Margery Catherine (Beltz) Pitts was born in Compton, California on April 4, 1925 to Dwight Calvin and Rosa Katherine (Moore) Beltz. She lived there for a short while and then moved with her family back to the farm in Willow Springs, Missouri. She had one brother, Robert “Bob” Beltz, who, along with her parents, preceded her in death.
Her father and grandfather Beltz were farmers and before the Great Depression they also had become skilled, traveling carpenters with California being their greatest travel adventure. From Willow Springs, Mo., her family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma where her dad began his long career working for Frank Phillips. Margery loved going to school there and graduated from Bartlesville High School in the top ten of her class. Her parents had already moved to Borger, Texas before her senior year so she lived that year with the family of her best friend, Betty Long.
Her Dad had always encouraged her to go to College, but she was too shy so she chose to go to Business school. Her first career job was working in the business offices of Phillips Petroleum Co. Little did she know, a handsome soldier back from World War II had taken a job nearby working for the same company. Margery met (Linzie) Ray Pitts and they were married on May 30, 1948. They celebrated 50 years of marriage and to this union, three children were born. Mary Pitts, DeeAnn Roberts (Tom), Robert Lynn Pitts (Shelley).
While still a young child, Margery was lead to the Lord by her Grandfather, Frank Beltz, who had been a circuit riding preacher in Northern Kansas. Soon after their marriage, Margie and Ray both felt led to be baptized in the local Borger Baptist Church.
In early 1952 they decided to move to northern Kansas and pursue their dream of having a farm and raising their children in a Christian environment. Margery worked by Ray’s side for 14 years on their dairy farm in Smith County, Kansas. She also grew flower gardens that people traveled for miles to see, and had the best vegetable garden in the community.
While raising their family, Margie and Ray served the Church in Smith Center, Kansas in whatever way God led them. Margery taught the 2 and 3 year olds in Sunday school for over 30 years and also was the church treasurer and then the church clerk. They often invited the pastor’s family and occasional visiting missionary or evangelist to their home for Sunday dinner. They were committed to giving a portion of their garden produce to their neighbors and to their church family.
After leaving the farm and moving to Smith Center in 1967, Margery began working at Smith County Memorial Hospital in the business office and remained there for 23 years until she retired. After retiring in 1990, Margery continued her passion for growing flowers and raising a garden. She even went with Ray rising from time to time but vowed never to clean a fish. She had always sewn and quilted, but after retiring she made some of her most beautiful quilts. She probably made over 100 of them. Everyone in her family has at least one beautiful handmade quilt and she often sent her quilts to missionaries.
After Ray passed away in 1998, Margery moved to Wellington, Kansas to live with her oldest daughter, Mary. She enjoyed reading, doing crossword puzzles and collecting stamps. Mary dedicated the next 19 years to her every need. Margery’s other two children, grandchildren, the spouses and great grandchildren came to visit whenever possible.
Margery Pitts passed from this world into eternity on October 11, 2017. She had a wonderful life and is survived by her children, Mary Pitts, DeeAnn (Tom) Roberts, and Lynn (Shelley) Pitts; grandchildren, Jeff Roberts (Gina), Renee Butler (Will), Amy Denham (Brett), and Cory Pitts (Kaisley); great grandchildren, Lliam, Phinn and Elliot Butler, Levi, Lila and Linkon Denham and Harper Roberts.
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