Margaret (Polly) Hyman left this world on July 28, 2021. She will be laid to rest next to her husband Richard at Antioch Cemetery in Mesick, Michigan. Services will be held on Saturday, August 7 at 10 A.M. at the Mesick United Methodist Church where she married Richard in 1950.
She was born in the living room of a farm house on April 16, 1928 and lived 93 years.
Her father, John William Geukes died of pneumonia when she was 2 1/2, and her brother John was a baby. Her mother, Elizabeth Anna Harvey, was now a single mother of 2 young children trying to operate a farm. The farm had no running water, no electricity, no phone, and no sewer. Four years later, Elizabeth married Emery Cartwright to help raise the children and run the farm. This marriage gave Margaret 2 sisters to share her life, Pat and Carolyn.
This adversity made Margaret strong and determined to pursue her education. She majored in mathematics. Sitting next to her, in her university math class was her future husband, Richard. It was alphabetical seating back then so Geukes sat next to Hyman. Together they pursued their education and achieved master's degrees.
Margaret loved learning and people. She found her life's work in teaching first grade. One day the school superintendent came to talk with Margaret about how she taught math. It turned out that children that had her as a first grade teacher showed better math skills through their entire schooling. She was a dedicated teacher that improved the lives of thousands of young students. She put on an annual Circus at school that gave her first graders the opportunity to act and put on costumes. The kids loved it. If you go to the Maple Park Elementary Facebook site, you will discover that people in her class from 50 years ago remember her circus to this day.
One of the astonishing things about Margaret was her memory for details about people. This demonstrated her concern for others. Even at 93 she could tell you everyone's' name in the room. She would know who was related to who, and what that relationship was, and when they were born.
More import, for her children and grandchildren, was her cooking skills. Her pot roasts, cherry pies, chocolate chip cookies, and French toast were scrumptious. All her meals would have all her dishes finished at the same time. She honed those skills while a teenager on the farm when she would have to serve 12 hungry farm hands lunch for payment for working on the farm.
She and Richard thought ahead, with the objective of getting the kids and grandkids together, by purchasing a timeshare. They hosted a one week vacation on the Oregon coast each year. She spent hours every day searching for agates while the grandkids flew kites. These are fond memories for the entire family.
Margaret is survived by her 2 sons, Rick and John; Rick married Cheryl and gave Margaret 2 grandchildren; Nick and Sydnee; John married Barbra giving Margaret 2 grandchildren, James and Jennifer, and James married Bethany giving Margaret a great grandson, Robinson.
Margaret's family would like to acknowledge and thank the wonderful people at Elisabeta's Loving Care for making the final 4 years of Margaret's long life comfortable and safe.
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