Margaret Angeline Zacharias
September 2, 1926 - June 22, 2020

Margaret Angeline (Nelson) Zacharias, 93, of Hampton, passed away Monday, June 22, 2020, at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City.  She was born on September 2, 1926, in Waco, Nebraska, to Porter and Angeline C. Nelson.  The family moved around a lot to wherever their dad had work.  The family moved to Fullerton, Nebraska, where they lived and worked until her dad got sick and passed away.  Margaret's mother was crippled and was on crutches.
 
Margaret was taken out of school to help her mother take care of her dad.  The family moved to Grand Island, Nebraska, where Margaret went back to school until the ninth grade, where she got a job at St. Francis Hospital as a candy striper.  She also worked at a photo studio.
 
Margaret met Lavern as he was her ride home from work.  Lavern was stationed at the Fairmont Army Air Force Base, which was just outside of Geneva, Nebraska.  The couple only knew each other for six weeks when they got married on January 23, 1944.
 
When Lavern finished his tour of duties for his country in 1946, the couple decided to move back to Hampton, Iowa, with their two boys at the time.  Margaret worked as a nursing assistant for forty years, and as a housekeeper.  She received her GED in 1984.  Margaret's hobbies included cooking, baking, canning, quilting, and embroidery work.  She loved spending time with family and friends and attending church activities.
 
Margaret is survived by her sons Gene (Sherri) of Hampton; Ronald of Dumont; Jim (Susan) of Geneva; 17 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son David, daughter-in-law Karen, sisters Grace, Mable and Betty, brothers Eugene and Wayne, father- and mother-in-law, sister-in-law, many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

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