Margaret Headrick passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving daughters, on Friday, November 24, 2023, at the Edgewood Assisted Living facility in Flandreau, SD, her residence since 2017. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM, Saturday, December 16, 2023 at Second Presbyterian Church in Flandreau, SD. Visitation will be held from 5:00PM to 7:00PM with a prayer service beginning at 7:00PM on Friday, December 15, 2023 at Skroch Funeral Chapel in Flandreau, SD.
Margaret Hutton Gregg, daughter of Paul and Mary Hutton Gregg, was born on January 26, 1920, on a farm near Egan, SD. She started her education in a rural school and graduated from Egan High School in 1937. She received her Teacher’s Certification from Eastern State Normal School in Madison in 1938 and her B.S. Degree from General Beadle College in 1968.
Margaret and Clair W. Headrick were united in marriage on December 23, 1941, in Sioux Falls, SD. Clair entered WWII in November of 1942 and became a POW in July of 1944. Margaret and the couples’ first child, Gregg, lived with her parents in Egan until Clair’s release and return home in May of 1945.
Margaret started teaching in small country schools around Flandreau before marrying Clair. She took some time off from the classroom until the 1960-61 school year, when she returned to teaching at Lathrop country school in northern Moody County until 1968. She earned her Minnesota teaching license in 1970, but had already been teaching 4th grade in Pipestone, Minnesota, at Brown Elementary since the 1968-69 school year. She then taught second grade at Dolson Hill until her retirement in 1981. She likely would have continued to teach in Pipestone until age 65, if not for a serious car accident on her daily return trip from school to the family farm near Ward, SD, one fateful day in late May 1981. In an April 1982, Pipestone County Star article about Margaret’s teaching career, husband Clair stated, “You know, I never heard her say she didn’t like this kid or that one. I think the kids who gave her the most trouble were the ones she liked the best.” The article continued with, “that’s saying a lot for any teacher, but perhaps the highest compliment that could be handed to Margaret Headrick is that four of her own six children have gone into teaching.” In fact, Margaret was a lifetime member of SDEA, MEA and NEA. A testament to the lasting impact she had on young lives were the numerous visits from former students and her Pipestone teacher friends’ annual trips to Flandreau to catch up with their former colleagues and friends.
Because Clair served as the SD State POW Commander, the couple befriended many other military families as they attended state and regional events.
Margaret was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church in Flandreau, and the Order of Eastern Star, earning her 50-year pin. She taught every one of her country school pupils how to play the harmonica and even had a harmonica band with her boy scout troop.
Grateful for having shared their mom’s, grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s spiritual journey, Margaret is survived by son Roger (Dianne) Headrick, Flandreau; daughters Jolene (Joe) Dobbs, Rapid City, SD; Margo (Stuart) Zephier, Flandreau; Cindy (Dan) Dornbush, Omaha, NE; grandchildren Carter (Kelly) Headrick, Peter Headrick, Emily Dobbs-Hendry, Chet (Denise) Dobbs, Myles (Melissa) Zephier, Ramona (Quantel) Zephier-Murphy, Myhra (Daniel) Roper, Dustin Dornbush, Kylee (AJ) Dornbush-Williams and Ethan (Anna) Dornbush;  great-grandchildren Laurel Clair and Ramsey Headrick; Mya, Deandre and Tyree Hendry; Trey Dobbs; Cole, Connor, Cayden and Landry Zephier; Tayvin, Marianna, Antoine and Marqus Zephier-Murphy; and Leon Dornbush-Williams.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clair, parents, sisters Mildred Herrick and Betty Jones, brother Russell Gregg, sons Gregg and Mark Headrick and great-granddaughter Alta Zephier-Murphy.
The family has requested all memorials go to the Flandreau Second Presbyterian Church, (if possible, hand deliver any memorials to the Second Presbyterian Church in person on Sunday at 10:30. Remember to stay for coffee after the service.