Margaret Lee Hill Messenger Liston, 95, was called home to her Savior Wednesday, September 25, 2024, while surrounded by family as she was residing in the Silverado Memory Care Community of Frederick, Md.
Margaret Lee was born November 25, 1928, in Arkansas, to Harper and Ethel Brumsfield Hill of Harrisville. She later resided with the Reverend Paul and Freda Maness of Albright.
While attending a church picnic, a dapper fellow eating ice cream caught her eye, and as the story goes, she proceeded to take the treat for herself. The fellow was Blaine Wendell Holmes Messenger, and the two were married shortly after, September 12, 1945. They spent many happy years together only to be parted by his passing August 11, 2000.
Together, they owned Messenger Dairy in Lenox.
A few years after the passing of Blaine, she was blessed again with love and married Renick Liston of Kingwood, August 17, 2002 until his death October 30, 2018. Margaret Lee was also proceeded in death by her parents; a brother, Kester Ray Hill of Ohio; a sister, Anne Kibbe of West Virginia; a half- brother, Jerry Hall; and an infant daughter, Lynn.
Margaret Lee was a loving mother and grandmother, an active member of her community, and friend to many. She was a member of the Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church on Coal Lick, serving as a Sunday school teacher and member of the choir for many years. She also enjoyed being a member of the Lenox Homemaker’s Club, and served as a leader of the Lenox Loyal Workers 4-H club for over 25 years, often hosting monthly meetings in her home during the cold months to save the club money on heating the community building.
She was a talented seamstress, avidly crocheted, and enjoyed cake decorating. She was a lover of the outdoors as well, and was always ready to camp, fish or travel.
She is survived by a daughter, Donna (Floyd) Swanson of Frederick; a son, Dr. Blaine (Jen) Messenger, Jr. of Pittsburgh; a daughter Mary (Jeff) Swecker of Lenox; 10 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews, all of whom she encouraged to live life with love, to always try to look on the bright side, and to find things every day to be thankful for.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 30, in the Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church on Coal Lick Road in Lenox. She is to be interred at the Lenox cemetery on Lutheran Church Road in Lenox.
