Margaret Ann Cisper

Born March 25, 1931 in West Warwick, Rhode Island, Margaret was the 7th of 11 children. Her parents both passed away within a year of one another, leaving Margaret orphaned by age 9. Despite abject poverty and many tragic setbacks, her older siblings were ultimately successful in keeping the family together, and in her teens, Margaret worked as a seamstress in one of the many textile mills in the area.

It was at the Polish Falcons Club of West Warwick that she met a young sailor named Leo Cisper, who was stationed at Quonset Point, RI. After dating for a time, Leo quickly recognized a good thing in Margaret, and the two were wed on August 25, 1951. Their first of six children – Paula – was born in 1952. Upon Leo’s honorable discharge, they moved their budding family to Leo’s hometown of Kansas City, MO.

Margaret plunged headlong into motherhood, and took immense pride in raising her daughters and sons for the next 40 years. Extremely close to each of her children, she started the family’s “Thursday Dinner Night” where her grown children and their children (and their children’s children) would come together weekly to eat as a family. This tradition remains in place; in fact, her final meal was a Thursday Dinner shared at her home just hours before her passing.

A devout Catholic, Margaret used what spare time she had to volunteer cooking meals for the various parishes of which she was a member. She also volunteered at St. Bernadette’s school on occasion, where all of her children attended. Beloved by all, she was a neighborhood mom of sorts. Her generous nature and upbeat attitude attracted friends and unofficial family from near and far.

Margaret and Leo were married for 54 years before Leo’s passing in 2006. Never one to sit still, Margaret spent the next 17 years continuing her volunteer work in various capacities, caring for her grandchildren and great grandchildren, and attending all manner of festivals and events around the Kansas City area. She also managed to log a handful of stamps in her passport.

Margaret was a voracious reader who loved being in the sun and near the water. Proud of her Portuguese heritage, she opened her home to friends and family when she recreated a smaller version of the annual Holy Ghost festival (a.k.a. “the La La”) she’d known and loved as a child. She cooked traditional Portuguese dishes, decorated her house in red and green, and used the opportunity to share with everyone a little taste of the Azores Islands from where her parents came.

Margaret is preceded in death by her parents, her 10 siblings, and her beloved husband, Leo. She is survived by her four daughters: Paula Bersuch of Overland Park KS, Sheila Miller (Mike), of Overland Park, KS, Jessica Scotece (Tony) of Lino Lakes, MN, and Cindy Keith (Steve) of Peculiar, MO; two sons: John Cisper (Brenda) of Kansas City, MO and Jason Cisper of Lee’s Summit, MO; thirteen grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be February 23 from 6-8 p.m. at Floral Hills Funeral Home 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd kansas city MO 64133, with family tributes starting at 7. Funeral services will be February 24 at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, 4101 E. 105th Terr., with rosary from 9:30 am and Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am. Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 7601 Blue Ridge Blvd, immediately following the service.