Margaret M. Moses 10/05/1913 - 03/18/2013

Rose Margaret McBride was born in Grand Junction, Colorado, the second of three daughters of father James Guyn McBride and mother Ruth Burnham McBride. Though her given name was Rose, she was always called Margaret, as her Aunt Rose McBride, her namesake, was very much a part of the family. Margaret grew up on the high desert in eastern Utah, where her father was the proprietor of the Cisco Mercantile Company. He ran the General Store and managed the stock scales in Cisco, Utah, a stop on the Denver and Rio Grande railroad. Cisco was a tiny town. Margaret and her sisters, Ellen and Katherine, attended a one room school house, and their teachers frequently boarded at the McBride home.

In 1925 the McBrides sold their interest in the Cisco Mercantile Company and moved to Spokane, Washington, where James was a partner in a Piggly Wiggly store. He abandoned that venture after two years after some dishonesty on the part of his partner, and the family moved to Glendale, California. James McBride found civilian work with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Margaret graduated from Glendale High School in 1931, and attended Glendale College until a health crisis forced her to stop attending college. She was active in the youth programs at Glendale Presbyterian Church. It was in these programs that she met Arthur Moses of La Canada. Arthur and Margaret were married in 1935. Together they had six children, three daughters and three sons.

In 1942 Arthur and Margaret moved into the Moses family home on Palm Drive so Margaret could provide care to Arthur’s infirm parents, Ralph and Minette Moses. She has had close ties to La Canada ever since. Margaret and Arthur were active members of La Crescenta Presbyterian Church, and provided great assistance in the organization of La Canada Presbyterian Church with Reverend H. David Burcham. Margaret was active in the church as a Sunday School Teacher, a Ruling Elder, a Deacon, youth program sponsor and as a faithful supporter of the womens’ ministries and mission services for over sixty years. Arthur and Margaret also served the Presbyterian Church as Resident Managers of the Pacific Palisades Conference Grounds from 1973 to 1982.

After her retirement from the Conference Grounds, Margaret became very active in the Plant Propagation program at Descanso Gardens. She had a lifelong passion for gardening, gladly sharing flowers from her yard with the church, with the Tournament of Roses Association and with any neighbor who wanted to create an arrangement.

Margaret passed away peacefully in her home on Monday, March 18, 2013. She was surrounded by loving family members. She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Moses, and by two daughters, Ruth Miller and Marilyn Floyd. She is survived by daughter Katherine Reed of Fresno, California and sons James Moses of La Canada, California, Edward Moses of Baker City, Oregon, and Robert Moses, of La Canada, California. She also is survived by ten grandchildren, thirteen greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

There will be a celebration of Margaret’s life on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at La Canada Presbyterian Church. The family asks that gifts be made to the Womens’ Ministries at La Canada Presbyterian Church in lieu of flowers.