Margie Kish

Lexington, KY - Margie Jean Kish, 76, of Rt. 2 Bluefield died Thursday, Jan. 22 at Wesley Village Nursing Home in Wilmore, KY, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was born Margie Jean Hager on Oct. 19, 1932, to the late Albert and Flora Calfee Hager of Bluefield and was preceded in death by brothers Clyde, Cavell, Carl, Claude, Cletus, Clifton and Cleo and a sister Hazel. Survivors include her husband of 58 years, George, a resident of Glenwood Park Village, Princeton; two sons, Martin Kish and his wife Mary of Lexington, Ky., and Tim of Christiansburg, VA, and two step grandchildren, Mary Allison Belshoff of Lexington, KY, and Neal Belshoff of Boulder, CO. Margie lived an exciting and vibrant life filled with world travel, art, and service to her church, community and art students. After graduating from Beaver High School, in 1950, she married George Kish, a World War II veteran and former Beaver football lineman whose family owned and operated the City Newsstand and Presto Lunch on Princeton Ave. in Bluefield across from the train station. After sons Marty and Tim were both enrolled at Ceres Elementary School, Margie enrolled in Concord College to pursue a teaching degree. In 1967, she became the first member of her family to graduate from college and that same year she was hired as the art teacher at Bluefield High School under principal Lambert Arrington. Later, she earned a master's degree in art from Marshall University, Huntington, WV. The walls and halls of Bluefield High School weren't enough to contain Margie's and her students' enthusiasm for art. Soon, student art shows and exhibits became fixtures on the city's "art scene." Margie loved her students so much that she wanted them to see the world beyond Bluefield. They began selling candy from Sarver Candy Company to raise money to take chaperoned trips to New York and Washington to the national art galleries and eventually Walt Disney World. During summer breaks, Margie and George (and sometimes Tim) began to travel?first to nearly every state?later to exotic locations around the world such as China, India, the Middle East and Europe. Margie loved her church, Maple View Christian, and often sang hymns in the choir and listened to sermons by pastor and fellow Bluefield High teacher Tony Reed. As her life progressed, Margie developed a deep love for Jesus Christ and a passion for reading His Word. A memorial service will be held at Mercer Funeral Home on Monday, January 26, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. with Minister Tony Reed officiating followed by burial at Monte Vista Park Cemetery in Green Valley. Visitation will be Sunday, January 25, 2009 from 5:00 -7:00 pm at Mercer Funeral Home, 1231 W. Cumberland Rd. in Bluefield. In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to Maple View Christian Church, Route 2 Box 77, Bluefield, WV 24701, phone (304) 325-8520; or Bluefield Union Mission, 2203 Bluefield Avenue (P.O. Box 4056) Bluefield, WV 24701, phone 304.327.8167 Those wishing to share memories or condolence messages with the family may do so by visiting www.MercerFuneralHome.com Mercer Funeral Home & Crematory of Bluefield is serving the family of Margie Jean Kish.

Margie Kish

October 19, 1932 - January 22, 2009