Margaret Mitchem

Margaret Domay Mitchem loved the Lord, her family and her neighbors.

She was born in St. Louis, MO on March 11, 1907. Mary, her mother, died in childbirth with a fourth pregnancy. Her father placed Margaret and her sister, Hilda in the Evangelical Children's Home in St. Louis. At the age of ten she was taken to live with a family at Deer Creek, Mo. She was not adopted at the insistence of her sister, Hilda.

While living with the Utlaut family she attended the Bode School and was confirmed at the Evangelical German Church in Chamois, Mo. on Good Friday. She enjoyed singing in the Christian Church in Chamois, particularly duets with one of the Siebern boys. Her favority hymn was Calvary Bound.

She met Ed Mitchem at a church supper and they were married in March 1926. Four children were born to them: Bernice, Vivian, Leroy and Mary. For a period of time the family lived with Grandpa and Grandma Mitchem. Margaret gained many life experiences while living with them. Grandma Mitchem taught her how to get along on limited resources. Since Ed was away from home 8 to 9 months a year working on the river boat, she was responsible to direct life at home. The family was never hungry. A large garden was part of her life. In addition to the normal family life, she directed the caring of horses, cows and other animals. She held several jobs while living in Chamois.

In 1941 the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri where they were able to buy their first house. She worked as a checker at a market, seamstress at Alligator Coat Factory and a cook at an elementary school. She and Ed moved to Blue Eye after they retired and she worked there as a waitress for a time.

She enjoyed being a wife, mother, grandmother of ten, great grandmother of 19 and a great great grandmother of 5. She loved to sew, cook, garden, fish and always had a project in progress. She was a hard worker, loved a good time and was ready and willing to help her neighbors.

Quilting was her hobby and most of the family have one or more of her quilts in their homes. She created over 200 various designed patterns. She loved any kind of needle work.

Her love of God and family and the desire to care for and serve others enabled her to live a meaningful life.

""YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART; AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND AND YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF"" Matthew 22:37-39