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Margaret E. Owings, 94, a resident of Albuquerque since 1951, went to a new life with the Lord on Thursday, November 3, 2005, after a month-long and hard-fought battle with pneumonia waged at UNM Hospital. She joins many beloved relatives who passed on before her, most recently in 2003 her husband of nearly 70 years, William H. "Pappy" Owings. Margaret is survived by their daughter, Gale Owings of Albuquerque, and a sister, Mabel Mey of Tucson, AZ, both of whom will miss her dearly. The youngest of four children, Margaret was born September 29, 1911, to Peat A. and Clara Louella Erdel on the family farm in Audrain County, MO, and lived there until her father's death when she was 7. Afterward, she moved with her mother to Mexico, MO, where Margaret later left high school to help support them by working first as a sales clerk and then in a shoe factory. She met her future husband when he took a room for rent in the Erdel home. Following their marriage, the couple, together with Mrs. Erdel, lived elsewhere in Missouri, last in Bowling Green. There Margaret opened and ran a successful ladies ready-to-wear shop and began her lifelong membership in the local Chapter #457, Order of the Eastern Star, which she led as Worthy Matron in 1950. Upon moving to Albuquerque, Margaret and her family joined what is now Trinity United Methodist Church, where she was an active member for many years. She took care of her infirm mother at home until shortly before Mrs. Erdel's death in 1958 and also supported her daughter's school and extracurricular activities here by serving in PTAs, as a leader of Girl Scout Troop #70, and on the Guardian Council of Bethel #2, International Order of Job's Daughters--additionally serving that organization as Grand Secretary of the Grand Guardian Council of New Mexico in 1965-66. Individually, Margaret was a member of a local chapter of the service organization Epsilon Sigma Alpha, from which in 1969 she received the First Pearl Award for exceptional participation. For some 25 years after her husband retired in 1971, the couple enjoyed traveling by RV and on tours in the US and Canada and spending winters with other "snowbirds" in southwest Arizona. Margaret also enjoyed cooking, crafting, playing bingo and watching televised sports, especially NFL football and Lobo athletics. The good life of this sweet lady will be celebrated during a graveside service on Wednesday, November 9, 2005, at 2:00 p.m. in Fairview Memorial Park, 700 Yale Blvd. SE, with Pastor Tom Beach of Trinity United Methodist Church officiating. In lieu of flowers, those who would like to honor Margaret are asked to do so by making a donation to Albuquerque Meals on Wheels, PO Box 92614, Albuquerque, NM 87199-2614. Arrangements are under the direction of Strong-Thorne Mortuary, 1100 Coal Ave. SE, 842-8800.
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