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Margaret Verna "Van" Fisher, died peacefully on December 18, 2010, being freed from the struggles of this mortal life and her failing earthly body and now resting in the loving arms of her Lord. Van was born in Sawyer, Michigan, to Joseph and Mary Ruth Parren, on March 8, 1926. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister Pearl Wennerberg; first husband Richard Olive, the father of her four children; second husband, Niveo Fisher, the love of her life; and her first child, Jack Norman Olive. She is survived by her sisters, Nerma Pearson and 'Feetz' Cornwell, "fifth" sister Katie Garrabrant; children, Leslie Ray Olive and wife Soccoro, Debra Dian 'DD' Urrutia and husband Saul, and Merri Ruth Lewis and life partner Robert Setchell; as well as many nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren; 'grand-cats and grand-dogs, and friends and loved ones. Van grew up during the Depression and World War II on her parent's dairy farm, and at four years old, suffered from double pneumonia, pleurisy, and empyema. Although the doctors didn't think she would survive, she did and at 16, had the damaged tissue of her left lung removed, with advice that her body could not tolerate childbearing if she lived that long. While in high school, she, like many young ladies, held jobs normally held by men, who were oversees fighting the war, and worked at the 'Warren Featherbone Factory' making corsets and rain gear. She graduated from New Troy High School in 1943, attended Michigan City Business School for a time and then started working for Michigan Bell as a telephone operator on a 'cord board' in Benton Harbor in 1944, transferring to Mountain Bell in Albuquerque in 1949, coming west for her health to the desert of New Mexico. She met Richard Olive and they married in July, 1950, moved to Wichita, Kansas and she worked assembling airplanes for Cessna. They returned to Albuquerque in 1954, and Van worked for Mountain Bell until she retired in 1983. For many years, she earned money for her children's Christmas gifts by creating and selling beautiful doll clothes. Van and Dick divorced in 1971. Four years later she met and married Niveo Fisher, a Shriner and an Elk. Evenings after work, they often danced at the Elks club. She and Niveo played in the Palo Duro Senior Band, serenading many senior gatherings, she on the melodica and he on the flute and piccolo, and traveling around the country to Shrine conventions. Following Niveo's death in 1980, she traveled with a faith group as a missionary providing song around the world, including Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Morocco, Moorea, Tahiti, England, Scotland, and Wales. After her retirement, she did pet and home sitting and caring for elderly friends. She was active in volunteer groups and activities throughout her life. She was on a hot air balloon chase crew during early Balloon Fiestas, was an avid reader and a certified tutor for "Literacy Volunteers of America", and volunteered at libraries throughout her life. She sang and played the piano in the high school Glee Club and in her church growing up, later, she taught Sunday school, worked in the church library, drove the church van to pick up seniors and deliver children home after church activities, and served as head usher for several years. She was a life-long blood donor, accumulating over 50 pints of whole blood and platelets given. A lifelong Republican, she always voted and 'worked the polls' for years as both presiding judge and general poll official. Van was an environmentalist before it was popular - using the sun to make sun tea and dry fruits, picking up others' trash, collecting aluminum cans to recycle, purchasing one of the first Prius cars in Albuquerque. She loved to garden, even if it was just a few tomatoes at her apartment, where she served as resident attendant for many years. She was an active supporter of the Shrine Children's Hospitals through her activities in the Daughters of the Nile, serving as a Chorister and Lady of the Gates, and as a 'Call Girl' for the Honored Ladies Shriners' widows group. Even though she never learned to swim, she 'did laps' and water aerobics at the Horn YMCA regularly. She loved to travel on trains, wear hats, and collect bears, hot air balloon memorabilia, and Fenton custard glass. She enjoyed wearing bright, pretty clothes and jewelry, and was Beauchamp Jewelers' longest customer before her death. Although she claimed to be a shy person, she had an exuberant and generous spirit. Her philosophy in life was that she was not put on this earth just to take up space but to help others. She had a strong and abiding faith in God and looked forward to joining Him with joyful anticipation. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Van Fisher will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 215 Locust NE (www.firstpresabq.org) on Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Van would wish you to donate to the Shriners' Hospitals for Children (c/o Ballut Abyad Shrine, 6600 Zuni SE, Alb., NM 87108), the In-As-Much fund at First Presbyterian Church, or give a pint of blood to your local blood bank.
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