Margaret Unrau

Margaret (Decker) Unrau, 95, of Glasgow, Mont., passed away Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, at the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, at the Evangelical Church in Glasgow with Rev. Jay Ashbaucher officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery in Glasgow.

Margaret was born in Lustre, Mont., on April 14, 1920, to Zacharias J. and Barbara (Waldner) Decker. She was one of 12 children; six of them died in childhood. Margaret attended Lustre and Frazer schools, graduating in 1938. She was proud to be a Frazer Bear Cubs All-State basketball player in 1937-1938. She liked to repeat a statement made by the Frazer School Superintendent: "Margaret, if you play the game of life as well as you play the game of basketball, you will succeed."

Margaret met her future husband, Toby Unrau, through his sister and her best friend Nellie Unrau. They were married on Sept. 30, 1939, in Frazer. Her light blue taffeta street-length dress and veil were made by her sister, Adina. It was during the depression, so there was no reception or honeymoon. For the next seven years they moved around to various old homesteads. In 1946 they bought a farm in the Lustre area, a half mile from the Unrau homestead. During these years their four children were born. They moved back to Frazer in 1954 and then to Lewistown in 1955; staying there until 1965 when they moved to Delavan, Wis.

She became employed outside the home for the first time in September 1966; working in a factory cafeteria. Four years later she went to work packaging sports equipment and worked there for 12 years; retiring in 1982 when she moved to Glasgow. Toby felt that he was getting up in years and wanted Margaret to be with family. Margaret thought that she had retired, but in 1988 she went to work in the laundry at the Valley View Home; working until she was 69 years old.

She was a member of the Evangelical Church and this was an important part of her life. Throughout her life she hosted many missionaries and church speakers; providing a room and delicious meal. There are hundreds of names in a guest book she kept up to date. She was a natural homemaker; friends and family felt welcome and comfortable in her home. The Chicago Cubs were a favorite team of hers and she was happy when she had a baseball or basketball game to watch. She was a competitive Scrabble player; beating her children and grandchildren on a regular basis. She taught herself to play the button accordion at an early age and continued to play; even in talent shows at Nemont Manor and Valley View Home.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Toby; all of her siblings; and a son-in-law. Survivors include four children, Barbara Kline and her husband, Jim, of Frost Proof, Fla., Patricia Rice and her husband, Sid, of Glasgow, Darrel Unrau of Cheyenne, Wyo., and Donald Unrau and his wife, Audrey, of Portland, Ore .; seven grandchildren, Karen and Dwayne Wilson, Kathy and Tommy Luby, Stacie and Kurt McCauley, Susan and Tony Fast, Jennifer and Kurt Honeyager, Sonja Unrau and Reuben Unrau; 10 great-grandchildren and one sister-in-law, Ruth Coulter of Maryland.

Condolences may be left at bellmortuarymontana.com.