May 30, 1920 - October 14, 2015
Margaret E. Townsend
1920-2015

Margaret Elizabeth Praiswater Townsend, 95, passed from this life on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at Mosaic Life Care, St. Joseph. Margaret was born May 30, 1920 at New Point, Missouri to Joseph Benjamin and Mary Winston (Wilson) Praiswater. When she was 16 the family moved from New Point to Bolckow, Missouri where she graduated from high school in 1938.
She married Woodson C. Townsend on December 10, 1940. Together they farmed and reared 5 children in the Guilford and King City communities. Woodson passed away in 1978. She remained on the farm until 2006 when she moved to St. Joseph.
Margaret was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church, St. Joseph. She was a loving Christian mother, grandmother and great grandmother who enjoyed her family along with cooking, sewing and quilting.
In addition to her husband and parents she was preceded in death by one son, Larry Joe Townsend; one grandson, Bradley J. Townsend, one great-granddaughter, Hope Olivia Townsend and her sister, Doris Carpenter.
She is survived by two daughters, Kay Hudson, Belton, Mo. and Shirley (Roger) Ford, Cosby , Mo. ; two sons, W.C. (Thelma), Union Star, Mo. and Jon (Arleen) , Guilford, Mo. ; one daughter-in-law, Carol Townsend of Montana ; her brother, Melvin (Marjorie) Praiswater, Savannah, Mo. ; ten grandchildren , Debbie (Ed) Maurer, Belton, Mo., Brenda (Press) Theriot, Flower Mound, Tx., Greg (Rhonda) Ford, St. Joseph, Mo., Kevin Ford, Houston, Tx., Curtis (Jennifer) Townsend, King City, Mo., Dennis Townsend, Union Star, Mo., Angela (Brent) Gordon, Grant, Ala., Paul Townsend, LaVergne, Tenn., Grant (Josie) Townsend, Springfield, Mo., Derek Townsend, Yerevan, Armenia, 18 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.
Celebration of Life will be at 2:00 P.M. on Monday, October 19 at Breit-Hawkins Funeral Home, Savannah, Mo. Burial will be at the Nodaway Memorial Gardens, Maryville, Mo. Visitation will be Sunday, October 18 from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the American Lung Association.