Margaret Louise Shaver Shields, 96, passed away peacefully July 22, 2018, at Oakwood Haven Adult Family Home in Centralia, after a fall June 5. She has lived at Oakwood Haven since last October. She was born Nov. 15, 1921, to Clarence C. Shaver and Eva L. Shaver (nee Anderson) at Forest in her parents' home, across the road from her grandfather Robert Shaver’s saw mill.
Margaret grew up on the North Fork of the Neuwakum River in Chehalis. She attended grade school at the Agate School. Times were not always easy during her youth, but love of family and friends on the “North Fork” was never in short supply and always helped get through the rough times. She graduated from Chehalis High School in 1939. During World War II, Margaret took a four week class at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in sheet metal work. She then worked at Boeing in Seattle as a mechanic, transferring to the Chehalis plant when it opened in 1943. She also worked at Sears in Chehalis in the later 1940s.
In 1947, Margaret married Harry E. Shields from Clifton, Kan. They were married over 61 years at the time of Harry’s death in 2009. Margaret and Harry loved their family life with daughter, Helen Sue and had an active church and social life. They enjoyed traveling the United States and overseas.
Margaret’s lifelong passion was researching her personal genealogy and Lewis County history. In 1960, remembering stories from her grandfather, William D. Anderson, she began the search of her family roots. On many occasions, she and Harry would pack up their car with Margaret’s family information “library” in the trunk and travel to the states where she hoped to find new information. Being the days before the computer, the internet and ancestry.com, she would scour the records in courthouses, libraries, cemeteries, churches, historical societies, etc., searching for information that might give her a clue to fill in the blanks of her family’s story. Margaret didn’t just hunt for dates and names of people, but was an avid historian who immersed her searches in the local history of the area where her ancestors worked and lived. She always endeavored to have a deeper understanding of the lives of those who came before her. She was a prolific correspondent with others around the U.S. who were also searching, and was always willing to share whatever information she had to help a fellow researcher. She has left an astounding gift to her immediate and extended family!
Margaret served as a volunteer at the Lewis County Historical Museum for 38 years where she was a researcher. Over those years, she assisted a multitude of local, state, and out-of-state individuals and organizations seeking information about Lewis County history, families, businesses and buildings, etc. During these years, she also completed many hundreds of hours of research supporting local history authors. She was frequently an invited speaker about all aspects of Lewis County history for many local organizations. In addition, she introduced countless school children to the museum and their local history. Margaret often referred to her fellow workers at the museum as her “other family”. She loved them and she loved being of service to all those who came to her desk. In February 2012, Margaret was honored by the museum and Lewis County for her decades of service, and February 8 was marked as “Margaret Shields Day” by the county. In 2014, Margaret was honored by the museum renaming the research room the “Margaret Shields Room” in honor of her years of volunteer service. In 2016, at age 94, she was forced to retire because of health issues. Margaret was a lifelong member of Children’s Hospital Agate Auxiliary. The first meeting was held in her mother’s home in 1954. She was a lifetime Presbyterian.
Margaret was preceded in death by baby daughter, Cynthia Louise in 1954; her husband; parents; and her brother, Jesse C. Shaver.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Sue and Dean Whorton of Maple Valley, Wash.
Celebration of life will be officiated by the Reverend Ralph Carr at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, at the Harrison Square Presbyterian Church in Centralia. Memorials may be made to Lewis County Historical Museum Endowment Fund, 599 NW Front Way, Chehalis, WA 98532, Children’s Hospital Uncompensated Care, Seattle Children’s Hospital, M/S S-200, P.O. Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98145, or online at seattlechildrens.org. Please indicate guild credit to Agate Auxiliary 34320, Harrison Square Presbyterian Church, 1227 Harrison Ave Centralia, WA 98531.
