Margaret Queen Kimmons

Margaret Q. Kimmons was born in Burnsville, WV to Ralph and Virginia Mae (Marshall) Queen. She passed away on April 13, 2023, age 83, in Omaha, NE. Margaret grew up in Lincoln, NE, earned a master’s degree in Home Economics Education from the University Nebraska Lincoln and was married to her husband, Paul Kimmons, for nearly 60 years. Later, she moved to Omaha, NE. She taught in various Nebraska schools, was actively involved in her church, served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and raised a family. She was a dedicated Christian, missions-minded, and lived a life well-deserving of her Risen Savior saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Margaret is survived by her husband, Paul Kimmons; daughter, Ingrid Kimmons; son, Eric (Jamie) Kimmons; brother, Ralph "Bud" Queen; and sister, Barbara Queen. A Celebration of Life Service will be held Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 4:00pm at Brookside Church (11607 M Circle, Omaha, NE). Memorials are suggested to Glad Tidings Bible Camp. bit.ly/margaretkimmonsmemorial Private Graveside Service prior to the Celebration of Life Service. There will be a light dinner & reception following the service at the church. During Margaret’s grade school years, her pastor’s wife organized an after-school Bible club and many came. One time, when Margaret was nine or ten years old, the teacher used a painting of Christ knocking on a door to illustrate the lesson. She quoted Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”. She explained that Christ was asking to come in, but the door did not have a handle and could only be opened from the inside. The teacher invited anyone who would like to invite Jesus into their heart to talk with her after the class. Margaret made her way to the teacher that day and invited Jesus into her life. One thing many people might not know about Margaret is that, as a young girl, she was a talented football player! In her neighborhood, there were only boys, but to join in the fun, she went along with what they did; which was to play flag football on the church lawn. It is interesting that, at a young age, Margaret had the opportunity to study theology at the “porch school”. You see, the church the family attended was right down the street from Margaret’s childhood home. Every evening, the minister would sit out on his porch. Margaret was encouraged to walk down the street and ask him questions about the Bible. Since Margaret’s family lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, they were supportive of her choice to attend UNL. She majored in Home Economics Education. In Margaret’s church, there was a young couple who invited her to a weekly meal. They encouraged her to get involved in a campus organization called Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. She agreed, and ended up helping coordinate Sunday lunches for international students at the university. They would share a special dish from another country and have discussions about Christianity. Her involvement with Intervarsity grew, and she regularly skipped the family Christmas and New Year’s celebrations to take a carload of international students out to Bear Trap Ranch, which was an Intervarsity camp in Colorado. There, the students had opportunity to listen to detailed explanations about Christianity and ask questions. Back in Lincoln, Margaret was involved in weekly Intervarsity meetings at UNL. Once, she gave a presentation about the value of Christian study materials, and a certain freshman boy named Paul took notice. I subsequently kept showing up at the book table where she volunteered. Could it be I was sort of bashful and introverted and not at ease in a crowd? We were never formally introduced, but we began to develop an interest in each other. Depending on how you look at it, our first date was either a disaster or a success. I picked her up to go to the annual Intervarsity banquet but, first, got a flat tire on the way there. Then - for the fun of it - when we arrived, instead of assisting her out of the car like a gentleman, I used an 8-millimeter movie camera to capture a video of Margaret as she stepped out of the car. I have included a clip of that moment in the power point presentation today. I certainly considered the date a success as she is the last first date I ever filmed and she agreed to continue dating. After Margaret graduated, we faced the challenge of a long-distance relationship since she took a job teaching junior and senior high Home Economics in Newman Grove, NE. At the local Evangelical Free Church, she was asked to teach adult Sunday School. It was generally frowned-upon in the 1960s for a young woman to teach in such a setting. It worked out, however, because her approach when a question was asked of her was to just patiently listen to the ensuing discussion until someone in the class inevitably answered it. Not too much later, we were married. While I was in my final year of architectural studies, she got a job teaching Home Economics in Ceresco, NE. After I completed my architectural degree, I worked as an architect apprentice commuting from Lincoln to Omaha. Meanwhile, she worked on a Master’s Degree in Home Economics Education. Upon completion, UNL asked her to serve for a year as a Home Economics student teacher evaluator for 12 schools in eastern NE. After we moved to Omaha she continued to be involved in Intervarsity and came on staff with the organization. She spent time helping students begin and run student-led Bible studies. She also helped develop and present a seminar teaching churches how to help people through times of grief. After God blessed us with two children, Margaret volunteered to direct the children’s Christian Education department at our church, which happened to be the first Evangelical Free Church in Omaha. It was exciting to watch the classes grow to the point that all available space was utilized. As many are already aware, shortly after moving to Omaha, we started a Bible study in our home. It was a privilege to partner with her in this ministry. I taught and Margaret utilized her gift of hospitality serving as a loving hostess, encourager, and prayer warrior. This home Bible study continued weekly for about fifty years, with hundreds of men and women impacted by the truth of Scripture. Praise be to God! He gets all the glory! We just follow a long for the ride. Written by her husband, Paul

Margaret Queen Kimmons

September 13, 1939 - April 13, 2023