Obituary; Margaret E. Lacock

Margaret E. Lacock, 91, passed away May 27, 2015 of natural causes at the Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains, Montana.

Margaret was born in Winnipeg, Canada March 20, 1924, to Arthur Sheppard and Florence Smith-Sheppard. Margaret’s family immigrated to the United States when she was three years old and settled in Plains when she was six, where she remained for most of her life. Margaret graduated from Plains High School in 1942 and married Albert Arnold senior later that year, with whom she had three children. During World War II, she shared an apartment with her sister, Florence, while their husbands served overseas. Shortly following the war, Margaret’s husband passed away, and she also lost a son, Bobbie Jean, that same year. As a single mother of two, she worked tirelessly to feed and clothe her children.

In 1949, Margaret married Roy Lacock, with whom she spent almost 60 years. They had three children together. Shortly after they were married, Margaret proudly received her citizenship papers. After several moves, the family settled in 1964 in Paradise, Montana, where Roy was employed in construction and logging and Margaret cared for the household. During the fall season, Margaret canned as much as 300 quarts of fruits and vegetables and went salmon snagging on the Flathead River for many years.

Margaret was well known for her Sunday dinners. During one four-year stretch, Margaret and Roy invited someone to dinner every weekend — never missing a Sunday. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy was her specialty.

Margaret is preceded in death by her parents; sister Florence Tabor; brothers Sam Silverthorn, Albert Sheppard, Norman Sheppard and Barney Chapmen; daughter Marlene Foltz; son Bobbie Jean Arnold; and granddaughter Brigette Hermiston-Ehlke.

She is survived by sisters Lucille (Toots) Hawley and Vi Rowan of Paradise; son Albert Arnold of Plains; daughter Delores Fabiszak of Spokane; daughter Carol Hermiston of Plains; son Barney Lacock and his wife Julie of Lander, Wyoming; seven grandchildren,12 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Margaret was an original member of the Paradise Church of God and a committed Christian for 70 years. She enjoyed getting firewood, gardening, hunting, fishing, huckleberry picking, painting and quilting.

We thank the staff at Clark Fork Valley Hospital Long Term Care for their compassionate and exceptional care of our mother.

Services were held at 11:00 on Saturday May 30, 2015 at the Paradise Church of God with Gary Kelly officiating.