Margaret L. Scheid

 Because someone we love is in heaven, there’s a little bit of HEAVEN in our homes.

Our mother, Margaret Louise Mary Reitz Scheid, was welcomed into this world by her parents, Anthony and Edith, and two of three siblings, William and Virginia, sometime during the day on Saturday, July 3, 1926.

On February 1, 2019, after spending 92 years on this earth (or in her words living her 93rd year) Margaret was called by her Savior to join Him, and her husband, Howard, as well as countless other family members and friends, in their everlasting heavenly home.

There are no family records of when Mom received the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation or made her First Holy Communion, but we know she grew up strong in her Catholic faith and by using her many talents to bring God honor and glory, she continued to grow in faith throughout her life.

Looking back on Mom’s life, first we contemplate her childhood-a time forever altered by the untimely death of her mother, Edith, which occurred just two months after the birth of her fourth child, Joseph, and four months shy of Margaret’s second birthday. Margaret’s brother, Bill, had just turned five and sister, Virginia, was a mere four-year old. As was God’s plan, Mabel, a first cousin of the children, only in her mid-20s, came to Michigan from Indiana to care for them, stayed a lifetime, was embraced and called “Ma.”

Living through the Depression must have also presented its challenges for Margaret and her family. Every day hard work took the place of being able to enjoy the simple joys of just being a kid. Mom told us many times how she would have treasured something as simple as having more drawing paper. Mom was also the victim of very poor eyesight but even without having a pair of glasses until her early teens she loved school and was blessed with an outstanding country-school teacher who prepared her students well for high school. As such, Mom was still sixteen when, in 1943, she graduated from S.S. Peter & Paul Academy in Ionia-an age too young to enter the working world. However, while still living at home, Margaret eventually began working at Extruded Metals in Belding and was able to contribute her earnings to the support of her family and her church, St. Mary’s Miriam.

On Wednesday, August 4, 1948 a day of the week and time in the summer chosen to accommodate local farmers-she married Howard Scheid. Howard and Margaret made their home on Center St. for the first five years of marriage. During those years they had two of their six children. In 1954 they moved to an 80-acre farm approximately 10 miles from Belding and four more children eventually arrived. After spending 32 years in the country, she and Dad, in 1986, made the decision to leave the country for the relative safety, at least driving wise, of the city. The central location of their home provided easy walking access to St. Joseph’s Church, Leppink’s, the bank, city hall and the post office; however, the daily trip, or two, to McDonald’s did require keeping a Chevrolet around for a number of years.

While acknowledging the fact that we, her six children, may not be here if God had chosen another time for Margaret’s life, we believe she would have loved to experience the joys of teaching, particularly art, music and drama. She was also extremely blessed with God-given musical abilities. Unfortunately, during her early-to mid-life, society’s expectations limited this possibility for women; so instead, the contents of her many arts-and-crafts rooms, closets, drawers and walls leave a legacy of talents too numerous to mention and certainly taken for granted by her family particularly as we frequently contemplated the work of having to clear the house upon her death.

On December 9, 2016, nearly five years after Howard’s death, Margaret went to live at St. Ann’s Home in Grand Rapids. We are very appreciative of the excellent care and love given to her during the time spent in what she called a “very big house.”

FAMILY-like branches on a tree we grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one. So, as we now say our final earthly goodbye to Mom, we continue to thank Our Lord for the gift of both our parents, who, with all their love, raised six unique individuals. So until we are joined again as a family we are confident they will be with us in spirit perfect in their heavenly home watching, protecting, laughing, and loving…

Margaret is survived by her six children: Mary Jo (Kenneth) Cusack; Barbara (Barry) Trierweiler, John (Daniel) Scheid; Joseph (Marybeth) Scheid; Jeanette (Cynthia) Scheid and Daniel (Kathleen) Scheid; along with eighteen grandchildren, and soon to be 27 great grandchildren. Also surviving are her brother, Fr. Joseph Reitz, a brother-and sister-in-law as well as many nieces and nephews.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 AM Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Belding with Fr. Jim Wyse as celebrant. Interment will be in St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday February 12, 2019 from 2:00-4:00 at Johnson-Feuerstein Funeral Home, Belding and 6:00-8:00 PM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Belding with a rosary prayed at 7:30. Memorials may be given to St. Joseph Catholic Church, Belding or St. Ann’s Home. 

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