Margaret I. Hastings

Margaret I. Hastings Battle Creek Margaret I. Hastings, 90, of Battle Creek died Sunday August 2, 2009 at the Branford Hospice Center in Connecticut while visiting family. Margaret was born July 15, 1919 in Iron Mountain, Michigan to parents Alfred and Clara Carlson. She was the fifth of nine children. Margaret graduated from Kingsford HS and then moved to Battle Creek. In 1945 Margaret married Samuel D. Hastings and raised their three children Tom, Dick and Rebecca in the Level Park area of Battle Creek. Margaret gave of herself to others and her community and took great joy in making hand sewn quilts, knitting sweaters and afghans, and welcoming countless loved ones with a baby blanket. She was famous like her sisters for their U.P. pasties, loved watching birds, was no match for a crossword puzzle and enthusiastically followed her Detroit Tigers. Mom, grandma, sister and aunt were cherished roles to Margaret who spent endless hours nurturing the swimming careers of her children and tirelessly loving and supporting her grand-kids. Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, husband Sam (1967), son Tom (1969), brother Bob Carlson, sisters Jean Herman, Iva Jacobsen, Catherine Tucker, Clara Johnson, and Helen Conkell, and close friend Bill Babcock. She is survived by her daughter Rebecca, son Dick and daughter-in-law Deb, grandchildren Jennifer Hastings, Erik Hastings, Keenan Connors, and Shea Connors, sister Celia Biener, brother Leonard (Marge) Carlson, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. A memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday August 7 at New Life Church, 14225 S M-37, on the corner of Hickory Rd. A luncheon will follow at the church's outdoor pavilion. In lieu of flowers, memorials for Margaret should be made to those in your life or community in need, as she always believed in helping family and friends whenever she could.