Margaret L Stevenson

Margaret Stevenson, age 92, of Lawrence KS, passed away peacefully on Tuesday January 9, 2018 surrounded by her daughters Mary Ann Stevenson, Rebecca Moody, and son Scott Stevenson. Margaret was born on October 3, 1925, in Waukomis, Oklahoma to Lacey and Floy Butler. She grew up on a farm near Enid Oklahoma, where she came of age during WWII. Margaret graduated from Iowa State University in 1948 with a degree in textile design. She then married Gerald Stevenson (Steve) who was introduced to her by her brother Bob after they both returned from the war. Margaret and Gerald moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they had three children and Gerald became Lt Col and commander of the Tulsa Air National Guard. After their marriage ended in 1964, Margaret became a school teacher and often worked a second job to support her family. In 1966, she received a graduate fellowship to study education and geology at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. There Margaret received a master’s degree and continued to teach 4th grade in Lawrence for the next 22 years.
Margaret was an avid “rock hound”. She would spend many summers traveling through the western states hunting rocks and participating in digs. She enjoyed silversmithing and making jewelry, often from her found rocks. Margaret also enjoyed sewing and was a very creative and skilled clothing maker. After retiring in 1986, Margaret kept traveling the west and also did several international trips, including two literary trips to London and trips Venice, France and Greece. Margaret also participated as part of a KU theater group performance in Belgium. In retirement she could often be found volunteering as an usher for performances at the KU Lied Center, delivering meals on wheels, and other volunteer activities. Margaret was a strong and independent woman who overcame the hardships placed in her path and lived life to the fullest.
Margaret was preceded in death by her parents
Lacey and granddaughter
Moody
brothers Lacey, Jim, and Robert Butler; and former husband Gerald Stevenson. She is survived by her sister Barbara Boehs of Billings, MT; her three children, Mary Ann Stevenson of Kansas City, Rebecca Moody (Graham) of Loleta, CA, and Scott Stevenson (Ellen) of St Louis MO; 6 grandchildren, Joel, Brooke, Caleb, Kate, Lacey, and Tom; and 12 great grandchildren with one more on the way.
Margaret’s ashes will be spread somewhere in the western United States by her children at one of her favorite mountain, rock hunting, or dig sites. A memorial service in Lawrence where local friends can remember her is being considered for a date later this Spring. A memorial site for Margaret with pictures has been setup at http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/MargaretLStevenson. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at web address http://act.alz.org/goto/Ma rgaretStevenson. We would like to offer a special thanks to the caregivers at Dolan Memory Care Homes in St. Louis for the tremendous care they gave Mom over the last 2+ years and in how they managed the behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Please sign this guestbook at Obituaries.LJWorld.com.