Margaret Lindsley

Margaret Estella Hawkes Lindsley, 92, of Idaho Falls, passed away April 24, 2011, at The Gables Assisted Living in Ammon, Idaho, of causes incident to age. Margaret was born January 9, 1919, in Lillian, Idaho, near present-day Drummond, to Hazen Araha Hawkes and Helen Grey Emery Hawkes. She attended grade school in Drummond and was proud of winning the 1932 Idaho District Spelling Championship. She attended 9th Grade in St. Anthony, then graduated from North Fremont High School in 1936. She attended Kinman Business College in Spokane, Washington, before returning to the Ashton area. She married Lawrence Brainard Lindsley July 30, 1938, in Cody, Wyoming. Lawrence was a welder and heavy equipment mechanic and they traveled on jobs throughout the western U.S. until World War II. They settled in San Jose, California, where their daughter, Helen, was born in 1943. Margaret took journalism and creative writing courses at San Jose State, sold her first article at age 19, and discovered a talent and passion for writing that would last the rest of her life. After World War II, they returned to Drummond, where Margaret worked at the Post Office and wrote a weekly award-winning column for the Ashton Herald, as well as numerous short stories and articles. In 1963, they moved to Idaho Falls, and Margaret worked for The Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Council, Ready to Pour Concrete, Idaho Grower-Shippers, Idaho First National Bank, and the Department of Health and Welfare. Lawrence died in 1999, and she remained in Idaho Falls, moving to The Gables in 2009. Margaret never lost her passion for writing and research. A chance discovery by her father of a rock on Conant Creek inscribed with the name ‘Andrew Henry’ and dated 1810 led to over 50 years of research and writing about the fur trade. In 1990 she published a book “Andrew Henry – Mine and Mountain Major.” In 2010, the 200th anniversary of the rock, she took great pride in presenting the rock and her writings to the Museum of Idaho for their permanent collection. Margaret was a 50 year member of Henrietta Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, a member of Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Bonneville Historical Society, Idaho and National Press Women, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is survived by her daughter, Helen (Jerry) McMullin, a brother, Lewis E. “Gene” (Joyce) Hawkes of Bozeman, Montana, and a sister, Alta Van Sickle of Sprague River, Oregon, plus a number of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and a brother, Emery. The family would like to thank the staff at The Gables for their care, compassion and concern. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 30, 2011, at Wood East Side, 963 South Ammon Road. The family will visit with friends from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Saturday at Wood East Side. Burial will be in the Ashton-Pineview Cemetery.

Graveside Services -- Saturday

Saturday June 25, 2011 , 11:00 a.m. at Ashton - Pineview Cemetery

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