On September 18, 2022 Margaret Elizabeth Cockrell Houseman passed away peacefully at the age of 77. She was born to James and Susanna Cockrell on July 28, 1945 in Niles, Michigan. Margie lived a full life of many blessings, including the adoptions of her children Vidya Sara Maria and Loran David Mahdu from the orphanages of Mother Theresa, and her marriage to David Houseman on August 19, 1967.

Connection to an international community of fellowship was important to her. In college, she lived at the Ecumenical Campus Center in Ann Arbor, part of the First Presbyterian Church campus ministry at the University of Michigan. There she met students from other countries, many who became life-long, dear friends including David Romain and his wife Kathy. In 1975, David and Margie travelled around the world with two other special friends Fariyal and Bruce Ross-Sheriff, starting in Thailand and onto India which was the start of a special bond to that country, and on to Africa and Europe. As part of this trip, they visited Margie's German exchange student family, with whom she stayed the summer after high school as part of the Youth for Understanding program. When Sara Maria and Loran were in school, Margie and David themselves became exchange student parents hosting Jacob Madsen, a high school student from Denmark. And after Jacob returned home, they enjoyed traveling with Sara Maria to Denmark to meet his family.

Margie and David built their life in Grand Ledge. There they formed deep bonds and made new lifelong friendships with other young parents, including Linda and Steve Kimball, and Jean and Craig Weirich, who were adopting children from overseas. In addition to working full time, running East Lansing's adult day care center Active Living For Adults (ALFA), Margie was fully engaged with her community, faith, and family. She volunteered on the Board of the Grand Ledge Public Library, and with Meals on Wheels and the Grand Ledge Emergency Assistance Program. She loved to sing, and was in the choir at Trinity Episcopal Church. She was active as a Companion in the Society of Companions of the Holy Cross. She undertook the special responsibility to be Guardian for her Aunt Elizabeth "Nikki" Nicholson when the need arose. She helped at Sara Maria and Loran's school, including classroom time as an Art in a Cart volunteer. The annual "Special Day" celebrations on the anniversaries of Sara Maria and Loran's arrivals were particularly dear to her heart.

Some of her favorite family memories were made spending time in the out of doors. She was a life guard at Camp Miniwanca, on Lake Michigan, where she was first a camper then a counselor, continuing four generations of tradition in her family, including her parents, brother and sisters, cousins, nieces and nephew who were campers there. Great memories also were made with David, Sara Maria, and Loran at her parents' cottage on the Bruce Peninsula in Canada, where many Cockrell family gatherings were enjoyed, and which brought her family's Canadian roots and the out of doors together in a special way for her.

Margie is survived by her husband David Hamilton Houseman and daughter Sara Maria Dawson and husband Frank and their son Josiah James Dawson. She was predeceased in death by her son Loran, her parents James and Susanna, her Aunt Nikki, and brothers-in-law Jim Lighthall and Dale Houseman. She is also survived special high school friend Sue Dolan and husband Jim, and by her sister Martha Brown and her husband Ken, her sister Mary Ohrt and her husband Bill, her brother Jim Cockrell and his wife Chris, her sister Jane Lighthall, sister-in-law Laurie Houseman, her brother-in-law Scott Houseman and wife Debra, and many dear nephews and nieces, and great nephews and nieces.

A memorial service will be held on October 8, @ 1:00 PM at Friendship Village's KIVA for nearby friends. A second memorial service will be held at the Grand Ledge Opera House at 2:30 PM on Saturday, December 3 for friends and family traveling from afar.

Those wishing to offer expressions of sympathy are encouraged to make a memorial contribution to the Alzheimer's Association. Service Details. Service
When: Saturday, October 8th, 2022 1:00pm
Location: Friendship Village's KIVA
Address: 1400 N Drake Rd Kalamazoo, Michigan 49006

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