Margaret Rodgers Crow

Margaret Rodgers Crow entered the presence of Jesus on August 9, 2022, at the age of 80. She was preceded in death by her parents Edward and Dora Rodgers, her husband Gary Crow, and her son Ethan. She is survived by son Nathan and his wife Denise, daughter Shannon and her husband Michael, and six grandchildren: Allison, Duncan, Carolyn, Vivian, Dalton, and Sierra.

Margaret was born to Dora and Edward Rodgers on August 19, 1941, in Clarksburg, West (By God) Virginia. She spent much of her childhood in Pennsylvania before moving to Corpus Christi, Texas. In Corpus, she met her future husband, Gary. When Gary went off to study engineering at The University of Texas, her parents wanted her to go to a smaller school. She elected to go to Southwestern University in Georgetown (because it was the closest school to UT that she could find). She graduated summa cum laude in three years, married Gary, and began her teaching career.

She paused her teaching career to stay home and raise her three children: Nathan, Ethan, and Shannon.

In August of 1979, tragedy struck and Gary and Ethan died in a motorcycle accident on the way home from church/choir practice on a Wednesday night. Margaret resumed her teaching career teaching fourth grade at Smith Elementary School. Margaret taught fourth grade for her entire career and, with the exception of a few years at Baty Elementary, she spent her entire career at Smith School (even returning after retirement to tutor children).

While teaching school and raising her children, she decided to pursue an advanced degree. Taking full-time classes in the summer and weekend classes in the fall and spring, she earned her Master’s in Education from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State).

Margaret loved traveling, the outdoors, walking, and being with friends. She was able to combine these loves by doing something called Volksmarching. She would travel (with her friends Liz and Martha) to various cities/towns in central Texas, walk a predetermined path, and get a medallion.

Later Margaret would continue walking regularly with her friends Barbara, Betty, Jamie, and Linda who formed a group she called her “Walking Buddies”. This group would continue to meet regularly even after they stopped going on regular walks (mostly at cafes and restaurants).

Margaret loved to sing and was a member of the choir at Onion Creek Baptist Church and later at First Evangelical Free Church (FEFC later Austin Oaks). She found a special place at FEFC helping with a program called GriefShare where she could use her experiences to comfort and minister to those going through similar loses.

Margaret was a devoted pet owner and had multiple dogs and cats. She is survived by two cats, Louis and Wally.

In December 2017, while dining with her “Walking Buddies”, Margaret suffered a severe stroke. The alertness of her friends likely saved her life. The stroke left her mostly paralyzed on the right side of her body. She was down, but not for the count. She worked hard in physical therapy; astonishing the doctors, nurses, and therapists with her drive, determination, and optimism. For Margaret, this was just one more minor setback and an opportunity to witness to a new set of faces.

Visitation will be 6-8 pm on August 18, 2022, at Cook-Walden Funeral Home on North Lamar. Funeral services will be held on August 19, 2022, at Austin Oaks Church with Don Read officiating. Interment will follow at Live Oaks Cemetery in Manchaca.