Margaret Jewel

January 2, 1934 - June 9, 2023 age 89

Born to Lewis and Hazel Sheets, Margaret Jewel was a lifelong Callaweigan. She grew up in Calwood where years later she was happily reestablished back on her childhood homestead.

In her early years, she grew up on a farm and was no stranger to taking the kids fishing at Little Dixie Lake and hunting for food. She loved sunbathing and splashing in the creeks, long country road trips, stopping to root up flowers on the side of the road for her own garden, and attending her family's holiday gatherings and birthday parties.

Margaret had many loves such as listening to Cardinals baseball in the summertime and playing a good game of shuffleboard, but the most fun she had was dancing. Put on the country and western music and watch her feet scoot around the dance floor. She was so beautiful with a striking resemblance to Loretta Lynn. She was also an avid league bowler at the Callaway County Lanes, taking several trophies!

She was a nature lover with singing birds, and the purple martins being her favorite right along with her flowers. Her thumb was an evergreen, with her plants being the beautiful proof. Anyone who knew her knew she was absolutely a gem, sweet, kind, and would help anyone. Her skill of crocheting doilies turned into her pastime.

She was also a very hard worker, sometimes holding two jobs at once. After leaving the family farm in her late teens, she worked at the Missouri School for the Deaf as a student aid. From the age of 16, she had mastered the skill of becoming the best seamstress. She began in the 1950s at Samuels Shoe Production, Striderite in the 1970s, to Production Products in the 2000s with sewing commitments to her clientele and family right up to the day before her passing. She took great pride in being the best top stitcher anywhere she went until she retired…twice!

She was a lifelong member of the VFW Women’s Auxiliary, always wearing the Poppy flower proudly on her purse and donating her time and yummy food for the veterans' events. It gave her a sense of satisfaction to care for the elderly when she worked at the Presbyterian nursing home in 1976.

At family functions, she would always look around the room, smile, and make claim to her family while proudly stating, “Just look at this mess I created.”She is survived by three daughters she absolutely adored: Linda (Tom) Cremer, Barb Beamer (Glenn Davidson), and Jonie (Michael) Mackey. Along with her grandkids whom she so loved were Jeff Schoening, Leslie Schoening Thornhill, Angela Branch Adrian, Heather Schoening, Tara Geldner, Sammy Magruder III, and 14 great-grandchildren. Siblings include Jim Sheets Sr, Betty Schmidt, Mary Hook, and Joyce Webb.

Margaret is now reunited with her mother and father, grandson Brandon Lee Branch, siblings Jerry Sheets, Martha Hughes, and Wanda Vaughn, and nephew Richard Hughes.

We all feel that void of her presence and will sadly miss our sweet mom, grandma, great-grandma, sister, cousin, and friend. In lieu of flowers and for the love she had for her three felines left behind, Rambo, Josey, and Nacho, please make donations to your local animal shelter or pet rescue in the beautiful name of Margaret Jewel.