Margaret Jean Lyons (Watts) was born on March 12, 1951, to Edna and Charles Lyons. She passed away on February 11, 2023, a month shy of her 72nd birthday.
Margaret grew up outside, the near youngest of eight children. She earned many freckles playing under the sun as a fair-skinned redhead. Margaret has one younger sibling, Aleta, who resides in Iowa, and older sisters Judy Evans and Janet Kingsley who live locally.
Margaret was preceded in death by older siblings, Bill Lyons, Jim Lyons, Ronnie Lyons, and Rachel Edwards. She loved every sibling and held tight to all her memories with each of them.
Margaret cherished her family, beginning with her children of which she had with Frank Watts, Thomas Watts and wife Michelle, Vanessa Skavlem & husband Jason, Nathan Watts; bonus daughter Shelby Young; grandchildren Steve Gans and wife Jackie, John Gans, Stoney Sturgeon and wife Heather, Jacob Skavlem & Cash Skavlem, Daisy Skavlem and Alexandria Moss (Kory), Abrum, Josh, Roman; great-grandchildren Sicily, Camilla & Sienna (Nathaniel), Alyssa, Mitchell, Kyndall & Ava, Eleanor, and Jonah; great-great-grandchildren Sage and Bryer, daughter-in-law Sara Hayes.
Margaret was not your average Granny. Standing at 6 feet tall, she would often be found running errands in her tall boots and colorful patterns, white and grey hair teased or curled away from her face. She spent many Friday and Saturday mornings at local auctions or yard sales that she brought every grandchild with her at some point. She was a collector of “treasures”, a hobby that brought her and her children and grandchildren closer together. Margaret enjoyed researching and reselling collectibles. It brought her joy to find matching pieces of a collection from different shops or sales. When she found something amazing, her face would light up like a child in sheer happiness and excitement. Some of the things she collected and enjoyed decorating with were apple & rooster decorations for the kitchen and jungle themes in the rest of her house, especially animal prints and safari figurines. She also collected colored glassware.
Margaret enjoyed giving and trading knick-knacks with her family, catching lunch with her sister, Judy, and giggling about girl things, watching Tv and playing with her grandson, Abrum, and making homemade felts or crafts for the kids, as she was a very talented artist. She also loved to plant flowers and showcase all her arrangements inside and out. Margaret has created many cherished artworks and projects over the years. She loved all things Sci-Fi entertainment and would never turn down Chinese food. She had hobbies less tended to in her later years, like competition archery of which she was nicknamed “Robin Hood” as she could split an arrow from far away, mushroom hunting on land that she played on all her life, four-wheeler riding, exploring, and cards with the family. Picture this: The unsuspecting victim – in public with Margaret when suddenly, her cell phone ringer descends on the highest volume, sound piercing through the store, while she struggles to find the small phone under the many things in her purse. The same ringtone, unchanged for years, an auctioneer’s lightning-fast bid-calling. It was quirky, just like her, and managed to turn a few heads over the years.
She earned an interesting life after years of being married and raising children, working as a seamstress at Miss Elaine’s, teaching Sunday School, and disciplining her family. Of all her career accomplishments, she was most proud of her In-Home, Christian Daycare that supported many local families in the Centralia area for 15+ years. ‘Watts Christian Daycare’ is a source of joyful memories for many who may still lovingly refer to her as “Grandma Margaret” or “Miss Margaret”, names coined by the many children under her care throughout the years. She also had so many nieces and nephews that she planted a seed of love and of God in, that it warmed her heart seeing them still holding close to God. This was a legacy of love. She enjoyed looking at social media and seeing those seeds bloom in each of their lives. Margaret loved so greatly and found so much joy in others that God placed in her life. Her journals reflected that so much. Mickey Watts held such a special place in her heart and in these books. She couldn’t have asked for a more perfect person to marry her son.
Margaret was warm and sincere. She owned confidence, not in herself, but in a Living God. Those she loved were certainly touched by the love of God through her. She spent most of her life a faithful believer in Jesus and did not take her salvation lightly. She attended the 15th Street Church of God in Centralia, IL for many years with Pastor Larry Morse. She was a believer in miracles. She was a prayer warrior – her living space was strewn with handwritten journal entries of daily prayers and meditations. She ushered many souls toward our Heavenly Father and for that, we know she will be rewarded. She was a gospel-sharing, finger-tapping, cheesecake-loving, head bowing, recliner rocking, Tv Watching, GIF sending, slot playing, auction going, thrift shopping, loyal and cherished Mother and Friend.
She had a couple of lifelong best friends, especially Debbie Clark and she also made close friends in her living complex and enjoyed her other friend Margaret and the sweets that she always shared with her. Margaret looked forward to speaking with her eldest son, Tom, on the phone every day at 11:10 for which they have done for ten-plus years, they never missed a day. She loved shopping with her daughter, Vanessa, and sneaking into every consignment store they could find. She adored spending quality time with Nathan which included fishing and story-telling time and talking about the Bible. She was the BEST friend to all of them. Not to mention, she loved sharing funny content with her family over group chat and whipping up food for herself or hungry adult grandkids when they visited. Her catchphrase was, “It’s going to be ok, and let’s get a snack”.
Margaret had a great love for a few dogs in her life. Sammy (Poodle), Maisy, a small rescue she owned during the Daycare years, and her most recent 4-legged friend, Jakers, who has been a great friend to her while she’s lived alone. To try and pen the life of Margaret is near impossible, but the most highlighted things are her love for each and every person she met and encountered. If you met her, know she prayed for you and you were thought of daily. You were all so special to her. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were her world. There was nothing more precious in her eyes. The joy she found could also be for the Christmas season with her family. She always had a way of making it so magical to them. The last one, in particular, was the best.
On February 11th, 2023, Margaret drew her last breath, she spoke the words, “I love you all and I believe in Jesus.” It was at that moment she left us and entered the throne room of heaven. Margaret’s passing left behind family and friends who hurt in her absence, but we cannot ignore that our Miss Margaret is a treasure that belongs in Heaven. “This is the Day That the Lord Has Made, We will Rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24.
A celebration of life service will be held at 1:00 P.M. Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at Day Macz Funeral Home in Sandoval with Pastor John Klockenga officiating. The interment will be in Deadmond Cemetery in Sandoval. Visiting hours are from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made in Margaret’s honor to Day Macz Funeral Home. Day Macz Funeral Home in Sandoval is honored to be assisting the family of Margaret Watts. Online condolences and memories of Margaret may be shared with her family by visiting www.maczfuneralhomes.com and/or on the funeral home’s Facebook page.
