Margie Ella Vest

Margie was born January 9, 1933 in Seattle, Washington to Ruth Louise Hammett (ǹee Mulholland) and Charles Oscar Hammett. Margie spent the first part of her childhood in Kirkland, Washington. Tragically, her father died when she was only seven years old. A few years later, the family moved to Olympia where Ruth's sister-in-law, Helen Taylor, lived. As a teen Margie worked as a waitress at the Spar and the Brown Derby Restaurants. At the age of 17 she met the love of her life, Donald Lee Vest, a 19-year-old soldier from Ft. Lewis.

Don and Margie married April 10, 1950 and started a family having three babies in three years. After a three-year tour in Germany Margie returned to the United States with a fourth child and by 1960 they had completed their family with a total of five children. Don and Margie were in the Army for 22 years, during which time they were stationed around the US and the world. Don retired in 1972, at which time the family returned to Olympia.

Margie enjoyed being a member of the Officers' Wives Club, often participating in and hosting luncheons. She also was a contributor to Ft. Benning's newspaper, The Bayonet. Margie was a volunteer with the Olympia Bright Hope Organization reading to residents in Assisted Living Facilities, she also studied the Bible for years and led some groups in Bible Study Fellowship. After the majority of her children were independent, Margie decided to work outside the home. She enjoyed a career in retail, where she had many successes, particularly when managing the china department at Frederick and Nelson Department Store. Margie and Don were regular members of Olympia's First Baptist Church, the Westwood Baptist Church, and lastly the Grace Covenant Community Church which she attended with her daughter Carol. Margie was a great cook and baker and loved to entertain and cook for family and friends. She was a voracious reader, enjoyed the daily crossword puzzles, and was a whiz at the television show Jeopardy.

Margie was preceded in death by Donald, her husband of 68 years; her oldest son, William; and one grandbaby, Mark Hanson. Also preceding her in death were brothers Vernon Hammett, Chuck Hammett, Ray Mulholland, Clarence Schafer, Ralph Hagen, Stanley Brinegar, Lyle Larson, Thomas Brinegar, and sisters Virginia Poland, Marian Hale and Ruby Johnson.

Margie is survived by her sister, Donna Henke, Utah; daughters Pamela Vest (Kenan Conte), Carol (Corey) Cox; and sons Donald (Laura) Vest Jr., and David (Petra) Vest; Grandchildren Donald Hanson, Douglas Hanson, Adam Vest, Andrew Vest, Melissa Jones, Sarah Young, Myriah Cayenne, Jennifer Ison, Codey Cox, Laura Brintnall, Ian Hubbs, Martien Vest, Kira Kalikin, Tyler Vest, William Struck, and too many great and great-great-grandchildren to list!

The family wants to give special thanks to daughter Carol Cox and her husband Corey who opened their home to Margie and were her loving caregivers during her last seven years of life.

Services will be held on June 20, 2025 at Mills and Mills Funeral Home 5725 Littlerock Rd SW, Tumwater, WA 98512. Viewing from 9am to 10am, service from 10am to 11am, followed by refreshments. Margie will be interred next to her husband at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Tumwater following the funeral.