Margaret Hurd, 81

Margaret Jeanne Swanson was born Sept. 3, 1937, to Donald and Thelma Swanson in Fairmont, Minnesota. She then grew up in Iowa where her family moved when she was quite young.

During high school, Margaret met the love of her life, Edward Hurd. They married and went on to have one daughter, Jeanine. Margaret worked in different secretarial positions during this time while also taking care of her family.

They moved to Minnesota in 1967 and bought a resort in Spicer where they spent the next 10 years. After becoming empty nesters, they began traveling south to Florida and Arizona during the winters. Margaret and her husband finally settled in Arizona where they managed a senior citizen RV park in Yuma for several years. Without fail, they spent their summers in Montana with their daughter and her family.

After Ed died in 1998, Margaret worked as a tax preparer for H&R Block for quite a few years, but later became the manager for the RV park again, all the while still spending her summers in Montana. She continued working until 2013 when she retired after having a stroke. She made her final move to Montana where she lived with her daughter and son-in-law. While she did not enjoy the Montana winters, she enjoyed every moment she got to spend with her grandkids and family, especially during visits to Arizona.

Margaret passed away Sept. 27, 2018, surrounded by her family.

She is survived by her daughter Jeanne and husband Jerry Sandven of Columbia Falls, her granddaughter Jess and husband Seth Sorensen of Kalispell, her grandson Josh and wife April Sandven of Gilbert, Arizona, and her five great-grandkids, Blakely, Asher, Smith, Riley and Tade.

We will be celebrating Margaret’s life at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at the United Methodist Church in Columbia Falls.