Margaret Bell Trausch

Margaret Bell Trausch, 93 years, of Phoenix, Arizona passed away March 31, 2014. Born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1921, Margaret’s father Clarence, suffering from asthma and searching for a drier climate, moved the family to Phoenix. She was eleven years old. She graduated from Phoenix Union High School and married Gene in 1949. Prior to marriage, she attended Phoenix College, the California College of Medical Technicians, worked for the local phone company and at the Grunow Clinic.

Multi-talented, Margaret excelled at whatever she put her mind to do. Whether it was cooking, fine arts, home decorating or Scrabble, she did all with flair and focus. An excellent cook, she hosted many festive meals with abundant home cooked food. Besides family members, any solitary acquaintance without a place to go for the holidays was warmly welcomed to these large, happy gatherings. A talented artist, she created original batik designs on textiles and printed cards from hand-carved linoleum blocks. Always fond of animals, she rescued numerous abandoned cats. Whether they were found wandering aimlessly on the canal, abandoned on the family property or had taken shelter in one of the outdoor storage sheds, they were fed and cared for until the end of their lives.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gene six months earlier; her parents, Kathryn and Clarence; sister Barbara and brother Leslie. She is survived by four daughters, Diane (Jedd) Nelson, Lori (Bill) Olin, Janice (Seth) Elan and Debra (William) Thornburg; and grandchildren, Kasey, Nicholas, Kyndal, Kate, Tamra, Kirk and Lindsey.

Her family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Halo Animal Rescue 2500 S. 27th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85009 or see their website at www.halorescue.org.