Margaret Clara  Simpson, 86 years old, passed away August 3, 2018 at Avalon Care Center in Pullman, WA.  She was a long time, Edwall, WA resident and moved to Bishop Place Assisted Living in Pullman, WA in 2012.  Margaret was born July 16, 1932 in Spokane Valley to Dwight and Maerilla Stroud Hopkins.  She was the oldest of four children and grew up in depression era Opportunity, Washington.  The farming area of Opportunity provided her with jobs, picking strawberries and delivering newspapers.  Her social life circled around the Opportunity Presbyterian Church, school functions and the Order of Rainbow Girls organization.  Rainbow Girls was a masonic youth organization that taught the value of charity and service through their work.  She achieved all stations of the order, including Worth Advisor, which was a great honor.  All these early life experiences taught her toughness and determination which influenced her throughout her life.  She was optimistic and forward thinking and wasn't afraid of hard work.

When she was 17 years old, she took a harvest job in the Edwall area and met Richard (Dick) Simpson that summer.  They fell in love and married the next February 1950, after graduating early from Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley.  They farmed in Edwall for 46 years and continued to live there until 2012.  They were married 62 years.

They had three children, Jerry, Clark, and Carol.  She taught them all good work ethic, passed on her toughness and instilled the "Golden Rule" into all their training.  She taught them a keen sense of dignity and honor along with respect.  Her fondest achievement was seeing each of her grandchildren graduate from college.  It truly was a "dream come true" for her.  She knew getting and education was important, and they all made it.

She was active in the community; belonging to SEFELO (An Edwall women's service group meaning service, fellowship & loyalty), she was a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts, lead a 4-H group, supported the FFA, played in the local bridge clubs, taught Sunday school, followed her children in their sports and school events, raised a big productive garden, loved to cook and helped Dick with the farm.  She was an accomplished seamstress, learning that skill from her Grandma Stroud, who was a milliner and professional dressmaker.  She loved crafts and painting, and was good at them.  She enjoyed all kinds of games, particularly card games.  In her later years she was able to travel stateside and internationally, going to the Holy Lands, Turkey and Italy.

Margaret was a lifelong Presbyterian, and remained active wherever she lived.  She was in leadership positions at the churches, and enjoyed the Presbytery Women's group.  She was always generous with her time and money for the needs of the church, and enjoyed the community closeness it provided her.

Margaret is survived by her son Jerry (Jo) Simpson of Pendleton, OR and daughter Carol (Ken) Robinson of Moscow, ID; 6 grandchildren Jared, Lorisa, Jenelle, Jennifer, Brenda and Scott; 7 precious great grandchildren; and her 3 brothers Vernon Lee Hopkins of Medical Lake, WA; Elwood Dwight (Mary) Hopkins of Ontario, OR; Earl Howard (Sandy) Hopkins of Spokane, WA.  She was preceded in death by her son Clark Simpson in 2013, her husband Dick in 2012 and her sister-in-law Kaye Hopkins in 2009.

The memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 11 AM at the Reardan Presbyterian Church in Reardan, WA.  Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman, WA has been entrusted with arrangements.  In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial donations to a charity of choice.