Margaret Schrup was born on May 24, 1921 in Dubuque, Iowa. She was the 3rd of 8 children. Her mother died giving birth to the 8th child. Margaret was 10 years old at the time, and assumed many adult duties including cooking, cleaning, and ironing her father’s suits and shirts. Margaret’s father, Tony Schrup, owned a Packard auto dealership and Margaret started driving at age 14 and would drive a 12 cylinder Packard to transport her younger brothers and sisters to school. Tony was also active in Democratic politics and in 1936 drove FDR around Dubuque during a campaign stop. Tony brought FDR by his home so all his children including Margaret could meet FDR.
At eighteen she left home, moving to Minneapolis and learned about bookkeeping and accounting. She took a job with Remington Rand and learned punch card accounting. During the 1940s, Margaret traveled extensively for Remington Rand helping customer convert from manual accounting to new punch card accounting systems. She spent a lot of time in the South, in Houston and Albuquerque, and many other locations across the US.
In the early 1950s she moved to New York where she continued her career. In 1953 she met John Bickel after being introduced by a mutual friend. John had built a table for the friend and Margaret complimented John on type of joint in the table legs. John was impressed with Margaret’s knowledge of woodworking and joinery and they began dating immediately. Their first date was a walk across the George Washington bridge. They were married 3 weeks later and spent every day together for the next 65 years.
Margaret and John lived in Manhattan. They spent weekends in Westchester, deciding in 1954 to buy land there and build their own home. Both Margaret and John were admirers of Frank Lloyd Wright, and they managed to hire the architect who had overseen Wright’s Usonia project. With his plans in hand, they built their home themselves, while John continued working by day and worked with Margaret building their home in the evenings and weekends.
Margaret loved having children and being a mother. She was a feminist. Ardent advocate for education. She read to Rachel and John before they could read, sharing her love for books. Always curious. A fan of puzzles including the crossword, Soduku and others. Games including Chess, Rummy, Canasta, and Hearts.
Margaret and John took great pleasure in sharing their appreciation for all forms of art, architecture, and travel with their children. Margaret loved to read and read The NY Times every day and The New Yorker every week. After John retired as a photographer in 1979, he started a second career with Margaret as a fine wood craftsman. Margaret participated by contributing design ideas and ran the business end of things. She taught herself to use the IBM PC and VisiCalc, Multiplan and Lotus 1-2-3. The two began exhibiting their work at juried craft shows in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, winning several awards and selling furniture. This second career lasted from 1980-2013.
In 2014 John and Margaret sold the home they built in Ossining, NY and relocated to Southbury, CT in Heritage Village. They joined several clubs and made new friends in Southbury. John passed away in 2018. Margaret is survived by her children John Bickel Jr. and his wife Margaret of Southbury, CT and Rachel Bickel of Brattleboro, VT.
The family would like to thank her care giver Kuhle Madlingozi for the wonderful care and compassion given to our mom in her final days.
There will not be a service.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.9.5