Margaret Collins Lehman went home to heaven to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on March 27, 2020.
She was born to Joseph Kingsbury Collins and Emma Pearl (Tenberg) Collins on June 7, 1924, in Carter, Montana, where she lived on a farm with her parents and brothers, Joseph and Richard Collins. She went to school in Carter until 1938 when her father died. That year she and her mother moved to Fort Benton, Montana, where she graduated in 1943 from Fort Benton High School.
She married Rudolph “Rudy” Lehman of Highwood, Montana, on July 14, 1943, and they lived in Great Falls, Montana. Their three children were born during their years in Great Falls; Carolyn in 1944, Donna, in 1947 and Melvin in 1949.
At that time, Margaret was a homemaker and mother. In 1955, they moved to Chester, Montana, where they were co-owners of Tiber Tractor Company. There, Margaret worked for 25 years as assistant cashier and loan officer at the Liberty Bank of Montana. She attended MSU-Northern in Havre, MT to complete the course on Federal Reserve Banking system.
Rudy retired in 1975 and moved to the homestead ranch near the Highwood mountains while Margaret continued working at Liberty Bank. She retired in 1986, and moved to the ranch at Highwood. Those were the years she enjoyed gardening, preserving, and cooking, as she was an excellent cook. She also liked to sew, crochet, knit, visit children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and was one of the best fishermen in the family.
Rudy died in August 2000. They were married 57 years. She then began spending winters with her oldest daughter, in Port Angeles, Washington. While there, she enjoyed her Bible studies, trips to Alaska and Victoria, Canada, and visiting local gardens and shows, including the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and the Seattle Pacific Northwest Flower and Garden Show. In 2017, she remained at the ranch where she lived with her son. In 2018, she moved to Kalispell with her younger daughter, where she resided several months before contacting the flu, was hospitalized, and later moved into Brendan House, where she spent the last year.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the O'Connor Funeral Home website.
