Margaret Nielsen

On Monday January 23, the city of Franklin suffer a shocking loss. Some lost a friend and a neighbor. Some of you lost an avid card player. And some of us our Grandma Marge. The Franklin Post Office undoubtedly suffer the greatest loss; without Marge here to buy stamps and send out countless letters and card to anyone and everyone she knew who had a birthday, anniversary, was sick, or had suffered a loss. If you just happened to be one of her many grandchildren or great grand-children you could also count on getting regular mail from Grandma Marge.
Many in Franklin, especially those at the nursing home remember Marge as the lady that brought the Carmel rolls on Wednesdays for so many years. None of us is real sure how she managed to make those rolls from scratch each week with one hand but; I suppose it was the same way she managed everything she did. With sheer will and determination.
This strong will has been there since the beginning of her life on December 19, 1946; back in Smith Center, Kansas growing up on a farm with her folks Elmer and Lucinda "Cindy" (Sindt) Rust. She was the oldest of the kids and took to stubbornness quite naturally according to her brothers Mike and Pat Rust. This sometimes got her in trouble on the farm though. Like when her pet Raccoon that her dad Elmer wasn't too crazy about in the first place, killed a few too many of the family's chickens one night. That was the end of Marge's pet raccoon and just as well. As most young girls do, her interests changed from pets to boys soon anyhow. At a young age Marge married Dwayne McGinnis of Smith Center, Kansas. Together they adopted their son Wade. They enjoyed several years together in Hastings, Nebraska. Sometimes things in life don't always work out perfect, and such was the case for Marge and Dwayne. They parted ways. They both remarried. Marge met Wayne Parsons one day at the Metz Bakery in Hastings, Nebraska, where they both worked. After the wedding they settled in Bloomington, Nebraska, for a few years before seeking the excitement of the big city and moving to Franklin! Wayne was ready to start work on his own and bought a shop on Main Street. Marge had already given this marriage their daughter Sara and a son Nathan so they bought a house in town too. Life went on and the kids grew and then life took a change again. Wayne and Marge would divorce and both would marry again.
Marge would eventually fall in love with Bill Nielsen later in life. It was with Bill that Marge was able take time to enjoy the things in life that made her happiest. Marge and Bill went camping and hunting together. They took trips and visited relatives together. She was able to be the wonderful grandma Marge that most of the grandkids are old enough to remember. She planted flower beds around the house and baked all kinds of goodies for anyone she knew. If you had dinner at Marge and Bill's house and were able to walk away from her dinner table, then count yourself lucky. Most of us were rolled away. It's documented in the courthouse that no one ever left the table hungry.
After her stroke nearly 16 years ago and then the devastating loss of her dear Bill just a month after the stroke, it took a real toll on her. She lost her zest for life and seemed to just drift a bit for some time. She was preceded in death by her son, Nathan, and her parents.
After a certain 15 hour ordeal where she fell in her home and she truly thought no one was going to find her before she would die; she said she had a "good talk with the Lord." And it changed her completely. Marge would be found in relatively good condition and she recovered physically and her emotional and spiritual state was so much improved after this time.
Now, some of you may have regrets or bad feeling when you think of Marge or see her house now. You may think of something should have been done to prevent this outcome.
But Marge would see it differently! You see there was a reason she went to the nursing home with those caramel rolls for all those years. When she was there, most days, she would stay and visit with the residents when came out to eat because in her eyes, most of them didn't have many visitors or someone to bring them bakes goods. That nursing home was the last place on earth that she wanted to be living in. She knew she wasn't getting around as well as she used to. She knew she couldn't do half of the things she used to. She even gave up driving and taking the rolls out to the nursing home. But at least she was able to live out her final days the way SHE wanted. She was in her own home with her beloved dog Benji and her cat Sock who tolerated her. Marge would want you to remember her on a good day starting out each morning as she always did listing to a good country song on the radio in the bedroom as she got dressed for the day, and did her hair and make-up even if she wasn't leaving the house that day. That just how she wanted things and we all know if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
Marge is survived by her daughter, Sara and husband, Tim Crabtree; two brothers, Mike and wife, Linda Rust, and Pat and wife Marcy Rust; elven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a host of extended family and friends.

A celebration of life service for Margaret "Marge" Nielsen, will be (was) celebrated Saturday, February 4, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, Franklin, Nebraska, with Pastor Anthony Trevarton officiating. Margaret "Marge" Nielsen Memorial will name the charities at a later date. Hutchins Funeral Home, Franklin, Nebraska, was in charge of arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.hutchinsfh.com.