Home OBITUARIES Margaret Allen Dempsey, 101

Margaret Allen Dempsey, 101

by MyParisTexas
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Margaret Allen Dempsey, 101, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 3, 2019, with grace and dignity just as she had lived her life.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2019, in the chapel of Bright-Holland Funeral Home with Brother Jimmy Tuggle officiating. Concluding services will follow at the Evergreen Chapel in Evergreen Cemetery.

Margaret was born April 2, 1918, on the family farm in southeast Lamar County near Deport. She was the youngest daughter of eleven children born to John Floyd Allen and Cora Bell Smith Allen. During the 1920s the Allen family moved to Roscoe in west Texas. They lived in a large, beautiful house in town so that the younger children could attend school. They also owned a farm outside of Roscoe where her daddy and the older brothers raised crops. Margaret loved to share stories of the family’s happy times in west Texas.

Later when Margaret’s father was no longer able to farm, the family moved to Paris where she attended West Paris School. The Allen family was poor during the Great Depression, and Margaret was not able to attend high school. However, she was an excellent reader, could spell perfectly, and had beautiful handwriting.

On April 18, 1936, she married Louis Edwin Dempsey who was truly the love of her life. Margaret and Louis celebrated their marriage by riding the train from Paris to Dallas to attend the 1936 Texas Centennial at Fair Park. An interesting note is their landlady, Mrs. Conway, accompanied them on their honeymoon.

On June 28, 1942, they welcomed their only child and named her Mary Margaret. Louis was a wonderful husband and father who adored Margaret and Mary Margaret. He affectionately referred to them as “his girls”. He was a kind, gentle man who was liked and respected by the extended Allen family. Louis’s career as advertising manager at Sears Roebuck Company spanned many years. He was intelligent, artistic and a lifelong learner.

Sadly, Margaret was widowed at age fifty when Louis passed away in 1968, soon after their first grandchild was born.

But Margaret Dempsey was a strong, resilient, and resourceful lady who made a new life for herself. She lived in Dallas from 1969 until 1980 and had a successful career with the Singer Sewing Machine Company at Northpark Mall. She loved working at the beautifully decorated mall especially during the Christmas holidays. While working at Northpark, she taught some of the Dallas Cowboys’ wives to sew.

Margaret was very talented. She was an excellent seamstress. She made Mary Margaret’s wedding dress and several dresses and costumes for her granddaughter when Donna was in high school. Margaret was a wonderful cook. She was famous for her chicken and dressing which her grandson, Anthony, loved. Her pies and cakes were delicious.

In 1980, Margaret retired from Singer and moved back to Paris to be close to Mary Margaret and her grandchildren. She continued to be active and drove her car until she was ninety-four. She was very proud of her 1990 Buick Century. She took very good care of that car! Margaret was a beautiful lady who always dressed immaculately. She loved to go to the beauty shop and have her hair styled and her nails manicured.

Margaret’s favorite time of the year was Christmas. Her daughter and grandchildren made a vow that they would always gather on Christmas Eve to celebrate with her. That vow was never broken.

Margaret loved music. Some of her favorite artists were Tony Bennett, Guy Lombardo, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, and any Big Band music. Some of her favorite movies were the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. These songs and movies reminded her of her happy life with her beloved Louis.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her ten Allen siblings.

Left to cherish her memory are a daughter, Mary Margaret Tarter; two grandchildren: Donna Carter and her husband, Dave Carter; Anthony (Tony) Tarter and his wife Amanda; three great-grandchildren: Nate Carter, Madeline Tarter, and Antony Tarter; several nieces, nephews, and extended family members. The legacy that Margaret leaves is her unconditional love for her family. She will live in our hearts forever.

Her family is grateful for the loving care, compassion, and companionship provided by the Paris Healthcare staff, Dr. Ganguly and his staff, and especially Paulina Robledo (and her sweet mother) for caring and loving Mom until the end.

In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorials be made to The Activity Fund, c/o Paris Healthcare, 610 DeShong Dr., Paris, TX 75460.

To leave a message or tribute for the family please visit www.brighthollandfuneralhome.com

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