Margaret - Koster

KOSTER, Margaret Badger Smith April 15, 1915 – March 13, 2016 Margaret Badger Smith Koster, loving wife, mother (3 sons), grandmother (6 grandchildren, and great grandmother (12 great grandchildren), passed peacefully in her sleep at the blessed age of 101. She was at peace with God and grateful for her many blessings and loving family and friends. Margaret was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to George T. and Mary Sharp Badger of Scottish immigrant ancestry. Margaret was the youngest of 3 children with a brother, George and a sister, Mary. Margaret was a fun filled, playful young girl who inherited her mother’s gift of hospitality. She learned to play tennis against the garage door. The family moved to Los Angeles in during WW I in 1920 where she grew up, attended school and graduated from UCLA, cum laude in 1947. She met and married her loving husband Ronald Camp Smith in 1939 and she bore three sons: Wesley, Larry, and Bruce in the early 1940s. Margaret’s husband, Ron had graduated with a degree from UCLA in geology. They both had a love of natural resources and wild life and game. Ron worked with his father, H. C. Smith in the 1930s and they started Globe Tool Company, a down hole drilling company, which became Smith Tool Company, which grew into an international drill bite manufacturing company Smith International Inc. Margaret and Ron moved to Culver City in an old ranch home in 1941 where the three sons were born. Ron and Margaret formed the Jefferson Oil Company and drilled their first successful oil well in the historic Culver City/Englewood Oil field area that had been producing oil since 1900. Oil had again become a critical industry to our Country’s war effort fighting in WWII. Margaret and Ron were also air raid wardens in Culver City during that time. In 1948 the family moved to 66 Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach, California. Margaret and Ron enjoyed family, tennis, golf, hunting, fishing, and card games. Sadness came to Margaret when her husband Ron passed away in 1956. In addition to raising her 3 sons, she took over the management of the family enterprises, and she started traveling to see the world. Her sons married and her happiness cup overflowed when God sent her 6 grandchildren in the decades of the ‘60s and ‘70s: Lawrence Ronald Smith – wife Connie, Stacey Smith Vince – husband Robert, Jake Smith, Tim Smith – wife Courtney, Meagan Smith, and Kristopher Smith – wife Janel. Her millennium great grandchildren blessed her heart in her later years. Their names are Sheridan, Grant, Hudson, Charlotte, Tatiana, Brady, Gracie, Colby, Trent, Bryce, Luke and Lilly. Margaret’s gratitude and joy in these new lives helped stimulate her to start a family needle point career creating Christmas stockings for each beloved member of her family. She remarried in 1969 when a widower, John Koster came into her life bringing his grown up son Ken and his wife Donna, and 2 wonderful, new grandchildren, Karen and Kathy, both of whom have since married and begat 5 children of their own. Margaret and John spent a happy life together traveling between Laguna and Palm desert with trips in Africa and Europe. The death sadness hit her again 13 years later when John passed away, but her joy and zest for life continued and she was blessed to travel to France (by hot air balloon), Europe, China, Antarctica, Brazil (Amazon cruise), with her sons and many trips across the most beautiful country in the world, the United States of America! In 2004, Margaret’s golf game peaked at age 89 when she and her beloved “daughter Joanie” won the coveted “Balboa” annual trophy at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach. Death sadness has now hit our family, but we look around to see the many loved ones who remain behind to help each other. There is no victory for the grave, she is starting a wonderful new life in heaven and looks forward to the resurrection and being together eternally. A Celebration of Life is planned for Good Friday, March 25th at 3 pm at Fairhaven Memorial Reception Center, 27856 Center Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.