Margaret Jean Dessel

Margaret Jean (Stein) Dessel, age 94, passed away Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Kaweah Delta Hospital in Visalia, CA. She was born in Fargo, ND, April 25, 1923. Her parents were Jacob & Anna (Loe) Stein of Georgetown, Minnesota. They had ten children, five girls first: Ruby, Margaret, Marion, Barbara & France and then five boys: Jacob, William, Robert, Kenneth and James. Margaret, being 2nd eldest, helped her mother Anna, take care of her younger siblings, until she moved away to Utah in 1943. Her early years were spent in Georgetown and Moorhead, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota. All of her siblings had nicknames and Margaret's was "Muggit", which she attained when she almost drowned, at age 3, in a water tank, and her sister, Ruby, ran to get help and screamed, "Muggit, Muggit in wa wa tank"! Margaret was always very close with all her brother's and sister's families and traveled to Minnesota, Utah and all around California to visit them. Her confidant was her sister Barbara (our Aunt Bobby, in Stockton, ca.). They always called each other to chat and they had a tradition of sending the same birthday card back and forth each year with some pictures and funny jokes. Margaret graduated from Moorhead High School in 1941. When mom was 20 years old, she moved with her younger sister Barbara, to Ogden, Utah, where she worked at Hillfield Air Force Base for two years during WWII. Her main secretarial job included processing prisoners of war from Germany and Italy. Margaret loved living in Utah and visiting her Uncle Conrad & Aunt Clara Loe and also herUuncle Bill & aunt Nellie Loe and their families in Clearfield, Utah. Margaret returned to Utah, year after year, through out her married life, for many family reunions. Margaret and Barbara moved to Tulare, ca. In the fall of 1945, and lived with their sister, Marion and husband Dale Beecher. Later, her teenage brother, Bill Stein, also moved from Minnesota to Tulare, and they all lived together in the Beecher home, until they moved to Stockton, after Margaret married in 1947. Margaret worked in Tulare, CA. As a sales clerk for Linder's Dept. Store and later as a secretary at Adohr Creamery. January 1946, she met her husband of 59 years, Ronald James Dessel, who also worked at Adohr as a delivery milkman. Ronald was born & raised in Visalia, and helped his parents, Herman & Marie, sister, Geneva, & brother, Ardell with their walnut & chicken ranch on Lovers Lane, so he always loved farming. They were married April 12th 1947 and had three children, Kenneth John Dessel 7/12/48, Ronald Dale Dessel 4/4/51, and Joann Barbara Dessel 7/16/59, who all currently reside in Visalia & Exeter, CA. Ronald & Margaret went to the Arthur Murray dance studio in 1952, and met their future best friends, Lawrence & Cleo Peterson, who had three children, Sharon, Larry & Joann, and the two families did many events together. Cleo was Margaret's very best friend, but passed away young in 1966. From 1948-1953, Ronald and Margaret lived on Burke Street in Visalia, in a little white house that Ron built. Then in 1954, they bought a small ranch on Avenue 264, Visalia, where Ron constructed a four room house with a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom only. Later, Ronald began work on the final Dessel home, that the family has resided in since 1956, for 60 years, with some remodeling & additions along the way. Ronald worked for the Southern California Gas Company in Visalia, as well as doing the farming. Margaret did what she loved best, being a wonderful, generous and loving mother, and together they raised cotton, alfalfa, & walnuts AND three kids, too. Margaret loved being a homemaker in the three homes that Ronald built, and enjoyed life in the country on the family's walnut ranch. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters, for over 50 years, at St. Mary's Parish in Visalia. Margaret loved donating to her favorite charities for the Veterans, St. Judes, The Blind, Boys Town, and other foundations too. August 2001, Ron, age 81, had his tractor accident and could no longer take care of his farm, so he leased the walnut ranch to Dan and Bob Faria and Margaret has always been very thankful to the Faria family for their help with our yearly harvests. Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, Jacob & Anna Stein. Her husband, Ronald, 86, passed in 2006. Her 4 sisters: Ruby Flores, Marion Beecher, Barbara Stewart & Frances Maier. Her 4 brothers: Jacob, Robert, Kenneth and James Stein. She is survived by her 2 sons, Kenneth & Ronald Dessel, her daughter, Joann Dessel, her brother, Bill Stein, sisters in law, Violet, Shirley, Arleen & Lois Stein, many neices & nephews and her very good friend & neighbor, Mary Cox. Margaret will be missed by all who knew her; she is now with her beloved husband, Ronald, and passed loved ones. "Mom, your 3 children thank you for your sacrifices, and we will always miss & love you!" Condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com

Margaret Jean Dessel

April 25, 1923 - October 25, 2017