In spite of her adversities ,and significant home and work responsibilities, Margaret was a positive and generally cheerful person who enriched the lives of her family and friends.
She will be missed but not forgotten.
Margaret Elene Heltzel's life began on the 20th of February 1919 in Kirwin, Kansas. She was the 3rd of 5 children born to Claude Cogswell and Laura Sanders Cogswell.
The family moved to Agra, Kansas where her father farmed 150 acres of land and kept a herd of Jersey dairy cattle. She recalled how her mother churned butter by hand for the family and also supplied butter to a local store.
Adversity touched 6 year old Margaret and her family when her younger brother Raymond died at the age of 4 of pneumonia, a complication of measles.
While living in Agra she attended school & graduated from Agra High School.
In her late teens Margaret met Archie Heltzel whom she later recalled would skate down the frozen river to see her and take her to the Saturday night dances in Claudell, Kansas.
Margaret and Archie were married in 1937. They moved to Dutch Mills, Arkansas, where in 1942 a son, Vernon, was born followed by a daughter, Carol Ann, in 1946.
In 1947 the family moved to Ripon, California where Archie worked in the dairy industry and Margaret stayed at home to raise their family.
And in 1955 a third child, Dennis, was born.
Tragedy again touched Margaret in 1961 when husband Archie and son Vernon were in an auto accident. Archie passed away after 3 days in the hospital and Vernon recovered only after a lengthy hospitalization.
As a young widowed mother of 3, Margaret went to work at the Oak Valley District Hospital where she continued for 27 years, becoming the Medical Records Department Supervisor and Medical Staff Secretary before she retired in 1993.
After retirement she volunteered at the Oak Valley District Hospital as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary. She was a longtime member of the Community United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir and enjoyed being involved in many church activities. For many years she drew great strength from her church family.
She loved to garden and until a few weeks ago she spent as much time as possible in the back yard of her home in Oakdale. Her family will always remember the many backyard get-togethers each Easter. The question will always remain....Who had the most fun hunting Easter Eggs, the kids or the adults? It was evident to all who knew her that throughout her life she delighted in spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Margaret remained a vigorous , active person until she sustained injuries in a fall at home in 2001. It was then that she entered Oak Valley Care Center, her residence until her passing last Saturday, the result of a severe stroke sustained 9 days earlier. Family was constantly by her side, and during those 9 days Margaret continued to show the strength and stamina that so characterized her life. For her family and friends who witnessed this display of strength, Margaret provided a final loving gift that gave them comfort and strength to deal with their loss.
While in Oak Valley Care Center she was an active participant in activities and enjoyed some daily responsibilities that helped her maintain her sense of accomplishment. She came to realize that "family" comes in many forms. She enjoyed her weekly family outings but was always eager to return to her Oak Valley Care Center family.
In spite of her adversities ,and significant home and work responsibilities, Margaret was a positive and generally cheerful person who enriched the lives of her family and friends.
She will be missed but not forgotten.
Margaret Heltzel 1919- 2009
Margaret Elene Heltzel's life began on the 20th of February 1919 in Kirwin, Kansas. She was the 3rd of 5 children born to Claude Cogswell and Laura Sanders Cogswell.
The family moved to Agra, Kansas where her father farmed 150 acres of land and kept a herd of Jersey dairy cattle. She recalled how her mother churned butter by hand for the family and also supplied butter to a local store.
Adversity touched 6 year old Margaret and her family when her younger brother Raymond died at the age of 4 of pneumonia, a complication of measles.
While living in Agra she attended school & graduated from Agra High School.
In her late teens Margaret met Archie Heltzel whom she later recalled would skate down the frozen river to see her and take her to the Saturday night dances in Claudell, Kansas.
Margaret and Archie were married in 1937. They moved to Dutch Mills, Arkansas, where in 1942 a son, Vernon, was born followed by a daughter, Carol Ann, in 1946.
In 1947 the family moved to Ripon, California where Archie worked in the dairy industry and Margaret stayed at home to raise their family.
And in 1955 a third child, Dennis, was born.
Tragedy again touched Margaret in 1961 when husband Archie and son Vernon were in an auto accident. Archie passed away after 3 days in the hospital and Vernon recovered only after a lengthy hospitalization.
As a young widowed mother of 3, Margaret went to work at the Oak Valley District Hospital where she continued for 27 years, becoming the Medical Records Department Supervisor and Medical Staff Secretary before she retired in 1993.
After retirement she volunteered at the Oak Valley District Hospital as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary. She was a longtime member of the Community United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir and enjoyed being involved in many church activities. For many years she drew great strength from her church family.
She loved to garden and until a few weeks ago she spent as much time as possible in the back yard of her home in Oakdale. Her family will always remember the many backyard get-togethers each Easter. The question will always remain....Who had the most fun hunting Easter Eggs, the kids or the adults? It was evident to all who knew her that throughout her life she delighted in spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Margaret remained a vigorous , active person until she sustained injuries in a fall at home in 2001. It was then that she entered Oak Valley Care Center, her residence until her passing last Saturday, the result of a severe stroke sustained 9 days earlier. Family was constantly by her side, and during those 9 days Margaret continued to show the strength and stamina that so characterized her life. For her family and friends who witnessed this display of strength, Margaret provided a final loving gift that gave them comfort and strength to deal with their loss.
While in Oak Valley Care Center she was an active participant in activities and enjoyed some daily responsibilities that helped her maintain her sense of accomplishment. She came to realize that "family" comes in many forms. She enjoyed her weekly family outings but was always eager to return to her Oak Valley Care Center family.
In spite of her adversities ,and significant home and work responsibilities, Margaret was a positive and generally cheerful person who enriched the lives of her family and friends.
She will be missed but not forgotten.
Margaret Elene Heltzel's life began on the 20th of February 1919 in Kirwin, Kansas. She was the 3rd of 5 children born to Claude Cogswell and Laura Sanders Cogswell.
The family moved to Agra, Kansas where her father farmed 150 acres of land and kept a herd of Jersey dairy cattle. She recalled how her mother churned butter by hand for the family and also supplied butter to a local store.
Adversity touched 6 year old Margaret and her family when her younger brother Raymond died at the age of 4 of pneumonia, a complication of measles.
While living in Agra she attended school & graduated from Agra High School.
In her late teens Margaret met Archie Heltzel whom she later recalled would skate down the frozen river to see her and take her to the Saturday night dances in Claudell, Kansas.
Margaret and Archie were married in 1937. They moved to Dutch Mills, Arkansas, where in 1942 a son, Vernon, was born followed by a daughter, Carol Ann, in 1946.
In 1947 the family moved to Ripon, California where Archie worked in the dairy industry and Margaret stayed at home to raise their family.
And in 1955 a third child, Dennis, was born.
Tragedy again touched Margaret in 1961 when husband Archie and son Vernon were in an auto accident. Archie passed away after 3 days in the hospital and Vernon recovered only after a lengthy hospitalization.
As a young widowed mother of 3, Margaret went to work at the Oak Valley District Hospital where she continued for 27 years, becoming the Medical Records Department Supervisor and Medical Staff Secretary before she retired in 1993.
After retirement she volunteered at the Oak Valley District Hospital as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary. She was a longtime member of the Community United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir and enjoyed being involved in many church activities. For many years she drew great strength from her church family.
She loved to garden and until a few weeks ago she spent as much time as possible in the back yard of her home in Oakdale. Her family will always remember the many backyard get-togethers each Easter. The question will always remain....Who had the most fun hunting Easter Eggs, the kids or the adults? It was evident to all who knew her that throughout her life she delighted in spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Margaret remained a vigorous , active person until she sustained injuries in a fall at home in 2001. It was then that she entered Oak Valley Care Center, her residence until her passing last Saturday, the result of a severe stroke sustained 9 days earlier. Family was constantly by her side, and during those 9 days Margaret continued to show the strength and stamina that so characterized her life. For her family and friends who witnessed this display of strength, Margaret provided a final loving gift that gave them comfort and strength to deal with their loss.
While in Oak Valley Care Center she was an active participant in activities and enjoyed some daily responsibilities that helped her maintain her sense of accomplishment. She came to realize that "family" comes in many forms. She enjoyed her weekly family outings but was always eager to return to her Oak Valley Care Center family.
In spite of her adversities ,and significant home and work responsibilities, Margaret was a positive and generally cheerful person who enriched the lives of her family and friends.
She will be missed but not forgotten.
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