Lillie Margaret Hartley McGinnis, age 74, died peacefully on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at Brownwood Skilled Nursing Facility following a battle with cancer.
Margaret was born on September 22, 1936, at home in Van, Texas to Johnny and Angie Richardson.
She spent her childhood in East Texas amid oil derricks, cotton fields, and blackberry bushes. She moved to Houston as a teenager where she met and married Fred Hartley in 1953. They were blessed with 10 children, 24 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. The family moved to Mills County in 1970, living first in Star and then Goldthwaite. Margaret moved from Goldthwaite to the Brownwood area in 1995. She married Thomas “Mac” McGinnis in 2003. In 2009 she moved to Hamlin.
She is a child of God. As a child Margaret attended the closest church to which she could walk. She joined the Roman Catholic faith as a young adult and was a member of St Peters Catholic Church in Goldthwaite for many years and often attended St Mary’s Catholic Church in Brownwood.
Margaret loved to grow flowers, especially roses. She was an avid reader and a poet. She enjoyed community theater and One-Act play performances and loved to dance.
Above all, Margaret was a mother. She thoroughly loved watching her children’s sporting events, especially track. She taught her children to say their prayers every night and never tired of offering them advice.
Left to cherish her memories are her children Sherri Hunt and husband Marvin of Baytown, Michele Hartley of Gober, Tommy Hartley and wife Nitya of Fairfield, Stephanie Tassin and husband Ray of Early, Nanette Hartley of Hamilton, Phillip Hartley of Baytown, Charles Hartley and wife Denise of Forney, Vicki Peters and husband Stuart of Priddy, Jamey Hartley of Abilene, and Richard Hartley and wife Annelise of Kennsington, MD; 23 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother Jackie Richardson, two sisters Martice Tolbert and Bonnie Powell, husband Mac McGinnis, and one grandson John William Gault.
Funeral services will be held at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Brownwood, Texas, at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 23. 2011 with Father Francis Njoku officiating. Burial will be at the Hurst Ranch Cemetery at Star, Texas. Visitation will be on Friday at Heartland Funeral Home in Early from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. , rosary starting at 7:30.
The family requests that memorials be made to a local library, a local community theater, or a favorite charity.