Margaret Eva Pearce

Margaret Eva (Gimby)Pearce, age 94, died peacefully at home under the loving care of her children on Saturday, November 27, 2021.

Margaret Eva Gimby was born July 28, 1927, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, where her father, Joseph Edwin Gimby, was practicing medicine with his father, William Edwin Gimby. When Margaret was three the family moved to Hawk Junction, where her father was the doctor for the Algoma Central Rail Road. The family moved back to the Sault when Margaret was twelve, the Spring of 1939. They moved again to 3 McPhail when she was in second form. After high school, Margaret finished her nurses training spring 1949, at the Plummer Hospital, graduating from her nursing class with the highest award, and was given the all around, “General Proficiency Award.” She then attended Prairie Bible Institute for one year and wrote her Ontario Nurses Registration Exam in November when she was at Prairie. She did not complete her second year at Prairie due to illness, and had to return to the Sault. Margaret started work at the Plummer hospital.

Ronald and Margaret met during their high school years, at the youth group at First Baptist Church, Sault, Ontario. Margaret, with her mother, Eva Gimby, attended First Baptist, but her church did not have a youth group at the time, so she attended the youth group at Bethel Chapel, where she met Ronald. They often played trumpet duets together. They were married at First Baptist Church, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, August 29, 1952, and honey­mooned at Island Lake.

Ronald was drafted into the Army as an en­listed man, February 1953 and stationed at Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky. While he took his basic training in Kentucky, Margaret was living in Sault, Michigan in order to obtain her immigra­tion papers. Margaret joined him in Stergus, Kentucky. After a brief stay in Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri­, they moved to Ft. Belvior, VA for the Engineer Officers Basic Course, with orders for Korea.

Their first son, Ronald, was born in the Army hospital in Ft. Belvior, VA March 30, 1954, on Margaret’s parents’ anni­versary. Her mother, Eva Gimby, got all the candies and flowers because Margaret couldn’t have any­thing in the army hospital room! After the birth Margaret and baby flew back to the Sault. Ronald brought their trailer to the Sault, and after one month left for Ko­rea, serving there May 1954– February 1955.

On his return, Ronald took up work again with the boundary survey at the Maine – Quebec boundary, and returned back to Washington D.C. for the winter months, where their daughter, Sharon, was born, November 1955. That summer of 1956 he was accepted at the Corps of Engineers in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Other than the summer of 1957 when he was the supervisor of the Indian River Inland Route project, they lived in the Sault, first at 310 Easterday, and then at the house he designed and built at 3468 Lake­shore Drive. Six more children were added to their family, David, Barbara, Ruth, Joseph Edwin, Murray, and Marilynn.

Margaret Pearce is predeceased by her father: Dr. Joseph Edwin Gimby, d. June 29, 1962, her mother: Evelyn ‘Eva’ Mary (Blandin) Gimby, d. June 23, 1986, her brother: William Edwin Gimby, d. August 18, 1943, her sister: Frances Louise (Gimby) Parker, d. September 30, 2011, her sister: Doris Josephine (Gimby) Roberts, d. December 21, 2009, and her husband of nearly 68 years: Ronald Johnston Pearce, d. July 16, 2020.

Margaret is survived by her son and his wife, the Rev. Ronald E. and Linda Pearce, of Washington, NJ, the grandchildren: Scott, Joel and Amy. her daughter and her husband, Sharon and Tim Chamberlain, of Rogers, MN, the grandchildren: Jennifer, Myron, Steven and Michael. her son and his wife, the Rev. David and Teresa Pearce, of Sault, MI, the grandchildren: Ben, Grace Ann, Daniel and Hannah. her daughter and her husband, Barbara and Monte Couse, of Abbotsford, BC, Canada. the grandchildren: Kari, Katie and Justin. her daughter, Ruth Pearce, of Sault, MI, the grandchildren: Jessie, Erin, Kelsey and Abby. her son and his wife, J. Edwin and Eunice Pearce, of Grand Rapids, MI, the grandchildren: Ashley, Joe and Lauren. her son and his wife, Murray and Cathy Pearce, of Escanaba, MI, the grandchildren: Andrea, Austin, Aaron and Ailee. her daughter and her husband, Marilynn and Peter Wright of Ishpeming, MI, the grandchildren: Emily, Shelby, Kacey and Jonathan.  She is also survived by many, many great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 11:30 AM on Friday, December 3, 2021, at C.S. Mulder Funeral Home. Friends may call at the funeral home that same day from 10:00 AM until the time of the service.  Burial will be at Oaklawn Chapel Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that gifts may be given in Margaret’s memory to Gideon’s International.