Margaret King </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 9:01 AM on Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Margaret King

Early Homer homesteader Margaret King, 87, died February 15, 2007 in Spokane, Washington.

Margaret King

Margaret was born in Ventura, California on November 18, 1919 to Mary and Herbert Walter. She married John "Cap" King on her birthday in 1939, and in 1948 the couple and their five-year old daughter began an adventurous trek up the newly carved Alcan Highway to homestead beyond the end of the road in what was then a thick pristine forest east of Fritz Creek. As a homestead wife, Margaret peeled all the logs for the family's home, maintained a large garden, cooked for her husband's sawmill crew, and still found time for music, entertaining the community by playing her accordion and singing in the Homer community chorus. She was a Brownie Scout leader and volunteered at the Homer Public Library.

When her husband's expanding log home business took the family north to the city of Anchorage, Margaret helped support the family by working in the accounting field. She was secretary of Anchorage's "Operation Statehood" organization when the Alaska statehood bill passed Congress in 1958. One of her proudest possessions was a mortar shell casing from the 49-gun salute fired as part of the Alaska statehood victory celebration.

Margaret and Cap moved to Sedona, Arizona in 1981, and amused that community by wearing funny hats on holidays and special occasions. Margaret was extremely talented in many forms of needlework, and leaves behind a lifetime of beautiful yarn afghans, embroidered tablecloths and art pieces created for family and friends.

Margaret was preceded in death by her brother Ben Walters Sr. of Homer, and husband John "Cap" King of Sedona. She is survived by sister Carolyn Richardson of Orange, California; daughter Patricia King of Homer, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Memorial service and burial took place in Sedona on Friday March 1. Donations may be sent to the Cap King Memorial Fund, Rotary Club of Sedona, PO Box 2170, Sedona, AZ 86339.