Margaret Rosella Adams

Margaret Rosella Adams Our vibrant, witty and radiant Margaret Adams passed away peacefully on July 14, 2018, at the age of 96 in the home she and her late husband, Wayne, built in 1953. Known by many names--Geepy, Gigi, Grandma, Mom, Peg, Maggie, Margaret--she gave countless blessings to all of us whose lives she brightened. She always greeted us with her beautiful smile, and she loved us and life unsparingly. She was our family's safety net, our rock, our role model. And her raspberry pies were heaven sent. Born in Wolcott, Indiana on December 30, 1921, to Dr. John Schwartz, a veterinarian, and Eva Wadsworth Schwartz, a music and art teacher, Margaret and her parents moved at a young age to central Indiana where she resided for most of her life. She grew up on her grandmother's farm in Castleton and attended Shortridge High School for three years before graduating from Castleton High School. In 1939, as a senior at Castleton, she won the Marion County Oration Contest. A gifted singer, pianist and artist, Margaret also studied for nine years at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music (Butler University) and at the John Herron School of Art. Following the outbreak of...[more]

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rld War II, she did her part for the war effort by assembling roller chains at the Diamond Chain Company for production of military equipment and materiel and by preparing propeller assemblies for military aircraft at the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. After the war and marriage to Wayne, Margaret raised her two children and held positions with several Indianapolis companies before retiring from Rosie O'Brien's American Folk Art Shop in 1987. But she never really retired. A member of Castleton Methodist Church since she was 8 years old, Margaret cared for children in its nursery for over 30 years. She also worked at her polling place for decades and volunteered as a receptionist at Holliday Park for over 20 years. And she gave herself full-time to nurturing all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and attending hundreds, if not thousands, of their recitals, concerts, musicals, school functions and athletic events. She was always there. Margaret is survived by her daughter Rosie Taylor (Sam), her son Wayne "Skip" Adams (Linda), Grandchildren Kristin Forner (Kevin), Megan Van Valer (Bill), Courtney Thornton (Jeff), and Ty Adams, Great Grandchildren Rory and Graeme Van Valer and Ridley and Rye Forner, cousins Robert Wadsworth (Carol) and John Wadsworth (Sally), and niece Mary Schwartz. She was predeceased in 1975 by her husband Wayne after 27 years of marriage. Margaret's services will be at the Crown Hill Funeral Home, 700 W. 38th St. in Indianapolis on Thursday, July 19, beginning with visitation at 3:30 p.m., a Celebration of Margaret's Life at 5:00 p.m. and a reception immediately following. In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations in Margaret's memory be made to: Friends of Holliday Park, 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis 46260; The Orchard School (Art & Music Departments), 615 W. 64th St., Indianapolis 46260; or The Oaks Academy, 2301 N. Park Ave., Indianapolis 46205 (Attention: Advancement). While our remarkable Margaret has passed, her spirit remains and she will be remembered through endless stories, her handwritten letters to each of us, and precious memories. And every time we see a beautiful bird, smell a fragrant flower, or taste a delicious cobbler we will be reminded of how fortunate we are to have been loved by her.