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Margaret Isabel Olthuis
June 25, 1919 - August 30, 2015
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<div itemprop="description">Margaret Olthuis (nee Thexton, born in Pickering Village 1919) passed away August 30, 2015 in Ajax, Ontario at 96 years of age. Hers was a tenacious struggle the past two years as she truly wanted to stay.<br /><br />Memories of her early childhood years in Pickering Village were fond and cherished. Her family&rsquo;s association with the area, long and storied. Starting with her great-great-grandparents, Nicol McIntyre and Mary McCallum, who sailed from the Isle of Mull, Scotland in 1828, eventually settling on farm property in nearby Whitevale where they remained the rest of their lives.<br /><br />Around 1875, her grandfather Alfred Allaway, together with his son William, established Allaway Cooperage, a local Pickering business engaged in the production of apple barrels. Both father and son, together with their families, lived in homes side by side on Elizabeth Street &hellip; homes which continue to stand today. After his passing, Alfred was laid to rest near his second wife, Frances Young (Margaret's grandmother), in the Old Methodist Cemetery directly across the road from what had once been his front porch.<br /><br />By 1899, Margaret&rsquo;s parents, Katharine (Kate) Allaway and John Ross Thexton had established their own residence in Pickering Village where their first two children, Marion and George, were born. A printer by trade, Ross was a co-publisher of The Pickering News for many years, following which, he became the local agent for the Massey Harris company. It was in fact in their residence above the Massey Harris store, where Margaret was born.<br /><br />Margaret was 5 when the family left Pickering. But throughout the course of her life, she retained vivid and heartfelt memories of the wonderful time she spent there. And fond recollections of the people she held most dear. Her reminiscence of her nose pressed against the glass showcase of the ice cream freezer in her parents store, Thexton Confectionery &hellip;. coveting the array of sugar treats beyond her reach &hellip; perhaps explains her enduring love of ice cream which never wavered over time.<br /><br />It should come as no surprise then, that seventy years later, she returned to the community where it all began.<br /><br />Predeceased by husband Ebe Crockatt in 1961, Margaret is survived by her second husband, Henry (Henk) Olthuis, daughter Katharine (Kate), granddaughters Kimberly (Richard), Shannon (Andrew) and Wendie (Eric); and great grandchildren, Christopher, Sabrina, Ayden, Ella and Grayson. Margaret also leaves her cousin Diane Allen.<br /><br />Her memory will survive in numerous ways: Her date squares were the best ever!; The many cross-stitching pieces she created over the years for her home, as gifts to her family, close friends and for countless church bazaars; Her crocheting, of which she was an expert, was admired by many; Her skill as a pianist and accompanist; Her devotion to the church and her dedication to her Mission Band (Dufferin St. Presbyterian Church) and youth choirs (Armour Heights Presbyterian, Toronto and St. Andrews Presbyterian, Pickering). Last but not least, the love for her pets was unparalleled. Bobs, Betsy, Babe, Pep, Dopey and Duchess to name just a few &hellip; she loved each and every one. It was indeed a lasting legacy she passed along to us all.<br /><br />At the request of the family, a private service will be held.<br /><br /></div>