Margaret Thomas

Margaret Thomas of Winterset, died Friday, October 31, 2014 at the Winterset Care Center South in Winterset. She was 78 years old. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, November 6th at Ochiltree Funeral Service in Winterset with burial to follow in the Earlham Cemetery. Immediately following the burial the family invites everyone to a luncheon at North Ward Plaza, 415 N 2nd Street, Winterset. A visitation with family present will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, November 5th at Ochiltree’s. Memorials may be directed to Margaret’s family. Margaret Jean Hester was born June 19, 1936 in Earlham, Iowa to Herschel and Jessie (Harris) Hester. The oldest of three children, she grew up on a farm southwest of Earlham with her sister, Brenda and brother, Hershey, Jr. Margaret adapted well to farm life and loved to help her Dad feed the animals. Margaret went to a country school through fifth grade then attended Earlham Schools, graduating in 1955. She especially enjoyed basketball and was team captain and All-Conference her senior year. During her senior year in school, Margaret met Don Thomas of Winterset and they married on March 10, 1957. Their union was blessed with four children: Joan, Judy, Dan and David. Margaret and Don raised their family on his parent’s farm on the Earlham Highway until moving to Winterset in 1982. Margaret was a member of the Early Chapel Christian Church. She had many interests including sports, music, photography, animals, gardening, collecting stamps and coins. Margaret especially loved the sport of baseball and her beloved St. Louis Cardinals. She also loved going to the Iowa State Fair, which she attended every year until this year. Above all else, she loved being with family and friends. She is survived by her children, Joan (Jeff) Beebe of Winterset; Judy Thomas (Bob Metzger) of New Port Richey, Florida; Dan (Barb) Thomas of Indianola; David (Jamie) Thomas of Winterset; sister, Brenda Slaybaugh of Ankeny, six grandchildren (Jessica, Jason, Emily, Jacob, Johnathan, and Holden), three great-grandchildren (Kailey, Kinsey and Kaeler) and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and a host of friends. Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, brother, grandson and ex-husband.