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In Memory

Margo Bentsen (Matthews) - Class of 1964

Margo Lynn Bentsen Matthews, 55, passed away at her home in Montpelier on Sunday, March 3, 2002, after a long fight with emphysema. She was born March 16, 1946, in Montpelier to J. A. "Cub" and Pauline Barkdull Bentsen. 

She married Edward L. (Ted) Shepherd and they had two children, Edward Jens and Tracy Lynn. They were later divorced. On September 17, 1972, she married John R. Matthews. John later adopted Jens and Tracy and raised them as his own.

Margo will be remembered most for her big heart and her patience. She worked at various jobs throughout her life, but the thing she loved most was being a homemaker. She enjoyed cooking for her family. She would get the "army" pot to make vegetable beef soup, chicken and noodles, or chili, then call her sisters, nieces, nephews and various others to invite them to dinner. She always cooked or baked for the masses, never knowing who was going to show up hungry. Margo also had a special talent for gardening. She could make anything grow. She worked at the local greenhouse for many years, and helped the Ladies Auxiliary plant flowers flowers each Spring at the Bear Lake Memorial Hospital. (Click on the button above to see photos.) She grew a beautiful rose garden in her back yard and provided roses for family and friends all through the summers. People from all over town would walk by her house just to admire the flowers that filled her porch and yard. Each Fall she would make a trip to Utah to get tomatoes, peaches and pears to bottle for distribution to family and friends during the winters. She also loved to crochet beautiful afghans for her family. She can best be described as an "unorganized Martha Stewart."

Margo loved animals. Her home was literally a zoo. She always had several cats and dogs that she called her "kids." Every stray in town knew where to go to find a good home. We sometimes wished that we were one of Margo's "kids." She also had several aquariums full of tropical fish, some of whom she had bred.

Margo was dealt many hardships in her life, but her biggest challenge and heartache occurred in 1971 when her beloved Jens was diagnosed with an incurable brain disease. In opposition to the doctors' advice, she chose to care for Jens at home. The next 11 years were extremely hard for her, but with the help of family and friends, she managed to raise a very happy boy until the last few months of his life. At that point Jens had to be hospitalized because she could no longer give him the medical attention he required. He passed away just before his 17th birthday. During this time Tracy was also diagnosed with health problems. Since Margo was never blessed with the grandchildren she had hoped for, she opened her heart and her home to anything with two or four legs. Margo enjoyed going fishing, camping and taking trips to the Oregon coast, as she loved the ocean, but she was truly happiest when spending time with the family. She enjoyed a very full and busy life until the two years prior to her passing, when her declining health forced her to give up many of the things she loved.

She used to tell us she wished she had done something important in her life to make a difference in the world. To all of us that knew and loved her she made a big difference in our lives. She has left an enormous void that we will never fill. We love and miss her very much. She was an exceptional lady!

Funeral services were held Thursday, March 7 at 1 p.m. in the Montpelier LDS Fourth Ward Chapel, 485 South Seventh Street. Internment was in the Montpelier Cemetery.