Margaret Vee Schroeder Vawter

Margaret Vee Schroeder Vawter

December 24, 1924 - June 5, 2022

Margaret Vee Vawter passed away peacefully with her family by her side on June 5, 2022. Margaret was born at home on the Valley Farm near Erie, North Dakota on December 24,1924, the third of five children. She and her siblings grew up on the farm during a time when rural areas had a great sense of community but lacked amenities such as electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing. She studied by kerosene lamp and traveled to school by sleigh, wagon, or horseback. She graduated from Erie School in 1942 as valedictorian and always chuckled when she revealed that her class size was three. She attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in both English and Art. She was active in the college theater group and sang in the Concordia College Concert Choir under the direction of Paul J. Christiansen. She toured the western US with the choir in 1946. After graduation she began her career in public education in New London, MN, and taught high school English and directed the choir. In 1948, she was offered a graduate teaching assistantship at Washington State University where she earned her Master of Arts degree in English and met her future husband, Donald Vawter. They were married on May 5, 1950. Don, a WWII veteran, was called back to active duty during the Korean War and was stationed in Ketchikan, Alaska where their first daughter, Charlotte, was born. They moved to Longview, WA at the end of the war and their second daughter, Sara, was born there in 1954. From Longview they moved to Seattle, WA and then settled in Issaquah, WA where Margaret taught high school English.

In 1972, Margaret and Don moved east of the Cascades to Tonasket, WA, a small apple-growing and ranching community. Margaret taught English and social studies, with an occasional math or art class added to her schedule to keep her on her toes. Margaret's strong work ethic, creativity, quick wit, and great sense of humor were evident in the classroom. She excelled at teaching both critical thinking and writing skills, and even found ways to liven up grammar lessons, which she and her co-authors developed into a grammar workbook, Patterns. Margaret retired in 1989 after a 36-year teaching career. She volunteered with North Okanogan Habitat for Humanity, the Okanogan Valley Arts Council, and local service committees. She was an avid reader and enjoyed spending time refining her watercolor skills, but her true joy was her family. She was an amazing mother and a wonderful grandmother.

Don and Margaret eventually moved from their home in Tonasket, WA to Twin Falls, ID, to be closer to family. She was a life-long Presbyterian and a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Twin Falls.

Margaret is survived by her daughters: Charlotte (William) Eberlein of Twin Falls and Sara Cavitt of Danville, KY; and her grandchildren: William, Christian, and Sara Eberlein. She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Donald; her parents, Willis and Charlotte (Kelly) Schroeder; and her siblings and their spouses: Genevieve (John) Fuhrken, Robert (Gen) Schroeder, Betty (Carl) Johnson, and James (Ruth) Schroeder.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, at Parke's Magic Valley Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at a later date at Erie Cemetery in Erie, ND. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Margaret's name to: Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley, Inc., PO Box 3034, Twin Falls, ID 83303.

All services and arrangements are under the direction of Parke's Magic Valley Funeral Home & Crematory of Twin Falls, Idaho. Those wishing to share memories and condolences may do so on Margaret's memorial webpage at www.magicvalleyfuneralhome.com.