Margaret Ann (Crowson) Bickers was born on March 12, 1950, the first-born twin to Ruby (Rogers) and Crandler Crowson in Louisville, MS. Her mother made sure she and her siblings, Tommy Joe, Crandler (JR), Mary and Carey were taught the importance of faith, family and music, as they traveled around the US as a result of her father’s Army career. The kids grew up singing, their mother teaching them at a young age to harmonize together, a gift that Margaret used continuously through life. She and Mary would enjoy a singing career that would span more than sixty-five years, including singing on their brother and uncle’s weekly TV program that ran across the South when they were kids, and continuing through many years of singing for weddings, funerals and entertainment. They considered it a privilege to fulfill countless requests for them to “sing people to Jesus,” as an act of comfort while they took their last breaths on Earth.
Margaret met Gary Bickers in the summer of 1966 in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and on Christmas Eve, 1966 they were united in marriage in a beautiful wedding at her parent’s home. They were blessed to welcome a son, Corey Vaughn, in 1969 after moving to Ohio. Then after a move to Iowa to be closer to her family, they were blessed to welcome daughters, Christina Michele in 1971 and Teresa Jean in 1974. During the early years of their marriage, they endured Gary’s tour to Vietnam, a tragic car accident that claimed the life of their daughter, Jeannie Kay, just weeks before her due date, and a house fire in Tingley, IA, resulting in total loss. Once again, Margaret’s faith, family, and music, carried her and her family through these tough times, and she continued to remind her family throughout her life that “God will never give you more than you can handle.” She and Gary built a life together, opening their own auto body business in Tingley, Iowa, and eventually moving to Mount Ayr, Iowa, where Margaret enjoyed several careers, one of which was being a labor and delivery nurse’s aide, a job that she loved. She eventually became an entrepreneur, opening her own successful business, The Sun Shoppe, which she was very proud of. She made it a point to treat her customers like family for thirteen years, until she and Gary decided to retire, buy an RV and enjoy traveling back and forth, across the US.
Margaret loved to sing, play the piano, and was a talented writer, authoring many beautiful Christian songs. She was a devoted Christian, often taught Sunday school classes and sang in the church choir, had a God-given talent for writing, loved baseball, especially the New York Yankees, was an avid reader. She loved to listen to Rush Limbaugh and Phil Valentine, and was a true patriot, always making every effort to continue learning about the history of the US. Margaret was a passionate believer in our constitution and always reminded us of how lucky we were to have been born in this great country. She had truly unconditional love for her family and she made sure every person in her life knew how much she loved them. She was exceptionally close with her children and grandchildren, building strong, personal bonds that overcame the geographical distance that sometimes separated them. She was always there to hear about their successes and worries, ready with just the perfect words of praise and reassurance that they were on the right path, reminding them of how proud she was of them. She was her family’s constant cheerleader and counselor throughout life, and quick to offer them “a safe place to land,” as she would say, when life got difficult.
Margaret laid down for a nap on May 21, 2021, and woke up in the presence of Jesus. We take comfort in our assurance that, because of Margaret’s strong faith, we can look forward to that great reunion when we are once again with her for all of Eternity.
Left to cherish Margaret’s memory is her beloved husband of 54 years, Gary Bickers, her children, Corey Bickers, Christy (Greg) Sanders and Teresa (Mike) Dyer. Her grandchildren, Cade and Lauren Sanders, Brandon and Tyler Bickers and Hunter Dyer, her twin sister, Mary (RB) Davenport, her brothers, JR (Sharon) Crowson and Carey (Lana) Crowson, and many cherished cousins, nephews, nieces and friends. Margaret was preceded in death by her firstborn, Jeannie, mother, Ruby, father, Crandler, brother, Tommy Joe, brother-in-law, Red, mother and father-in-law, Ken and Dorothy, brothers-in-law, David and John, and sisters-in-law, Mary and Susan.
Margaret’s wishes were to be cremated and the family invites you to join them at 11am on October 9th, at Liberty Baptist Church in Noxapater, MS for a memorial service and celebration of life.
Matthew 25:23 “Well done, good and faithful servant.” – We know you are singing with the angels.
