Margaret W. Niles, 97, formerly of Duke Center, PA

STAFFORD, Texas - Margaret W. Niles, 97, formerly of Duke Center, Pa., passed away Wednesday (Feb. 29, 2012) at her daughter's residence following a brief illness.

Born Dec. 21, 1914, in Duke Center, she was a daughter of George and Ada Elizabeth Fish Wilcox. On July 3, 1936, in Alexandria Bay, N.Y., she married Herbert A. Niles, who passed away Jan. 10, 1984.

Margaret was a 1932 graduate of Kane (Pa.) High School. She attended Otterbein (Ohio) College. She was employed as a cook at the Duke Center Elementary School. She retired after spending many years at the Kendall Refinery working in the insurance office and sales department sample room.

Mrs. Niles was a member of the Duke Center United Methodist Church and their Bible study group. She was also a member of the Duke Center Garden Club, the Red Hat Society and a long-time poll worker for the McKean County Election Board. She was an expert seamstress and cake maker known for making wedding dresses and creative wedding cakes. She was an avid school and church volunteer and loved reading.

Surviving are two sons, Fred (Mary Marshall) Niles of Dayton, Ohio, and Herb (Karen) Niles of Huntington Beach, Calif., and his children, Stacy (Scott) Fitzpatrick of Huntington Beach and Hilary (Rick Agran) Niles of Columbia, Mo.; one daughter, Kay (Larry Sr.) Ewing of Stafford and her children Larry Jr. (Anne Marie Stephenson) Ewing of Mount Pleasant, Ill., Craig (Kim Parson) Ewing with their children Zach and Noah of Louisville, Ky., Jeff (Janice) Ewing with their children Jayle and Cory of Richmond, Brian (Nancy) Ewing of Sugarland, Clifford (Kathryn) Ewing of Smyrna, Tenn., and Anita (Mike) Furgison and her children Aaron, Conner, Cameron of Stafford.

Also surviving are four sisters, Annabelle Sue of Allegany, Dorothy Baker of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Hazel Ewings of Jamestown; as well as many loved nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by seven brothers, Art, George, Harold, Ronald, Jack, Kenneth and Robert; as well as two sisters, Gertrude Stratford and Esther Eakin.

Friends may call March 9 at the Duke Center United Methodist Church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at which time funeral and committal services will be held with the Rev. Gary Sheesely officiating. Burial will follow in Duke Center Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Dogs for the Deaf at www.dogsforthedeaf.org; or the Duke Center United Methodist Church.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Frame Funeral Home, Eldred.