Margaret Ruth Thompson

Margaret Ruth Benton Thompson, 95, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, after a brief hospitalization following a fall. Her four daughters, with whom she remained close throughout her life, were by her side or close by in the days leading up to her death.

Born in Cumby, Texas, on August 24, 1926, to Judge Malcolm and Grace Winburn Benton, Margaret spent her childhood in Cumby and nearby Whitewright. She later moved to Oklahoma City where she attended Classen High School and developed what would become a lifelong interest in writing by working on the school newspaper and yearbook.

After high school, she attended the University of Oklahoma, where she studied journalism and was an active member of Alpha Phi sorority. She put her writing skills to work as a campus correspondent to The Daily Oklahoman, and later worked as a junior staff writer, covering weddings and social events.

While still at OU, she met and later married Walter Albert Ledbetter Thompson, with whom she raised four daughters. In the years when their children were growing up, Margaret was an active volunteer at their schools, in Girl Scouts, in Junior Hospitality Club, and at All Souls Episcopal Church, where she was president of the Altar Guild. She was also a regular contributor to the Northwest News, covering community events and writing occasional (and usually funny) columns about family life.

In 1973, Margaret took on two new roles - she became a grandmother for the first time and re-entered the full-time workforce. Starting as an entry-level eligibility worker at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, she rose through the ranks to Family Support District Supervisor. But even as she moved higher up the administrative ladder, she always found ways to use her creative talents - usually in ways that would bring people together in laughter. As the founding force behind the Welfare Warblers, she wrote countless musical parodies of administrative life which were then performed with her professional colleagues at many functions throughout the county.

As a grandmother, she was beloved. Asked to describe her, her grandchildren use words like creative, generous, affectionate, quick-thinking, joyous, unconditionally loving - and wickedly funny. Her sense of humor, often self-deprecating, sometimes sharp but never mean-spirited, was treasured by all. As her oldest grandchild noted, “I conjure so many images of her laughing hard, eyes closed, laughing at herself, at something someone else said, just laughing. It’s precious.”

Left behind to grieve her are four daughters, Jayne (David) Norlin, Judy (Michael) Towe, Lori (Richard) Foster, and Patty (Kenny) Dow; ten grandchildren, Rebecca (Larry) VanDerWege, Rachel Norlin (Rick Chaput), Edward Norlin, Stephanie (Coby) Toth, Andrew (Danielle) Towe, Emily Towe, Elizabeth (Terry) Hepner, Zachary Foster, Kyle (Riley) Dow, and Chris Dow; and nine great-grandchildren, Benton, Morgan, and Avery VanDerWege, Andy Toth, Olivia Towe, Paige and Charlotte Hepner, and Parker Dow — and many, many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Walter Thompson, sister, Katherine Benton Golson, aunt Ruth Winburn Clark, infant daughter, Sally Thompson, and infant great-granddaughter, Grace Hepner.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, April 22, at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, 13112 N. Rockwell Avenue, Oklahoma City. Gifts in Margaret’s memory may be made to Kids Joining Eternity (KJE) at kidsjoiningeternity.org, or an organization of your choice.