ORTIZ, Margaret

Arizona Silver Belt, Globe, Arizona, Tuesday, June 09, 2015 Margaret M. Ortiz passed away in her home on June 1, 2015. Margaret was the oldest of three children born to Alberto Vega Macias and Guadalupe Fernandez Macias. Her grandparents were Jesus and Soledad (Doña Chóle) Fernandez. She was delivered at her parent’s home by Dr. Nelson Brayton on January 11, 1925 in Miami, Ariz. She grew up in the same house she was born in, located in Turkey Shoot Canyon. Margaret had two siblings, Esperanza Macias Ortega (born in 1929) and Alfonso Macias (born in 1935). Cousins and other family members also lived in the same canyon. Without the invention of television, the cousins and neighborhood friends spent many hours singing and sharing stories and participating in neighborhood games/sports when not helping around the house or attending school. They were a close knit group and that bond continued for life. Margaret attended Buena Vista School, Central School, Inspiration Addition School, Bullion Plaza School and Miami High School where she graduated in 1944. Prior to her senior year in high school, her uncle, Basilio Romero, offered her and one of his daughters an opportunity to venture out of Miami for the summer. They spent the summer with one of his relatives in Hollywood, Calif. Margaret found a job working as a cashier in a laundry business and was able to return to the same job the following summer after graduation. Margaret began to miss her family and returned to Miami and found work at R.F. Kelley Photography Studio on Sullivan Street where she learned to paint on black and white photographs and turn them into colored photographs. She worked for Andrew Mullarkey and was often nicked-named “Margaret Mullarkey” by her family and friends because while working at this job she began her a life-long love of taking pictures of family and activities she participated in. Margaret worked as a nurse’s aid at Gila General Hospital in Globe and also did private duty nursing for Dr. and Mrs. Antevs who also lived in Globe. She ended her career working for Miami Schools. Margaret had many girlfriends and was asked to be a bridesmaid in their weddings. During one of the weddings, she was partnered with a handsome, popular football athlete named Tony Ortiz who had attended Arizona State College in Flagstaff after graduation and was also a Marine veteran. They fell in love and were married on August 19, 1950, in Miami. They had four daughters: Rose Marie Ortiz-Landyshev, Theresa Mejia (Antonio), Debbie Thompson and Valerie Rivera (Earl). She loved spending time with her family at Disneyland and shopping. She was active in the Miami Senior Center, the Old-timer’s Reunions and class reunions. She was a life-long member of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church and Catholic Daughters of America. Margaret was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, sister, husband and two grandchildren (Angel Landyshev and James “Jimbo” Thompson). She is survived by her brother, her daughters, six grandchildren (Rosendo Rivera, Ashton Thompson, Michael Mejia, Ruben Rivera, Gabe Rivera and Joseph Casillas) and seven great grandchildren (Anessa, Taylar and Jessie Thompson, Emmalynn Mejia, Michaelangelo Casillas, Cristian Martinez and Gabriel Rivera). She will be greatly missed but her family finds peace in knowing that she has gone safely home to be with the Lord.