Margaret E. Nelms

Margaret Nelms, 98, died Thursday, June 20, 2013 at Cambridge Place, Marysville. Visitation was held Sunday, June 23, from noon until 9 p.m., at Kinsley Mortuary. The family received friends from 5 to 7 p.m. A graveside funeral service was held at 10 a.m., Monday, June 24, at Fairview Cemetery, one mile south and 1/2 mile east of Home, KS. Margaret was born October 17, 1914 at Oketo, KS, to Daniel and Iva (Carey) Smith. She graduated from Wichita State with honors and taught in Wichita Booth Elementary from 1957-1974. She was a member of Kappa Delta national teacher's honorary society. She taught a total of 28 years in the Kansas Public school system. She once had eight students in eight different grades at a one room country school. She motivated students to achieve goals they never knew they could. A little boy she taught did not care for mathematics until he had Margaret for a teacher. He went on to become the Dean of Mathematics at Duke University. Margaret was a member of the 1st Christian Church in Marysville and was an active volunteer for church and community events. She was a wonderful cook but as a newly-wed she baked a cake for her new husband. It turned out hard as a rock so she buried it in the front yard so he would not know. Their dog, Troubles, dug it up and was gnawing it when her husband came back from the fields. She enjoyed traveling. A published author of her memoir FROM BUGGIES TO B-52'S available soon electronically on Amazon.com. She traveled to China, Japan, Europe, all of Canada and all 50 states. Margaret was united in marriage to Edwin A. Nelms. He preceded her in death. She was also preceded by her parents; brother, Duane T. Smith; and sister, Uarda Koll. Surviving her are children, Eugene Nelms of Manhattan, Sheryl Nelms Pennington of Clyde, TX; and seven grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Meadowlark Hospice in Clay Center or to Cambridge Place in Marysville and can be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Margaret E. Nelms, please visit our flower store.