Margaret Marie Busch Carpenter March 8, 1931 ~ June 5, 2013 >>> Margaret M. Busch Carpenter, 82, a lifelong resident of Clifton, died on June 5, 2013, at the Sunset Home in Clifton where she had been in residence since Dec. 2012. Memorial services will be Friday, June 14, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church in Clifton, Texas under the direction of Foss Funeral Home and Cremation Services. >>> Margaret was born March 8, 1931, in Waco, TX, the second of 2 children, to George W. Busch and his wife, Margaret. Except for a few years of her childhood when the family moved to San Angelo and then Dallas before returning to Clifton, Margaret lived in Clifton her entire life. She graduated from Clifton High School in 1948, after marrying Bill Carpenter in August of 1946. Three children were born to their 19-year marriage. Though they divorced, they remained friends until Bill's death in 1988. >>> Margaret completed LVN training @ Goodall-Witcher Hospital around 1964-65, scoring 5th highest in the State on her exam. She worked as a supervisor at Meridian Geriatric Cntr for 5 years, then at the VA Hospital in Waco for 19 years until her retirement. >>> She was an avid vegetable gardener and walker for as long as she was able, before severe osteo-arthritis limited her. She continued to enjoy regular bridge games until recently, though her partners changed as the years took toll. >>> She never lost her lifelong love for animals. (One of her last visitors at Sunset Home was her 'granddog,' Captain.) She once raised a baby dove she found flopping in the yard. >>> She always took the side of the underdog and championed the downtrodden and oppressed; in particular, the Native American. She gave generously and was likely on the phone and mailing lists of every charitable organization in the US and some international ones as well! >>> She played accordion in her younger years and a mean honky-tonk piano after that, all naturally, 'by ear'. >>> In addition to her children, grand- and great-grandchildren, there were a few people who were especially dear to Margaret: >>> Helen Orbeck, her maternal aunt, whom she cared for in her aunt's declining years, enabling her to live them out at her home in Clifton; >>> Mrs. Nellie Pederson ("Pedie," in whose honor the Clifton Library is named). Mrs. Pederson kept Margaret & her brother George as young children, and the bond between them was strong. Many a story of 'Pedie's doin's' was told by Margaret, even in her last days. >>> And then there was Arno (Dittrich). Margaret & Arno had been classmates at CHS. They met again at a street dance some 30 years later, and the rest, as they say, is history (or at least, lore!) They gardened, hunted, fished & farmed; ate, drank, danced, argued, and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company until Arno's death in 2000. That was a hard period for Margaret. She lost her Aunt Helen the year before; then Arno, her brother George, and her niece, Dawn Huxley Corbitt, all in 2000. >>> Margaret is survived by her daughter Linda & her husband Bruce Tainowitz of Canton, GA; her son Bill and his wife Carolyn of Wilmer, AL; her daughter Nansy Reiss & grandson Zane Reiss of Clifton; grandson CJ Carpenter, his wife Nicole, and their 3 sons Cade, Clay & Christopher of Midwest City, OK; and grandchildren Sarah, Elizabeth & John Carpenter of Wilmer, AL. >>> Margaret loved the LORD and never stopped relying on His goodness. She wanted her memorial service to be a time of celebration, not sadness. It will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Clifton, where she was a lifelong member, on Friday, June 14 at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Bonaventure Indian Mission & School, Eastern Navajo Resv., PO Box 610, Thoreau, NM 87323-0610.