Margaret Prickett's Obituary
PRICKETT, Margaret, age 93, of Waynesville, passed away Sunday, July 27, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones.
Margaret was born on August 12, 1931, to Luther and Priscilla “Gladys” Starbuck, in an old brick farmhouse just north of Wilmington. After living there for two years with her parents and her older sister, Martha, the family moved to a farm near Kingman. She was a cow milking expert and had about 20 Ayrshire cows. She graduated from Kingman High School, class of ’49. During the Clinton County Fair at the Future Farmers of America, she met the love of her life, Lowell Prickett. They married in 1951 and had two sons. She graduated from Miami Valley Hospital School of Nursing, class of ’56. She had a strong work ethic and never wanted to rest until everything was accomplished. After 23 years at Miami Valley Hospital as an RN in labor and delivery, she officially retired in ’75. Following retirement, she worked in Dr. Soy’s office as well as several others.
Along with her husband, she had a great love for horses and collected horse racing items. Lowell trained and raced harness horses for 55 years with the help of Margaret, who could easily take care of 27 stabled and 70 head of horses. She was a master stall cleaner and was always ready with her pitchfork and a handful of hay to feed the horses. They owned and operated a family horse farm in Wilmington for 33 years; this farm had been passed down through the family since 1901. In 2005, they turned the reins of the farms over to their son, Tom. At the Track Kitchen in Lebanon at Warren County Fairgrounds, she was a waitress and assisted her son and owner, Tom, with the operation of the kitchen for many years.
In addition, she was a member of the Waynesville First Church of Christ and, more recently, was a member of the Waynesville Community Church for the last 11 years. Margaret was a deeply religious and a Christian woman who was always happy. She enjoyed reading her bible regularly and looked forward to Wednesday afternoons' Women’s Bible Study class. She was a member of the Child Conservation Lead, which helped schools build a bridge between parents and their children and guided them on teaching morals and aspects of social skills. She was also a pack leader/ den mother for the Cub Scouts and a member of the Progressive Women’s Club.
Margaret enjoyed reading and working on puzzles. She was very talented in sewing, needlepoint, crocheting afghans, and making knotted blankets. The knot blankets were a part of the dog ministries that her son, Jim, set up. For 12 years, she assisted him with his ministries in different nursing homes. She was well known for her large garden and, more importantly, her canning abilities that created some of the best sweet bread and butter pickles. She never traveled when she was younger because she always had cows and horses to take care of. As she got older, she loved going to Florida in the winter to enjoy Adult Church Camp, playing Euchre and cards every Saturday night, and playing bocce ball with her family and friends. In addition, she was an avid Cincinnati Reds fan and never missed a game. She collected everything, especially photos, tea cups, and fine artwork. Her favorite place to shop was Goodwill and thrift stores, where she always found a good deal and could easily walk out with three full bags. Family meant everything to her, and she was very proud of being able to raise her two boys and grandchildren. She looked forward to hosting huge family dinners where everyone could spend time together and catch up. She appreciated everyone and would always insist on writing a note or sending a letter to her loved ones. Among many things, she will be remembered for the love and devotion she had for her Lord and family.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lowell Prickett, in 2009; her parents, Luther and Gladys Starbuck; her sister, Martha Peterson; and her nephew Mark Peterson. She is survived by her two sons, James “Jim” (Judy) Prickett and Tom (Kathleen) Prickett; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two nephews, Dennis Peterson and Shawn Peterson; and three best friends, Nancy McDonald, Sheila Schronister, and Mari Jane.
Funeral services will be at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, August 6, at Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home in Waynesville. Todd Cyphers will be officiating. Burial will be at Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington. The family will receive friends from 11 am – 12:30 pm Wednesday at the funeral home. If desired, contributions may be made to Ohio Living Quaker Heights in Waynesville. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.stubbsconner.com.
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