Margaret Durham

Margaret Durham, 77, a true angel on earth, died Thursday, June 14, in the Lakes of Monclova Health Care Center, where she lived.

Our beloved Mamaw was the best mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher, spiritual counselor, confidante, and friend anyone could ever have.
She was filled with love and kindness for everyone right up until the very end, but her life was tough from the beginning.

Margaret was born on April 11, 1941, to Arthur and Isabelle Workman in Sharondale, Ky., as one of 21 children in a farm family. There were too many kids at home, too many mouths to feed, and not enough beds. So at age 13, she left home to move into the house of her sister, Jarlene, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. While there, Mom was a helper to Jarlene, her husband, and their three children.

At 17, she met the love of her life, Clinton Durham, and the two soon wed. They moved to Waterville when Clinton got a job at Johns-Manville Corp. They had three beautiful children, Tony, Gary, and Malissa, and the times in Waterville were good. The young family had lots of fun with the simple things in life: cooking (including baking cakes), playing cards and board games, walks in the park, and cool nights at dusk on the back porch. Holidays, birthdays, and celebrations were filled with laughter and magic, and Mamaw was at the heart of it all. There was no crisis so big or small that she couldn't solve, and many nights were spent bedside comforting a child with a bad earache, the flu, or just a yearning for Mamaw's touch. Her kindness and compassion were unparalleled.

She was a founding member of the former First Baptist Church of Waterville. She prayed and sang when the church was new, didn't have its own building, and met in places like the old Waterville Elementary School and the IOOF hall above the hardware store. The congregation eventually built its own church, which existed for many years. The church itself is gone now, but that didn't stop Mamaw from worshipping and loving the Lord. She read her Bible daily and even played Bible trivia during recent hospital stays (she won of course!).

She taught Sunday School for many years and, even decades later, her former pupils would recognize her and thank her for the great times they had together. She also worked in the church nursery, watching over little ones while the adults held the service in the sanctuary.

Raising and being with children was her life's calling and she had a special talent for it. No one could soothe a baby like she could. Luckily, the family provided plenty of opportunities for her to influence the lives of children, with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was also a terrific listener who cared more about other people's stories than her own. Even in her final days, she was always asking about and worried about others. When the dinner tray would come, she would offer it to anyone nearby before having any food herself.

Mamaw's life was extraordinary, and we will miss her dearly.

She is survived by her son Tony, daughter Malissa Lambert; brothers, Charles and Rush; sisters, Rosemary, Etheleen, and Wanda; grandchildren Elizabeth Durham, Alisa Frierson, Tyler Rayford, Brittany Rayford, and William Davis, and great-grandchildren, Arianna Rayford, and Mya,Taylor, Sophie, and Leo Frierson, and Liam Saha.

The family will receive guests from 6-8:00 p.m. on Monday, June 18, 2018 at Newcomer – SW Chapel, 4752 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo (419-381-1900). The Funeral Service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. There will be visitation from 9-11:00 a.m. prior to the Funeral. Burial will be private.

Margaret would like to thank her longtime physician, Dr. Jonathan Rohrs, for his years of help and guidance.

The family requests donations to Hospice of Northwest Ohio or a charity of the donor's choice.