Margaret Rosemary Young

Margaret (known as 'Mimi' to her beloved grandchildren) was born on a freezing Friday, December 23, 1927, to William and Elsie (Emtman) Brischle at their farmhouse in Pleasant Prairie, near Spokane. Margaret was the fourth of six children born to Bill and Elsie, and she enjoyed growing up in her sizeable German farm family. The early experiences on the farm and the realities of the Depression and WWII shaped her into a person who valued conservation, service to the community, selflessness, and an appreciation of the small things in life.

Margaret attended West Valley High School and was the first in her family to attend college. Margaret graduated from Washington State College (now WSU) and paid her tuition by working as a summer waitress at the world-renowned Davenport Hotel in Spokane. Bing Crosby and Helen Keller were among the famous diners she enjoyed serving.

With a degree in Home Economics, Margaret worked as a teacher in Portland, earning enough to buy a brand-new Chevrolet car. In 1952, on a whim, Margaret and her eldest sister, Evelyn, drove that car from Spokane to Anchorage along the (then) gravel Alaska Highway. Margaret quickly landed a teaching job in Anchorage. During the summers, she was a Pacific Northern Airlines stewardess, allowing her to see Alaska, from Nome to Juneau, and places in between. While in Anchorage, at an Elmendorf Air Force Base dance, Margaret met a young Air Force officer, James Clarence Young. They married on April 11, 1954.

Once Jim was out of the service, the couple moved to San Francisco, where Margaret continued her teaching career while Jim finished college. When Jim was accepted to the University of Washington School of Law, they moved to Seattle. Margaret and Jim were delighted to welcome their three children, Jim, Janice, and Nancy, and create a family of their own.

Margaret enjoyed staying home with her children and putting her Home Ec degree to practical use. Margaret sewed the kids' clothes, picked berries to make jam, grew a large dahlia garden, and decorated her home in the current styles. She served as a PTA president, a Girl Scout coordinator, a Lake City Football volunteer, and a US Elections monitor. For decades, Margaret took pride in serving as the wedding coordinator and Chair of Ruth's Circle at Faith Lutheran Church. Margaret loved entertaining, especially having people to her home on her birthday to watch the Christmas boats from her home overlooking Lake Washington.

After her husband's death, Margaret returned to teaching. She taught special needs children for the Seattle Public Schools for many years. A savvy businessperson, Margaret also owned and actively managed the family's rental properties.

While Margaret was a fantastic teacher, she was an even more amazing grandmother. Margaret was incredibly proud of her nine grandchildren, all of whom lived within a mile of her home and who were cared for regularly by their loving Mimi. She was never more than a few minutes away if needed.

Margaret possessed a sincere interest in people; whether it was a grandchild, a church member, or a checker at the supermarket, Margaret genuinely wanted to hear about them. Her 1945 high school yearbook stated that she was "Grand to know," and indeed she was.

Margaret is survived by her children, Jim Young, Janice Piper (Kyle), and Nancy Belcher (Chris), and her grandchildren Spencer (Rachel), Reed, Oliver, Luke, and Quincy Belcher, Kyra, and Everly Piper, Catherine, and Elizabeth Young. She is also survived by her sister, Helen Whitehouse, of Tacoma.

Margaret is predeceased by her husband, James C. Young, and siblings Evelyn Roggow, Ralph Brischle, Dorothy Brown, and Mary Hauschild.

A memorial service for Margaret will take place at Faith Lutheran Church on March 4, 2023, at 1 p.m. (8208 18th Ave. N.E., Seattle).

Please consider donating to Faith Lutheran Church, where Margaret was a member for over 60 years (https://www.faithseattle.org/giving).

Margaret loved children and believed in the value of early education. She enrolled her children and grandchildren in the Victory Heights Co-op preschool. You can donate to scholarships for co-op preschool at https://foundation.seattlecolleges.edu/giving/parent-education