Margaret J. Walbrecht, 95, of New Harbor, passed away on the afternoon of May 31 following a short illness. Margaret Jane Davis and her twin sister, Dorothy Caryl, were born in Elizabeth, N.J., on Dec. 17, 1919. They were the second and third children of Amelia Charles and Edwin Mackey Davis and joined their older sister Muriel Virginia in a close-knit family.
Marge, as she was known to her friends and family, graduated from Boonton High School in 1937. She worked for the Sussex County Agricultural Extension Service for over 30 years as an administrative assistant. In 1982, she married Edmund Walbrecht and came to live in New Harbor.
Marge’s early family life and values were deeply influenced by the Great Depression. The family had a difficult time in the 1930s, living for a winter in an uninsulated cabin, and surviving on inadequate food. In successive moves, she and her family migrated to northwest New Jersey, where they lived first in Morris County and then for decades in Sussex County. Beginning in 1946, they all lived together in her sister Muriel’s house in Baleville, N.J., where Marge helped raise her nephew, Robert. She became a financial pillar of this extended family. Once Marge landed in Maine, her sister Muriel and brother-in-law soon bought the house next door, and the family resumed their close existence.
Marge was smart, friendly, humble, and had a giddy, impish sense of humor. She loved to read, and surrounded herself with piles of books on a wide variety of subjects. She was very inquisitive and kept up with all sorts of current news. She also had a deeply spiritual side, read widely on such subjects, and was a part of many church groups discussing scriptural matters in greater depth. She enjoyed music and played the organ. She loved animals, dogs in particular. She delighted in feeding the birds and squirrels, and watching them all interact.
Marge’s early deprivation instilled in her frugality, taught her to be resilient, and gave her a sense of the absurd. It also served as a reference point for her deep appreciation of her better fortunes later in life. She was not the kind of person who garners wide fame, rather the competent, kind, caring sort of person who is the backbone of a well-functioning society. Her friends and co-workers enjoyed being with her, and could always rely on her. As secretary of the Sussex County Extension Service, Marge was the person who kept it running smoothly. She was the financial secretary of the New Harbor United Methodist Church for over 30 years, and active in the choir, as well as the Willing Workers. She will be greatly missed.
She is survived by step-children, Peter and Wendy Walbrecht; nephew and niece, Robert Schmidt (son of Muriel) and Patricia Lambert (daughter of Dorothy).
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Sat., July 11 at the New Harbor United Methodist Church. A light lunch will follow the service in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the New Harbor United Methodist Church, PO Box 100, New Harbor, ME 04554; or the Carpenter’s Boat Shop, 440 Old County Rd., Pemaquid, ME 04558.
Condolences, and messages for the family, may be expressed by visiting www.StrongHancock.com.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta.
