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Margaret Ford, 98, of Mount Ayr died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, at Mount Ayr Health Care Center.
Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mount Ayr. Open visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday with family present from 5 to 7 p.m. and a 7 p.m. prayer service at the church. Burial will be in St. Edwards Cemetery in Afton. Memorials may be directed to St. Joseph Catholic Church, EveryStep Hospice or Mount Ayr Health Care Center. Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 W. Monroe St., in Mount Ayr is in charge of arrangements.
Margaret Ellen (Sullivan) Ford, daughter of Charles and Sarah (Scherer) Sullivan, was born Aug. 3, 1920, on a farm south of Afton. Margaret graduated from Arispe High School in 1938. She grew up attending St. Edwards Catholic Church in Afton. Margaret went to Creston and began working in the office of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration.
On April 13, 1944, Margaret married Ed Ford at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, after he was drafted into the Army. Ed was deployed to Germany, and Margaret returned to her job at the AAA in Creston. After Ed’s discharge in December 1945, they bought a farm south of Tingley. Margaret was a farm wife and a 4-H leader. Ed and Margaret farmed together for 31 years, and in 1977, they moved to Mount Ayr. She returned to the work force, taking a job at the Ringgold County Hospital business office for eight years. Ed died in 1985. Margaret moved to Mount Ayr Health Care Center in August 2018.
Margaret was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mount Ayr, served as the St. Joseph’s church treasurer from 1985-2015 and was instrumental in the construction of the new church building in 1992. She was a longtime volunteer with the Red Cross Bloodmobile, and also maintained a partnership on the farm. She was a member of the Tingley T Club for more than 60 years.
Margaret is survived by her children, Charles Ford of Mount Ayr, Michael (Nancy) Ford of Tingley and Marcia (Delwyn) Showalter of Mount Ayr; grandchildren, Kyle Ford of Norwalk, Kristyn Ford of Tingley, Kirk Ford of Indianola, Daniel (Jessica) Showalter of Mount Ayr and David (fiancée Taryn Fisher) Showalter of Ackley; great-grandson Gus Showalter of Mount Ayr; sister Mary Gamerman of Chicago, Illinois; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, husband Ed, son Craig, sister Catherine and brother Martin.