Obituary: Schueneman, Margaret
She passed away surrounded by the love of her family.
Maggie was born to Phyllis and Kenneth Smithson in 1936 in Los Angeles, CA.
As a child, her family found their way to the northwest, finally settling in Kennewick, WA where she attended Kennewick High School, made many friends, was crowned “Belle of the Ball” and found her team spirit in cheerleading.
After her graduation in 1953 she moved to Spokane with a few of her high school friends and met her husband of 56 years, Ordell (Del).
They married on December 15, 1956 and soon after started a family.
She was a devoted wife, a loving, nurturing mother and it was within her family that she found her greatest joys.
Summer months were spent at Priest Lake camping, boating, water-skiing, cooking and enjoying the outdoors….rain storms and all!
Moving often because of her husband’s career, she held positions with District 81 as secretary at Roosevelt Elementary School in Spokane, The Dept.
of Lands in Montana and Tishler Strong Candy Brokerage in Seattle.
Maggie was a talented decorator and a masterful gardener with a yard seasonally filled with colorful blooms.
She was an accomplished cook with a fan base always eager to sit at her dinner table.
Often announcing she had a new recipe to try, it was never a disappointing event.
Maggie was a woman of great faith and conviction who freely and selflessly gave of herself and her time.
She understood the truly important things in life and had an appreciation of many things, with a heart as kind and as big as the sky.
Easy to laugh and slow to anger, she was a loyal, trustworthy friend and confidant who with a loving, compassionate heart looked for the good in everyone and lived each day always thinking of others.
She enjoyed annual trips to the Oregon Coast, was a great dancer and loved all of God’s creatures with a special fondness for dogs.
If one was lost or deserted they seemed to find her, confident she would never turn her back.
“Del, stop the car!
That dog looks lost!”
were words her husband often heard.
Golf was her favorite sport and she thoroughly enjoyed her Ladies 9-Hole Groups at Indian Canyon and Downriver Golf Courses and the friends she made.
She traveled to several exciting destinations abroad during her life, lastly to Scotland, tracing the childhood footsteps of her mother who died when Maggie was just 16.
Maggie was preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by her husband Ordell (Del), son Randy and daughter Colleen Samson, of the Spokane area, brothers Dr. Richard Smithson (Mary) of Kennewick, Philip Smithson of Yakima, grandsons Conner and Spencer of Olympia and numerous nephews.
The family would like to convey their heartfelt gratitude to all those that have shown such love, support and concern for her and her family during this difficult time.
We have been truly humbled by the kindness and feel enormously blessed to have been embraced by so many.
We are grateful to God for sharing Maggie with us, for our faith and for His promise, knowing we will all be together again someday.
Our earthly lives have been truly blessed and forever touched by this beautiful woman who was our anchor and our compass, our life’s greatest joy and most precious gift.
A memorial will be held in Spokane at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 316 E. 24th Ave., on Saturday, January 12th at 1:00.