Margie P. Nevin

Born: October 25, 1921 in Avoca, Iowa to Lela Beth Bunnell and Basil E. Bair

Died: August 22, 2012 in Portland, Oregon while living at Cedar Crest specialty care facility.

Thanks to the research from Aunt Mardell Bair of Texas, we discovered that the first Bair (Bar) family from Zurich, Switzerland of Alpinis decent, migrated to Germany, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, Turkey, Oregon and New York; where the last of the European line was born.

Michael Bair immigrated to the US in 1721 for religious freedom with only twelve colonies at the time and settled in a German settlement in Pennsylvania that used the dialect called "Pennsylvania Dutch." There are many descendants that played roles in the forming of our country from the American Revolution to WWII, to our families continuing to defend our freedom in our generation.

Margie’s father, Basil Bair, was born in 1893 on a small farm near Avoca, Iowa. Basil’s mother died young, in her 40s, and his father John died at age 47 of a heart attack, with their children ranging in age from 14 years old to 26 years old. Basil was the oldest and took over raising the family. Basil married Lela Beth Bunnell in 1916. Their first child was stillborn, then they had Eugene (Gene), Margie Phyllis, Robert (Bob) and John (Jack).

Margie was born into a family of farmers, but after the crash of 1929 they lost their farm by 1935. Basil moved the whole family to Owatonna, Minnesota where they worked hard together. Basil did work under the P.W.A. and also hustled pool and odd jobs while Lela baked pies to sell to restaurants. Basil then got a job as a boiler operator at the state school for orphans and became a qualified steam engine engineer, working later at Bordons as an engineer.

Margie spent her childhood on the farm with her parents, brothers, and a favorite horse she kept for years. In the winters during high school she worked for room and board with different families while going to school in town. Margie met her husband McCoy Nevin in the Church of God when he came from Rice Lake, Wisconsin in 1937 to live with Pastor Paul & Bernice Shrock and to help with the youth group. Margie came to know Jesus as her Savior during her first Sunday visit to the church when she was about 15 years old, according to the church historic chronicles, and became a part of the first youth choir in that church. They kept up with the pastors and whole church throughout their lives.

After graduating high school in 1939, Margie worked for Josten’s factory that made high school rings and also war defense parts. She continued work until she married Mac on January 31, 1946, wearing a homemade wedding gown crafted from the silk parachute Mac brought back from the German war flares that were dropped on his airfield in England. After WWII, when a woman got married she would give up her job so a veteran could work, so she graciously became a “homemaker.”

Margie had the gift of a photographic memory and I’m sure she would have been a “decoder” for WWII if the government had known about her special gifts.

Margie drove the farm equipment and a car in the small towns, but Portland’s large and fast lanes kept her from obtaining a license until she was in her 50s. Then you couldn’t get her to slow down or be without her own car, helping all who needed it.

She kept her childhood friends and school classmates close to her heart her whole life. She met Nan Banks, who lived in Newcastle, England by being a pen pal as a young woman; with that friendship lasting their lifetime.

Margie also made lifelong friends in the Church of God in Owatonna, Minnesota; Huntington, Indiana; Vancouver, Washington and Holladay Park Church of God in Portland, Oregon while meeting additional new friends at the summer camp meetings. She treasured her church friends as brothers and sisters.

We camped with many families, went rock hunting, to youth conventions to Minnesota by train, and other local youth rallies while growing up in Portland. The family moved to Portland, Oregon in 1961 through Mac’s insurance work and settled in NE across from Grant High School. They moved to a larger home on 18th & Thompson in 1969 and their final home in 2000 on 23rd & Thompson.

She is predeceased by 3 brothers: Gene and sister in law Mary, Bob and Jack Bair. She has 4 children & their spouses, 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandsons.

She became a mother and raised Larry Gene, Jerry Lee, Sheryl Koy (Hunter) and Danny Jay Nevin. Margie supported Mac as they moved from Owatonna, Minnesota to Huntington, Indiana for his job in the insurance business and then in the move of 1961 to start an office with the company in Portland, Oregon. She never complained and helped in many ways when Dad began his own insurance agency, McCoy Nevin Insurance Agency, in 1969 until he retired in 2001.

Margie also helped Carol Hatch Stewart with the first year of a preschool at Holladay Park Church of God and helped out in various areas for many years. She loved babies and children and began teaching Sunday school while a young woman. She child sat for others and to bring in extra income several times when it was necessary. She was always available to “love” on her grandchildren and participating in their lives by going to school events, parades, vacations and playing games with them at all ages. She loved to “cheat” at card games; telling them she could have any rules as she was “Grandma.”

Margie had the gift of hospitality and generosity with a roast and vegetables always on cooking during Sunday mornings so any new person to church would be invited over to dine. We often had guests for all holiday dinners who then became friends. Our parents treated neighbors as family and we all grew up with many additional “brothers and sisters.”

Margie and Mac opened their home to those who needed it and shared it with many others. Marilyn Goodman Richardson stayed in our home when she was going to Portland State University as did Larry Guisinger during some of his high school years. Our neighbors became friends for life including Jean & Bill Reads’ family, Carol Hatch Stewart (Ken) and her clan; Yakymis, Bucks, DeBardelabens, Folkestad's, Schwartz’s, Culps-Kerrs,and others like Jamil Barbar who needed a home from his war torn country, staying until he could bring his wife Helen and family over to the states. They took in pastors from around the world to have a home during furloughs or visiting Church of God congregations.

Margie and Mac did a lot of traveling after their kids were grown, visiting friends all over the US with the “Eastern Airlines” special senior tickets, taking a cruise to Alaska to visit family, celebrating life through trips with friends and family reunions to the Midwest.