Margaret Ella McClellan

Margaret, better known as Margei, was born on April 13, 1933 in Garvin County, Oklahoma, to John and Madge Rose. Margei began life in the same home in which her mother, Madge, had also been born. She was raised in the Garvin County area where her family had lived since before the state achieved statehood. Margei married her husband, William (Bill) McCarty, when she was seventeen, and completed high school as she began her family. Her marriage with Bill resulted in four children, Neil, Bruce, Becki and Marty. In the mid-1950s, Margei and her family moved to Oregon, where she met and married her second husband, Merlin (Merle) Short. Margei and Merle had four children, twins Scott and Donny, Merri, and Mark. Margei would spend the rest of her life in the Pacific Northwest, moving between Washington and Oregon before finally settling in Salem. In the 1980s Margei met Stanley McClellan and they were married in Hawaii; following their marriage they returned to Oregon and remained in the Salem area.

Margei had a full and adventurous life raising her family and held several jobs throughout the years. She moonlighted in various careers, including a brief foray as a private investigator, and was employed by the City of Salem for many years prior to her retirement. Margaret was a voracious reader and prolific writer, and authored many short stories, poems, and editorials. She encouraged the love of reading and writing in all of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She spent her later years pursuing various hobbies, including sewing, doll-making, beading and crafting beautiful jewelry. Margaret’s biggest joy was spending time with her family. Margaret’s seven children blessed her with 22 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, all of whom she enjoyed spending as much time with as possible.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, John Kenneth Rose and Madge Lee (Dennis) Rose, her infant son Donny, her grandsons Nicholas and Michael, and her husbands William McCarty, Merlin Short, and Stanley McClellan. She is survived by her brothers John Robert Rose and Terry Rose; her sons Neil, Bruce, Marty, Scott, and Mark, and her daughters Becki and Merri.

Services for Margaret will be held on April 13th, 2018 at 1:00pm at Howell, Edwards, Doerksen at 1350 Commercial St SE Salem 97302.