Margaret Ellen (Cullum) Pahls, “Mardy”, was born February 19, 1932, and departed this life on August 31, 2018, at Sandy Lake Rehabilitation in Coppell, TX.
Margaret grew up in Beloit and her parents were Orie and Vella (Briney) Cullum. Margaret had a gift from God playing the violin as well as the clarinet and piano. She played the clarinet in High School as well as the violin in the High School orchestra and continued to play violin in the orchestra at Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS. While attending Bethany College, she was a member of 3 sororities: Sigma Phi Omega (Academics), Delta Kappa Gamma (Education), and Sigma Alpha Iota (Music). She received her Associate Degree in 1952 as during the 50’s you could teach with an Associate Degree. Margaret went back to Fort Hays State University and received her BS in Elementary Education in 1969. Margaret knew as a child that all she wanted to be was a Teacher and often said that was the only thing she ever wanted to do and never wanted to do anything but teach. She had a huge heart for children and education was very important to her.
Her teaching career started at Asherville Grade School (1952-54). From there she taught at the Athens Grade School (1954-55), and Cawker City Grade School (1955-1959).
She then took a break and the only child of Margaret and Jim Pahls was born, Joy DeLee, born in 1960. She was able to stay at home for 4 years and then continued back with her Teaching Career.
Margaret taught St. John’s Grade School and HS band and marching band (1964-66), St Theresa’s Grade School (1966-69), was the Vocal Teacher for USD 272 for grade school and high school in Tipton (where the Tipton kids called her Mrs. P.) and Cawker City (1969-74), and then went back into the grade school classroom with USD 272 in Cawker City teaching grades 1-4 during for the remainder of her career (1974-94). She decided to retire after 38 years of an incredible teaching career. During the time she was teaching she lost her husband, Jim Francis Pahls, September 17, 1990.
During Margaret’s teaching career she also gave piano and voice lessons and would always offer to tutor for free any children who needed extra help. She also played the organ at church, directed the church choir at several different churches, and served various offices with the Ladies Guild. She volunteered as a Leader for the Girl Scouts and helped with 4-H. She was a Member of KS Education Association and was the Waconda Teachers Association Secretary.
Margaret kept very busy after retirement with a lot of volunteer work with Ladies Guild and was a Life Member of Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW #6242, and was a Councilwoman for Cawker City.
She held many positions with the Ladies Auxiliary as well as VP VA Hospital Chairman and Community Affairs Chair.
In 2002 she was the 6th District National Home Chairwoman and she received the State’s highest award for her overall reporting and participation in the VFW National Home for Children program along with another award in their Health and Happiness Fund.
From 2002-2003 she was the State VFW/PAC chairman where she supervised the 9 KS VFW/PAC programs to help support and promote veteran’s rights and benefits. She received a state award for her outstanding performances as KS Dept. VFW/Political Action Committee.
In 2003-2004 Margaret was selected as Ladies Auxiliary VFW 6th District President, in which she served 2 terms.
Margaret had a sincere love and kindness towards people and animals, she was very giving, was a very hard worker and loved her Teaching career. She volunteered many hours and in the words of her good friend Terry Clingman, “anything she did, she did it all the way”. She was always there, even for children/kids who had lost a parent and was like a 2nd Mom to them. She always had a smile and made friends with anyone she met. She loved her family and being with them (her nieces and nephews would call her Auntie eM) and loved all her friends. She always had a smile for everyone and was very witty right to the end of her life.
She loved to be outdoors with nature and always fed the birds and loved flowers and plants. She loved music and learned to play every instrument, she loved art and painted many pictures with oil as well as pencil, she loved reading, crafts, gardening, calligraphy, and writing children’s stories.
Margaret would always say that she was a jack of all trades and a master of none, but she did master many things with her love, kindness, time, and her giving ways.
There will be a “Celebration of Life” on September, 14, 2018, at 1:00 pm at the Roberts Family Funeral Home and burial will be in St. John’s Cemetery, Beloit, KS, immediately following the service.
Cremation has taken place and there will be no visitation. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Bethany College or Alzheimer’s Disease Research.