Margaret Meyer

Madison - Margaret Ann Meyer was born October 15, 1918 and went to her Heavenly Home December 3, 2011.

She is survived by daughters, Sharon Pufahl and Jane Meyer (John Fons). She is further survived by grandchildren, Christopher (Kim) Pufahl; Rebecca (Brian) Colwell; Melinda (David) Halzen; Benjamin Boltz (Angela Schrader-Leitch) and great grandchildren, Keya, Atley, Baxter and Twyla Pufahl; Allison and Elizabeth Colwell; Jack Halzen and very dear friend, Venita Fons.

Margaret was preceded in death by husband, Armin, son-in-law, Onoka Pufahl, brother, Glenn Vanselow, sisters-in-law, Ethel Vanselow, Isabel Ray and Beulah Meyer and brothers-in-law, Jim Ray and LeRoy Meyer and nephew, Randy Vanselow.

Margaret was born in the northeast bedroom of the old farmhouse on Oakwood Road, Oak Creek, Wisconsin to a farmer and his wife, Ferdinand and Ann Vanselow. Her mother was wearing a long white apron and dust cap and she was pumping water at the well when she knew the stork would arrive. She signaled Ferdinand, working across the field, by waving her apron. Ferdinand hurried down the road to the blacksmith shop where there was the only phone to call for Dr. Schreiber. The doctor came by horse and buggy over gravel roads.

Margaret was baptized at home in the dining room. A glass bowl was used on the round oak table. The minister came from Trinity Church in Caledonia. Margaret and her family went to church by horse and buggy. It was an old fashioned church with a steeple and white carved altar. Margaret was confirmed at Ascension Lutheran Church in Milwaukee which the family joined after they owned a car. It was a Maxwell.

When Margaret was four little brother Glenn was born. Margaret played with her dog Rover, fed chickens and gathered eggs, brought cows home from the pasture, picked apples, made apple jelly and canned green beans and tomatoes.

Margaret walked to Oakwood School, a one room red brick school with eight grades, two toilets outside, a pump for water and a bell with a rope for the teacher to ring. Later, she took the North Shore train to Bay View High School and Milwaukee Business College. Margaret was a stenographer at a real estate office in Milwaukee.

Margaret met Armin in 1936 while he was a senior at UW Madison and he came home weekends to help his folks at Meyer Orchards in Oak Creek. They romanced and danced all summer long at country dance halls. Beer was five cents and hotdogs were a dime. Armin liked to dance but knew only one step, the two step which he put into three speeds: slow for waltz, second for faster, third for polka and Margaret had to adjust! Their theme song was "Margie" and they danced their friendship into marriage. Armin and Margaret were married June 11, 1939.
They moved to Whitehall, Wisconsin where Armin's first job was Trempealeau County Agricultural Agent. Their first home was at the Erickson Hotel. They got their room and three meals a day for sixty dollars per month. Armin and Margaret later lived in Rhinelander and Green Bay. During WWII Margaret moved to Rhode Island near the US Navy PT Boat training base while Armin was stationed there, but moved back to Green Bay after Armin shipped out to the South Pacific. The Navy remained an important part of their lives as they attended annual officer and "all hands" reunions across the nation, working hard to preserve PT Boat history.

In 1954 Armin and Margaret moved to Madison, built a house on the edge of town near the UW sheep pasture and attended a small concrete block church with donated theater seats instead of pews which founding pastor Sig Sandrock named Midvale Lutheran.

For many years Margaret cared for the outside flower planters, took care of weekly flower deliveries, arranged holiday altar floral displays, worked on communion, nativity scenes and luncheons. Most recently Margaret enjoyed being a "ripper" with the Midvale Quilters.

Margaret was involved in the 4H program in Brown and Dane counties for forty-five years. She was leader of Country Hearts 4H Club and worked many years as Home Furnishings superintendent at the Dane County Fair. She hosted "International Women." She was inducted into the 4H Hall of Fame in 1993.

Margaret helped Armin establish their business, Meadow View Mobile Home Park. She had many responsibilities, sending out rent notices, beautifying the park with plantings of flowering bushes and trees, cleaning the laundry room and helping establish a nature trail through the woods and pines they planted.

Margaret loved nature. When seeing the sky, clouds and stars she knew God was with her. Margaret loved the beauty of spring trilliums in the woods, wild roses in bloom, apple blossoms or gardenias from Armin. She especially loved the beautiful trill of the meadowlark.

Margaret loved her family. She enjoyed gathering them together for celebrations and parties, beautiful decorations, spectacular trips and music. Armin would often play a chorus of "Margie" on the piano when returning home. They were married 63 years when Armin passed away on their anniversary day. They are together again and Armin can once again sing "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me" or especially "Margie, I'm always thinking of you, Margie."

Funeral services will be held Friday, December 9, 2011 at 11:30am at MIDVALE COMMUNITY LUTHERAN CHURCH, 4329 Tokay Blvd., Madison, WI 53711 with Rev. Bruce Loewenhagen officiating. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30am until time of the service.

Memorials may be made to PT Boats, Inc., PO Box 38070, Germantown, TN 38183 or Midvale Community Lutheran Church Quilters.