Marguerite Barbara (Bauer) Heimbigner

Marguerite Heimbigner was born January 21, 1934, to Martin and Elfrieda Bauer in the family home in Ritzville, the second of three children. She died March 15, 2017, in Odessa.

She is survived by daughter Marla (Ernest) Mills of Odessa; son Wade (Holly) Heimbigner of Vista, Calif .; grandchildren Hollye (Todd) Keister of Tacoma; Joel (Jennifer) Heimbigner of Charlotte, N.C .; Bethany (Anthony) Vaughan of Escondido, Calif .; and Aron Mills of Odessa; and great-grandchild Emery Heimbigner of Charlotte, N.C .; sister Joan (Howard) Steward of Suquamish, Wash. and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years LaMar Heimbigner, parents Martin and Elfrieda Bauer, brother Robert (Gloria) Bauer and half-sister Maurine (Frank) Murphey.

Marguerite was baptized and confirmed in the Philadelphia Congregational Church in Ritzville. She was a 1952 graduate of Ritzville High School, where she was in Pep Club, FHA and on the Harvester newspaper staff. She met the love of her life LaMar Heimbigner through mutual friends in Ritzville. Their first date was at the Ritz Theater. Marguerite and LaMar married February 21, 1953 at the Bauer family cabin at Sandy Hook Park in Suquamish.

During LaMar's U.S. Navy service, the Heimbigners were stationed at Bremerton, Wash; Astoria, Ore. and San Diego, Calif. After military service, Marguerite and LaMar made their home in Odessa and raised two children, Marla and Wade. They were members of Christ Lutheran Church.

"Margy" was a devoted homemaker. After her children reached grade school age, she began working as a medical assistant at the Odessa Clinic, which lasted for over 15 years. After purchase of the local refuse service, she was a big part of making it a successful family business. She also worked for a local insurance agency, was a notary public, and was a U.S. Mail quality control agent. She served as a docent at the Odessa Historiches Museum and was a fixture at the welcome desk during Deutschesfest.

She enjoyed gardening, cooking, crafts, crossword puzzles and reading. She loved going to movies and concerts, and traveling. She was deeply proud of her children and grandchildren. She was creative, caring, charitable and approached everything with a high level of excellence.

Services will be held at Christ Lutheran Church in Odessa Friday, March 24 at 11 a.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Odessa Healthcare Foundation and Odessa Historical Society. Please sign our online guestbook at http://www.stratefuneralhome.com. Strate Funeral Home in Davenport is caring for the family.