Harrison County, MO: Margaret Loraine Snethen Gibson was born on September 29, 1926, in Harrison County, Missouri, at her childhood home. She was the second child of Grant Snethen and Mary Tennery Snethen. Margaret, or “Teeny” as she was more commonly known, departed a life well lived peacefully in her sleep on June 3rd, 2022, at the age of 95 years, 3 months, and 26 days. It is with great joy that up until her last few years, each and every one of those days and minutes counted, and they were filled with faith, love, and laughter with her many beloved family and friends.
Teeny, the second of seven children, grew up in a close-knit family full of love. She and her 3 sisters and 3 brothers shared many happy times together. Her maternal grandmother, Mary Prudence Snethen, was the nurse “midwife” to Teeny’s mother when she gave birth to her. She received her elementary education in a one room country school in Harrison County, Missouri, and her high school education in Decatur County Iowa.
Teeny, much like her father, was devoted to learning and teaching in almost every area of her life. When she started her high school education at the tender age of 13, she had to leave home and move into Lamoni as there were no school buses that went by their family farm. She and her sister, Virginia, boarded with a family in Lamoni during the week and tried to get home as often as possible on weekends. Sometimes getting back to Lamoni on a Sunday afternoon was a problem so instead they would walk across the fields approximately 5 miles to Cecil and Lura Driscoll’s. Cecil would then use a lantern to flag down the train that they would ride into town. Teeny would then live with a family in town during the week, and to help her parents pay for room and board, she would milk the family’s cows throughout the week. From the start, Teeny and her parents were committed to giving their children proper schooling—and thus she became committed to a lifelong journey of learning and education.
On May 7th, 1949, Teeny married Thomas Irving Gibson. Tom and Teeny had three sons: Grant Thomas Gibson in 1950, Stephen Lawrence Gibson in 1951, and Robert Walter Gibson in 1952. She was an extraordinarily devoted mother and supported her children and their endeavors in whatever way she could. She often umpired her sons’ little league games from behind the plate. And when the gang of neighborhood kids came to play backyard baseball, she filled in wherever she was needed. It is said she was one of their best players, with her often hitting the ball over the fence.
Teeny attended Tulsa University in Oklahoma and graduated from TU in 1964 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. She went on to receive her Master’s degree in English and graduated in July of 1969. She took on this particular achievement while raising a young family and teaching full time. It’s no surprise that given her “can do” and “get it done” attitude that while obtaining her Master’s degree when her professor was absent, Teeny filled in as the teacher of the class.
She taught at Madison Middle school for 23 years. This was during historical times in education when schools were in the process of being desegregated. On that historical day, she recounted that there were three fires set in Madison Middle School alone. She was the Student Council sponsor and the Math Club sponsor for the school. She was nicknamed “Sarge” by her students because when she was teaching, there was no question who was in charge. She was a stern teacher who demanded cooperation and had an uncanny ability to achieve the desired outcome for her students’ behavior with a unique vernacular of kindness and understanding.
Teeny was a woman of faith, and she displayed it in her actions every day. She was an active member of Andover Community of Christ Church. She was ordained into the ministry on January 15th, 2006, at the age of 80 years into the office of priest. She preached several sermons covering a variety of topics at various churches throughout the next four to five years.
Teeny believed in keeping fit and was an avid walker. She hiked the Grand Canyon twice with her sister Ina Lou and family. She once walked from Kansas City to the Snethen farm north of Blythedale, Missouri, with her twin nephews, John & James Myrick; a distance of about 120 miles. She and one of her nephews, Howard Ward, walked from her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where her sister Norma lived. After she got older, she would walk each year on her birthday from her home on the farm to the Andover church, a distance of about 5 miles.
Teeny also had many other hobbies in life, which she thoroughly enjoyed: gardening, playing cards, crossword puzzles, storytelling, following professional sports, embroidery, writing, and photography. Her gardening was impeccable, and her garden was always flourishing—be it day-to-day vegetables or the most gorgeous rows of flowers one might ever lay their eyes on. There was not a card game she would pass up and was a very, very able competitor. She loved the New York Times crossword puzzles and for years would complete them on a regular basis. Her storytelling capabilities were second to none—and she enjoyed sharing them. They were always accompanied by a subliminal message we could all stand to hear, yet they were jovial and always ended with her infectious laugh. She faithfully wrote The Andover News for the Lamoni Chronicle, Leon Journal Reporter, and the Bethany Republican Clipper every week. Personal photography was one of her favorites in which she enjoyed capturing the precious moments and memories of the people in her life who made her most happy.
Teeny was preceded in death by her parents, Grant and Mary Snethen; a sister Virginia Sponsler; two brothers, Richard and Earl; and one granddaughter Dasha Gibson. She is survived by two sisters, Norma Ward of Grandview, Missouri, Ina Lou Myrick of Blue Springs, Missouri, and one brother Thomas James and wife Cheryl of Endwell, New York; her three sons Grant, Steve, and Robert; five grandchildren; a number of great grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and a hoard of other relatives and friends.
Teeny’s life was anything but “Teeny”. It was full of faith, fun, love, and adventure—and she truly made every moment count. She was a doer, and rarely had idle hands. She never met a stranger, and most of the time left with a new friend. Simply put: She loved people, and people loved her. It is with great peace and love and a true celebration for her life that her family and friends ask everyone to remember her by; for all that she did, the full life she lived, and how grateful she was for everyone in it. A memorial service will be held at the Lamoni Community of Christ Church on Saturday, July 30, at 3:00 p.m., with a reception following the service. The ZOOM link is http://tinyURL.com/coclamoni.