KRUMME, Margie (1943-2015)

KRUMME

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 1/27/2016 at 17:29:42

Margie Krumme
(Mar 1, 1943 - Aug 17, 2015)

Margie Krumme passed away peacefully on Monday, August 17, 2015 at the Kavanagh House in Des Moines. She had recently suffered a massive stroke at her home near St. Marys. She was watering her beloved flowers at the time.
Margie was born March 1, 1943 in St. Joseph, MO. She was adopted and raised by Fannie Patton, a kind and generous mother. Margie graduated from Faucett High School along with her high school sweetheart Richard Krumme whom she later married. She was female “athlete of the year” and went on to play AAU basketball. She attended St. Joseph Junior College until she married and moved to Columbia, MO to begin her PHT degree (putting hubby through college.) She worked at State Farm Insurance there.
Margie and her family, now a husband and two sons, moved to College Station, TX in 1965 where she was assistant manager at a small supermarket.
In 1967, she and family moved to Des Moines, IA. Here, she began her own career in earnest. She taught special needs elementary children and was a pioneer teacher in RIF (Reading is Fun.) She was president of the school PTA and also president of the Des Moines Council of PTAs. She was president of the University Little League Women’s Auxiliary. When the system was unable to find a manager for the “Dukes” she took on the role of manager and managed the team for two years. Some of the news coverage at the time speculated she was the first female to do so.
In 1978, Margie and family, now three sons, moved to a farm near St. Marys where she lived until her death. She resumed her education, earning a degree in computer science from Simpson College. She became a lecturer at Simpson where she taught for 9 years. She worked part time for Successful Farming magazine where she researched and developed a ranking of the largest 100 farms in America. She also led many farm-to-farm trips to Europe, Hawaii and Mexico for Successful Farming.
During this time period she was chairperson of the Warren County Republicans. As the party moved to the right on social issues, she renounced the position and became a Democrat!
Margie had a varied business life. She owned and operated The Aerobic Center in Indianola and after receiving a degree in commercial horticulture from DMACC she established Quail Hollow Gardens where she grew fine perennials to sell at farmers markets as well as at the farm. She was an accomplished gourd artist. Another of her business ventures was a newsletter, Iowa Criminal Law, which was marketed to Iowa lawyers. Margie’s last business was The Painted Pony Art Gallery on the square in Indianola. She truly enjoyed the friends and customers who came in. She had a keen eye for color and composition and could make anything look better with the right mat and frame.
Margie leaves behind husband Richard; sons Eric, Karl and Kurt; daughter Abby; daughter-in-law Gina; grandchildren Shannon (husband Perry), Megan, Amber and Justin.
Finally, Margie was a smart and capable woman . . . she could do a Sudoku while you sharpened your pencil; she could put together a jigsaw puzzle while you were finding the corners; she loved Christmas, decorating her house with dozens of Santas, nativity scenes and a 9 ft. Christmas tree with ornaments from all over the world . . . her talents and abundant love will be missed by family and friends. A celebration of life will be held at a later time.
This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, [http://www.overtonfuneral.com/]