Winnie Tucker Holt

MARGARET HOLT IDAHO FALLS, ID - Our mother, Winnie Margaret Tucker Holt, peacefully left this earth on Thursday, July 21, 2005, surrounded by her family. Margaret was born in Soda Springs, Idaho, on April 19, 1920, to Charles and Della Tucker. She had the best of childhoods. She played in the mountains in the summer by the sheep camps. In the winter, she was in school or playing the piano or singing. During the Big Band era of music, she was the piano player for a band that did Saturday evening dances in Preston, Montpelier, Soda Springs and Bancroft. Music was her gift and for Margaret, life was simply wonderful! Margaret attended Idaho State University and earned her elementary teaching certificate. She taught one year in Bancroft, Idaho, and then 3 years in Pocatello, Idaho. When it became a requirement, she went back to Idaho State University and earned her bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. Learning was always fun for Margaret, and even after graduation, she took a multitude of college classes. Her favorite classes were in music. On June 27, 1941, she married her eternal sweetheart, Jack Gardner Holt, in the Salt Lke City temple. They made their home in Pocatello, where Jack owned his own shoe store. Margaret created a loving home and raised their three children, Jack Eugene, Marcia, and Christine. In 1956, they moved to Helena, Montana, and opened another shoe store. Margaret went to work and taught fifth grade at Central School for 28 years. Her family and her students were her life. She taught them not only the subjects, but to believe in themselves. After Jack passed away in 1982, she retired and spent winters with friends in Mesa, Arizona, and her summers in Idaho Falls. Finally in 1995, whe bought a home in Idaho Falls in order to help Christine raise her family. One of the things she liked best was to travel and see the country with her brothers and their wives. Margaret was actively involved iin The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She directed ward choirs, primaries, young men and young women, and Relief Societies. She did road shows and taught classes. She was a member of a professional teacher's sorority, Delta Kappa Gamma. For 3 years she was honored with the 'Teacher of the Year' nomination in her school district. Margaret is survived by her three children, Jack Eugene (Leanne) Holt of Bountiful, UT, Marcia (Tom) Lythgoe of Helena, MT and Christine (Jim) Valentine of Idaho Falls, ID; two brothers, Reese (Ginny) Tucker, of Las Vegas, NV, Ralph (Elaine) Tucker of St. George, UT and her sister-iin-law, Betty Tucker of Driggs, ID. Margaret was proud of her 11 grandchildren and her 15 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, her sister, Arline, and her brother, Wayne. Funeral Services will be at the Kearney LDS 1st Ward, with Bishop Mick Coombs conducting. at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 27th. A viewing will be held on Tuesday evening, July 26th at Wood Funeral Home, 273 North Ridge from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. The family will also visit with friends and family Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Relief Society room prior to the funeral. A brief graveside service will be held in Helena, Montana, at Sunset Memorial Gardens on Thursday, July 28, at 11:00 a.m. Margaret loved to entertain others with music, especially with the piano. Her first priority was the welfare of her family. Her counsel to them was "just do your best, no one can ask for more than that." This is exactly how she lived her life, and this is the legacy that her family must achieve.