GERRISH, Margaret Marie 1948-2007

GERRISH, MCWHIRTER, ALDRICH

Posted By: Jeff Phillips (email)
Date: 12/24/2007 at 09:06:00

Margaret Gerrish
June 3, 1948-December 18, 2007

ALDEN—Margaret Gerrish, 59, of Alden, and formerly of Iowa Falls, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007, at the Heritage Care Center in Iowa Falls. Funeral services were held Friday, Dec. 21, at the First United Methodist Church, Iowa Falls. Burial was in Union Cemetery. The Linn’s Funeral Home Iowa Falls Chapel was entrusted with the arrangements.

Margaret Marie McWhirter was born June 3, 1948, at Salem, Ill., the daughter of Paul Luverne and Bessie Margaret (Aldrich) McWhirter. She graduated from the Patoka, Ill., High School with the class of 1966. On Sept. 2, 1967, Margaret was united in marriage to Thomas Henry Gerrish at Patoka, Ill. To this union two sons were born: Travis and Tracey. She attended Ellsworth Community College, Iowa Falls, and there received her training to be a nurse’s aide. Margaret worked for nursing homes in Hardin County and did private in-home care. She also was a Welcome Wagon representative, was a Shaklee Products distributor and had a house cleaning business. She was involved in the communities she lived in, teaching Bible School, Cub Scouts, with the Iowa Falls Jayceettes (past president), and joining the Women of the Moose Lodge No. 1331, Iowa Falls on April 9, 1977 (serving all local offices and receiving her College of Regents at the National Convention at Las Vegas in June 17, 1989). Margaret received a liver transplant in 1989, a kidney transplant in 1995, and had a hip replacement in 2005, keeping her head high and the spirits of those around her at their highest level.

Margaret M. Gerrish is survived by her husband: Tom Gerrish of Alden; her sons: Travis (Chaeli) Gerrish of Iowa Falls, and Tracey (Mindy) Gerrish of Indianola; her grandchildren: Brittany and Kendra Gerrish of Iowa Falls, and Katelyn and Breanna Gerrish of Indianola; her sister: Rena Sloat of Sikeston, Mo.; and five brothers: Earl (Lorraine) McWhirter of Alma, Ill., Burl (Betty Jean) McWhirter of Knoxville, Tenn., Paul (Mary) McWhirter of Sandoval, Ill., Richard McWhirter, and Mark McWhirter of Salem, Ill.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Paul and Bessie McWhirter; and her grandparents.