Margaret Amelia Young

Margaret A. (Bandel) Young passed away quietly Saturday, June 23, 2108 in Great Falls. Margaret was born in Great Falls to William C. and Martha (Fornfiest) Bandel on February 27, 1927, the youngest of 6 children. She attended school in Great Falls graduating from Great Falls High in the spring of 1945. She then attended a summer course and received a teaching certificate. She taught school that fall at Spanish Coulee school in the Smith River area, where she met her future husband, Norman J. Young at a Halloween party to welcome home and honor the local soldiers who had served in WWII. Norman and Margaret were married July 2, 1946 in Deer Lodge, MT. They joined Margaret's parents and brother on the family farm on The Bootlegger Trail. In 1949, they purchased land south of Sand Coulee and began a life of raising wheat, cows and Kids. Mom spent many hours in tractors farming the land and loved her farming life. Each spring there were at least 300 baby chicks to raise for laying hens and fryers. There are memories of the year the power went out the day the chicks arrived and the chicks took up residence in the kitchen to keep them warm. The kids thought it grand but are pretty sure mom was glad when the power came on and the chicks were taken back to the coop. Mom had an egg and cream route in Sand Coulee for many years. The excess of the route was then taken to Great Falls and sold to a grocery store. She always said she bought a lot of school cloths with her egg money. To the union were born 4 children: Carla, Mark, Norma and Donna. Norman and Margaret built the "new" house in 72 and 73. Norma was married in the house before it was finished. They retired from ranching in 1991 and sold the ranch to their son Mark. Mom was finishing up a complete renovation of the house and was working on her garden when her second stroke and several complications forced a move to Rivers Edge Assisted Living. The staff there will have our undying gratitude for the care and love they lavished on Mom. Mom was a seamstress of immeasurable talent. For each school year the girls each got new matching dresses and Mark got a new shirt. There were also new dresses for Christmas and Easter each year. She sewed several wedding dresses, bridesmaid’s dresses and her own dresses. The girls were excited when they finally talked Mom into dresses of the same pattern but different colors. Quilts abounded and each new great grandbaby was greeted by a handmade quilt chosen and sewn just for them. Mom knitted and did handwork also. There are memories of the sewing machine whirring till the wee hours to finish up projects before each big event. All who knew Margaret know that retirement was just a move to full time gardening. Her huge gardens were known for miles around and the potato patch was of a large scale. There were always fall canning projects where she taught all of her family to preserve and pickle the bounty of her hands. You rarely left "Granny's" house without something from the garden in the summer. Wonderful home cooked meals of large scale were common at her table and there was always room for one more. The annual family dinner of new potatoes and peas with wilted lettuce are the stuff of many family memories. The flowers from her gardens were a source of pride to Mom and she could tell you where every start came from. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the apple of her eye and the many pictures posted on her china cabinet and held in baskets on the counter and throughout the house attested to that fact. She was known far and wide as "Granny". She was so pleased to receive cards addressed to simply, Granny, Sand Coulee as the only address. Everyone knew who it was meant for. The grandkids always knew that there was a jar of candy in the pantry just waiting for them. The M&M man was a source of many happy moments. Some of Mom’s favorite times were the float trips on the Smith River with family and friends and also the trips to Holter Lake for boating and fishing. Mom belonged to the Sand Coulee Home Dem club for many years and many of her projects decorated our home. She was an accomplished self-taught artist and spent enjoyable hours paintings scenes from around the ranch. Margaret is survived by her four children, Carla (Roger) Workman, Mark (Lyla) Young, Norma (Earl) Borgstrom, Donna (Karl) Anderson, all of the surrounding area; 10 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren; brother George; and several nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman of 53 years; her parents, William and Martha Bandel; 3 brothers; and her one sister. She will be missed greatly by her family and friends. At her request there will be no services. Memorials may be made to Peace Hospice or to the charity of donor’s choice.