Margaret "Maggie" Laforge

A memorial service for Margaret "Maggie" E. LaForge will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Christian Homes Care Community Chapel in Holdrege, Nebraska with Chaplain DeWane Dow officiating.

Margaret "Maggie" E. LaForge of Holdrege, Nebraska, passed away on November 15, 2024 at Christian Homes Care Community. Margaret was born to Charles and Helen (Toll) Beake in Gurnee, Illinois, on March 19, 1943. She was the 9th of 12 children. She received her education and graduated from Warren Township High School in Gurnee, Illinois, in 1961. While in high school she was very active in the band program receiving prestigious awards for playing the saxophone, clarinet, and the piano.

On July 7, 1962 Margaret was united in marriage to James "JL" LaForge at the St. Joseph Church in Waukegan, Illinois. To this union four daughters were born: Donna, Deborah, Denise and Dawn. The couple made their home in Waukegan, where Margaret worked at the Chicago Sun Times. She was a talented seamstress, sewing most of her children's clothes. She also found pleasure in reading, crafting, ironing, even to the point where she would iron socks.

The family moved to Dallas, Texas in 1976. Maggie held many awards for her superior accomplishments during her employment at The Dallas Times Herald, such as starting in Advertising Sales, them quickly promoted to Sales Manager receiving Sales Person of the year in 1977. Her promotions within the company also included Credit/Collections Manager, Systems Coordinator for the Classified Advertising Dept., as well as, managing the Retail Advertising Department. The company was sold in 1989. She continued her employment with different companies working in management titles and achieving many awards for her work performance.

After her husbands' death, Maggie moved to Nebraska, living in Kearney and Loomis. After her retirement, Maggie moved to North Carolina in 2013, then moved back to Holdrege in 2017, making her home at Christian Homes Care Community.

Maggie thoroughly enjoyed her room at Christian Homes affectionately calling it her home. She was so joyful when family near or far would visit. So much laughter, so many jokes and wonderful memories made. Pictures of her children and grandchildren were proudly placed in her home. In addition, she had so many decorations and trinkets from her family, and her home was always decorated for every season. The nurses would come from all over the facility just to see Maggie's room.

Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, James LaForge; her parents; mother-in-law and father-in-law; her ten siblings; and two granddaughters:  Rachael Elizabeth Foster; and Lindsay Marie Mulford.

Maggie is survived by her four daughters and 15 grandchildren:  daughter, Donna Mulford (Dale) of Tonganoxie, Kansas along with their children: Heather Jones (Chris) of Ansley, Nebraska; Kyle Stewart (Kaylee) of McCook, Nebraska; Devon Lamborn (Ashley) of Hastings, Nebraska; Shelby Dingus (Logan) of Lawrence, Kansas; and Samantha Rankin (Dalton) of Ottawa, Kansas; daughter, Deborah LaForge along with her children:  Bryan Miller (Amber); Jennifer Young (Mike); Matthew Miller (Victoria); and Jesse Miller (Miranda), all of Lawrence, Kansas; daughter, Denise LaForge of Loomis, Nebraska, along with her children: Dee Stanley (Genesis) of Charleston, South Carolina; Austin Hahn (Katrina Sell) of Lincoln, Nebraska; daughter, Dawn Foster of Lawrence, Kansas along with her children:  Brandon Fitzsimmons of Lawrence, Kansas; Taylor LaForge of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Garrett Foster of Lawrence, Kansas; and Dylan Foster (Cathryn) of Springfield, Illinois; Maggie is also survived by 24 great-grandchildren; her sister, Helen Caldwell of Gurnee, Illinois; sister-in-law, Sally Jean Beake of Johnsburg, Illinois; along with a host of nieces and nephews, extended family, and friends, which includes the staff of Christian Homes, Family Medical Specialties and Phelps Memorial Hospital.

There will be no visitation or viewing as the family is honoring Maggie's wishes for cremation.

Memorials in Maggie's honor can be designated to the Margaret LaForge memorial fund.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.