Margo Anderson

Like a ray of sunshine, Margo Anderson brought so much joy to those around her. She was upbeat and positive no matter what life brought as her faith gave her both the joy in her heart and a quiet strength that was easy to see. A more dedicated mother would be hard to find as Margo took the time to make each day an adventure for her children. Although she loved to spend time in her kitchen and could often be found in her garden, there was nothing of greater importance to Margo than spending time with her children and grandchildren. Life will never be the same without her here, but the memories she leaves us with will remain forever near and dear to our hearts.

The year 1945 was a year for great celebration as the Allied Powers were given the official victory on September 2nd of that year, marking the official end of WWII. The weeks and months that followed found America making the shift from being a nation at war to a nation at peace. This year was one of celebration for a much different reason for one young family from Lawton, Michigan, since they were overjoyed to announce the birth of a healthy baby girl on December 15th. Margo was welcomed into the arms of her parents, Charles and Dorothy MacDonald. Margo attended Lawton High School where she was a drum majorette in high school.

After graduating from high school Margo went on to a local beauty school. She worked as a hairdresser, but it was her personal life that really took an interesting turn as a young woman. It was at Skip’s Drive- In in Chicago that Margo met the young man with whom she would write an eloquent love story. His name was Ken Anderson and from the moment he saw the beautiful Margo, he was drawn to her like a magnet and as the story goes, it was love at first sight. The couple began dating but was separated after only two weeks when Ken was sent overseas to Germany with the military. Their love for each other only grew deeper while he was overseas for 19 months, and Margo became Mrs. Ken Anderson when he returned home in October of 1965.

Although they were married in Lawton the newlyweds settled in Evanston where Ken worked as a police officer and Margo worked as a secretary at Northwestern University. After just four years the couple divorced, but only for a short time as they remarried eight months later.

This time the couple settled in Paw Paw where Margo again began working as a beautician. She later worked as a secretary at a local computer company before settling in at Conformance Fasteners in Kalamazoo. Margo and Ken loved to have fun together and were known to frequently head out onto the open road on their motorcycle. There was nothing she loved more than watching the miles pass before her while riding behind her beloved husband.

The couple later sold their motorcycle, but for good reason as they were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Kim. Margo completely immersed herself in her role as a mother and always had so much fun with their daughter. With the birth of Kenneth a bit later, their family of four was complete. Margo regularly made Kenneth giggle, so much so that she nicknamed him Boo Bear to reflect their love for giggling with one another. As a family they loved taking trips including camping in a tent out West, taking in the magic of Disney, a trip across the country, and beautiful landmarks like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. The memories the Andersons made on these trips were simply priceless. Margo loved being a mother, but just may have argued that being a grandmother was her greatest reward. She cherished each and every one of her three grandchildren and loved spending as much time with them as she could.

Throughout Margo’s life there was nothing of greater importance to her than her family, but she had a love for so many things. She possessed an abiding faith and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Paw Paw where she was actively involved. Margo served as a deacon there for a few years, and she also helped with the church’s food pantry that reached out to area people in need. Margo loved being out in her garden, and she liked to fish – or perhaps tolerated fishing would be the better word as she only went when Ken twisted her arm. She felt fishing with her grandchildren could be a bit hazardous with all the flying hooks, so that was usually something she steered away from. Everything Margo made in her kitchen was fantastic, especially her ravioli. Since she never had a problem spoiling her grandchildren, Margo was more than willing to prepare whatever foods they wanted.

During the sunset of her life Margo struggled with some health issues when she was diagnosed with an enlarged aorta three years ago. However, even as her daily life was affected, Margo’s positive outlook remained intact.

There are so many things we will miss about Margo Anderson. She was kindhearted, loving, and someone who was always willing to help with something either great or small. Margo was a calming presence in the life of her husband as it was she who could reason with him at a time when he was less than reasonable. Her husband described her as perfect and her children and grandchildren would agree as she always made her family her priority. The lessons she leaves behind will be a timeless legacy for those she loved more than life itself.

Margo Anderson died on Saturday, June 11. Margo’s family includes her husband, Ken; daughter, Kimberly (D.J.) Aron; son, Kenneth Anderson; grandchildren: Kirstin Frank, Eryn and Nicholas Capitano; brother John (Karen) MacDonald; and pet, Jewels. Margo was preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy and Charles MacDonald; pets, DOG and Cassanova. Visitation will take place from 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 Noon on Thursday, June 16 at Life Story Funeral Homes, Betzler & Thompson - Paw Paw; 60900 M-40 (657-3870), where the service will begin at 12:00 Noon. Please visit Margo’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo and sign her online guestbook. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.