A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, October 3, at 11 am, with a visitation one-hour prior, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation 4565 Pleasant Street SE, Prior Lake. Pastor Diana Hunstad will preside. Margaret’s grandchildren will act as pallbearers. A private family interment will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN. Memorials are preferred and will be distributed in her memory, by the family.

On September 9, 1936 in Clarkfield, MN, Margaret Syneva was born to Oliver and Martha (West) Bakken. She was the fifth of seven children, growing up in rural areas of Southwest, Minnesota.

Margaret married Gordon Robert Walters, on October 2, 1954, at St John’s Lutheran Church in Sherburn, MN. They welcomed three children, Sandra, Michelle and Scott. Through the years, the Walter’s lived in Bloomington, MN and later moved Burnsville, MN, a home built by Gordie.

In later years, Gordie was once again building a new home. This time on Lake Pepin in Montgomery, MN. Life was the riches here. For the next 20 years, Margaret and Gordie spent countless hours entertaining their children and grandchildren, as they enjoyed lake life. Margaret loved taking pontoon rides, cooking over the campfire with the grandkids and watching the fireworks with the grandkids. Her favorite passion on the lake was fishing and cooking up the days catch. Add the fact that before her eyesight deteriorated, she enjoyed countless hours of cross-stitching and painting ceramic houses.

Margaret and Gordie loved to go dancing in their earlier years. Always surrounded by family and friends, they enjoyed traveling to Spain, Greece, Mexico and destinations in the US. Margaret especially enjoyed visiting the Alexandria, MN area with family for weekend fishing. She enjoyed taking a chance on pull tabs and indulging in a good root beer float!

Margaret was a devoted wife, mother, grandma and great grandma. She was kind, loving and nonjudgmental. Margaret was feisty at times, yet very supportive.

Margaret will remain in the hearts of those she loved most, especially her children, Sandra (Dale) DeGross, Michelle (Patrick) Allen, Scott (Ann) Walters; grandchildren, Adam DeGross, Cheryl Teal, Kristal Kempenich, Aimee Teal, Chardonea Allen, Zachary (Megan) Walters, Ethan Walters; 10 great-grandchildren; sisters, Darlene Finch, Nannette “Susie” (Gary) Kable, Marion (Ron) Howard; other relatives and friends.

There to greet Margaret home in heaven is her beloved husband, Gordie; parents, Oliver and Martha; siblings, Wesley Bakken, Phillis (Glen) Meyer, Evangeline “Toby” (Lester) Faber and brother-in-law, Robert Finch.