Margaret Logan

Margaret Emerson Logan, age 99 of Carmi, Illinois, passed away Sunday, March 1, 2020, at Wabash Christian Village, surrounded by those who loved her.

Margaret was an incredible woman.  Born at home near Big Prairie south of Epworth, Illinois, on January 27, 1921, she was the only child of Dewey and Minnie (Marlin) Logan (Sailer), who predeceased her.  Margaret is survived by second cousins Dona Rudolph Bennett and Michael O. (Felicia) Rudolph of Evansville, Indiana, Debra (Rex) Rudolph Dendinger of Estero, Florida, J. Steven (Amanda) Rudolph, Marco Island, Florida, and Tau (Sylvia) Land of Tampa, Florida.

Margaret began losing her sight to retinitis pigmentosa around age 13 and by age 30 was totally blind.  But, her blindness never hindered her ambition.  She attended the local Big Prairie grade school.  For her freshman year in high school her parents sent her to a residential school for the visually impaired in Jacksonville, Illinois.  She excelled in school, loved music, played the clarinet by memory, was an excellent typist, learned to read and write in braille and became a role model for others.  She often stated that moving out on her own was one of the best things of her life.

After high school, Margaret was a secretary for the Evansville Association for the Blind.  Later, while attending Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, World War II broke out and “all her men friends went to war”.  She took a break from school to do her part for the war effort.  Typical Margaret, she became a tank grenade inspector for the war production plant at Sunbeam in Evansville, Indiana.

Margaret returned to Southern Illinois University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1945.  She was offered a position as a third-grade teacher for blind students in Spartanburg, South Carolina.   While a long way from her family, she was encouraged by her uncle John H. Rudolph (deceased) to make the move.  After a few years there, she moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to teach elementary students at the Missouri School for the Blind.  Margaret completed her Master’s Degree in Education at Indiana State University in 1957.   She also taught Special Education at the University of Missouri for Teachers of the Visually Impaired.

Always the independent woman, Margaret lived in St. Louis for 33 years, in her own apartment.  She traveled extensively visiting Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, the Caribbean and most of the United States.  She became a dedicated St. Louis Cardinal’s fan, hardly ever missing a game at the stadium or later on the radio.  Margaret retired in 1982 and returned to Carmi, Illinois, to be with her mother and step-father, Albert Sailer (deceased).

After retiring, Margaret became a ham radio operator, proof read braille books for the Library of Congress, and was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Carmi, serving three terms on the Session.  She belonged to the White County Historical Society, White County Retired Teachers, Ham Radio Club and Presbyterian Women.

The family wishes to thank Jack and Gina Sailer, and Koann and Richard Chapman for their many years as loyal, loving friends and caregivers to Margaret, along with the wonderful staff of Supportive Living of Wabash and Wabash Christian Village.  Koann was very special to Margaret, along with her many friends and those who found so much joy in Margaret’s smile, laugh, and love of life.  Margaret taught us all to never focus on the negative, but instead on what you can do-and to always do your best.

Visitation for Margaret will be at Campbell Funeral Home in Carmi, at 1:00 PM, Wednesday, March 4, 2020.  Funeral Service to begin at 1:30 PM at Campbell Funeral Home in Carmi with burial thereafter at Big Prairie Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Margaret’s memory to First Presbyterian Church of Carmi, Illinois, or White County Senior Citizens Center, Inc., in care of Campbell Funeral Home.