Margy Kesler

Following a long and courageous battle with old age, Margy Kesler crossed the divide at her residence surrounded by her family’s love on Sunday, July 23, 2017. Margy spent her earliest years in Iowa, where she was born in Anamosa on June 12, 1920 to Fred and Elizabeth Kaufman. As a small child, she moved to Monticello, Wisconsin, where her father took up residence as the cheese master at the Disch Factory. Margy spoke frequently and favorably of her many wonderful childhood memories of growing up at the factory, including sneaking off to ride the plow horse bareback with the neighbor boy, as well as the warm, secure feeling she had against her father’s shoulder, as he covered her with his coat and carried her into the house after she fell asleep while watching him work on a cold, stormy night.

When Margy was about ten years old, her family relocated again, this time to take over her maternal grandfather’s farm in Barnes, Wisconsin. Life on the farm agreed with her and she thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories of growing up in northern Wisconsin, helping her mother cook for hunters visiting from the southern part of the state, doing her farm and garden chores, and caring for Peggy, her pet deer. In those early days, with the family farm being off the main road, Margy had the unique experience of living away from home in a cabin with her sister and two other local girls so that they could attend Drummond High School, from which she graduated as the Valedictorian in 1938. One of her greatest joys was being taken to the cabin on Sunday night by her father in the cutter clad in sleigh bells. In addition to her academic awards, Margy was also recognized with art and garden awards at the Bayfield County Fair and was the recipient of several NRA medals for marksmanship.

Following high school, Margy pursued a teaching certificate at Superior Normal School, which today is known as the University of Wisconsin – Superior. Having been a country girl all her life, Margy embraced the college experience and life in the big city, albeit, she frequently returned home to reground herself and help the folks on the farm in Barnes. While at Superior Normal, she formed many friendships that stayed with her throughout her life. Indeed, after relocating to Superior in 2016, she saw several of her college classmates on a daily basis.

Among the friends she made during this period, there were certainly none more important than the one she kindled with a young man from Gordon, Wisconsin, Les Kesler, who worked in Wisconsin’s lumber industry during the pre-war years. In Les, Margy found her best friend and the love of her life. Through Les, she also expanded her horizons, proving as adept at maneuvering his red Diamond T tractor and trailer as she was at maneuvering a piece of chalk across the board when teaching children how to read and write.

After graduation, Margy began the first of her teaching positions at the Pease School back home in Barnes, where she formed many loving memories of teaching in a one-room school house and built lifelong bonds with the students and their parents. From the Pease School, she moved to the Iron River Elementary School where she taught first grade until Les returned from the war. She and Les were married in 1946 and settled down to start their family.

First to join the clan was Keith in 1949, followed by Kim in 1955 and Jon in 1958. Margy was a fully engaged stay-at-home mom, doing all the good things mothers did in that era, as well as helping Les run the UptownMobil Station. In addition to being highly involved in all the boys school activities, she was active in a woman’s civic group in Iron River, she was a founding member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post in Iron River, and served faithfully in a number of capacities in the Cavalry Presbyterian Church. Margy remained dedicated to the Legion and the Church throughout her days.

Once the boys were all in school, Margy returned to her professional love of teaching elementary school. In that second iteration of her career, she taught at the Wentworth, Brule and Iron River elementary schools, serving as both a classroom instructor and principal.

Margy left the teaching profession in 1985 and approached retirement with zest. She thrived on visiting her children and grandchildren, whether those visits took her to Brule, Milwaukee, or Washington. She considered each visit with her family to be special in its own unique way and she had a way of making each of her sons feel special, whether that meant taking a tour of a fire hall and learning about the newest apparatus, watching a baseball game and hearing about the latest accomplishments (or busts) of the Brewers, or singing a little Hank Williams honky-tonk while out for a ride in the country.

Never wavering in her faith, she also remained highly committed to her church, serving on the session of the Calvary Presbyterian Church and the council for Presbyterian Pioneer Parish. She also devoted a significant amount of energy to Iron River’s community of churches, working at the Fig Leaf; the church sponsored thrift shop, one to three days a week up until moving from Iron River. In retirement, she helped establish the Iron River Historical Museum. She also worked closely with the state management of the American Legion Auxiliary to keep the charter for Iron River, a role that found her in the challenging positions of fund raiser and membership recruiter.
Margy is preceded in death by her husband Les, her mother, Elizabeth Kaufman, her father, Fred Kaufman, one sister, Gretchen Kaufman Barnes and one brother Floyd Kaufman.

She is survived by her three sons and their wives, Keith (Lynette) Brule, WI, Kim (Toni), Waukesha, WI, and Jon (Martha), Clancy, MT; one granddaughter, Kira; three grandsons, Brad, Josh and Ryan, and one beautiful great granddaughter Delanie, as well as assorted cats and dogs belonging to children and grandchildren who she always asked about and considered members of the family. Margy also leaves behind a number of nieces, nephews, cousins, close friends, and students too numerous to name, but who will feel the loss of this great woman’s pioneer spirit across the country, from east to west.

Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM on Saturday, July 29, 2017 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 68160 S. George Street, Iron River, WI and continue until the 11:00 AM funeral service with Pastor Richard Blood officiating. Burial will be in the Iron River Cemetery, Iron River, WI.

The Lenroot-Maetzold Funeral Home, 1209 E. 5th Street, Superior is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave an online condolence or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.lenroot-maetzold.com.