Margaret McClure

Margaret Diane (Upham) McClure, 81, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, July 25, 2021. Margaret chose to donate her body to the University of Iowa for research. A memorial service will be held Friday, July 30, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Marion. Arrangements by Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Marion. She is survived by her daughters, Heather (Steven) Feigenbaum, of Marion, and Elizabeth McClure (Cheryl Klein), of Washington, DC; grandchildren, Jared and Allison Feigenbaum; and nieces and nephews in Chicago, Minnesota, Virginia, and Arizona. She was preceded in death by her husband, James 'Jim' McClure; parents; and five brothers and sisters. Margaret was born on April 9, 1940 in Grafton, North Dakota, to Clinton and Helena (Fischer) Upham, the youngest of six children. She attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of North Dakota. After college, she moved from North Dakota to Utah, where she met and married Jim. When her daughters were out of elementary school, Margaret went back to college and earned a second bachelor's degree in elementary and special education. She taught in a resource classroom and then first grade at Rose Park Elementary School in Salt Lake City until she retired. Outside her career as a teacher, Margaret volunteered at the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen in Salt Lake and cared for ailing family members. She was also an active member of Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church. After Jim passed in 2010, Margaret moved to Marion, Iowa. Margaret loved her family, and was especially glad to be able to be in Marion to watch her grandchildren grow up. She was devoted to her rescue cat, Willow. And she had many interests, including keeping up with current events in the newspaper, listening to music, and gardening. Margaret cared deeply about people experiencing homelessness or abuse, children, and other vulnerable people. She was also a lifelong animal lover, who always adopted her beloved cats from rescue groups. Her family would like to thank the compassionate caregivers who provided in-home care, as well as Hospice of Mercy, for their help in making her last weeks at home comfortable and peaceful. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her honor to the American Cancer Society or the Cedar Valley Humane Society.

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