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Margaret May (Rabb) Bartline

May 04, 1920 - December 25, 2014

Margaret May (Rabb) Bartline Obituary (Age 94) Born in Seattle, WA to Glazier Henderson Rabb and Margaret Evelyn Rabb (Miller) on May 4, 1920. Her mother was 14 at the time. Because of her mother�s age and insecurity, Margaret spent much of her early years under the care of her aunt Charlotte and Dorothy Miller. She was the oldest of 6 children and did much around the house to help her siblings Jim, Bernard, Jackie, Helen, and Barbara Rabb. (Jim and Jackie survive her.) Her early undergraduate years were spent at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Margaret transferred to Western Washington College of Education (now WWU) where she received a teaching certificate in 1940 and a B.E. in 1943 (via summer school). After having 5 children, in 1965 Margaret completed a Master�s in Education and minor in Anthropology at Whitworth University in Spokane. Margaret�s first teaching assignment was one-room school with 13 students at Boyds, WA. (Margaret Barry, an 80-year old woman, warned Margaret that if she returned to Boyds she would be trapped there). Margaret escaped to East Stanwood for two years before transferring to Seattle, teaching at Crown Hill from 1943-1946. In 1945, Margaret met and married Dale R. Bartline, a nurse anesthetist. Judy, David, Dawn, Jeff and Kenny. David passed on in 1966. Of the surviving children, the three youngest worked in the medical field, while the oldest became a teacher. The Bartlines moved to Spokane in 1949 where Margaret taught school from 1956 until her retirement in 1977. While at Field School and Hamblen Elementary schools, Margaret liked to motivate children with activities that helped them learn how to think, to do research and to develop skills and results that they could share with classmates. In 1967 Margaret was involved with training student teachers. Margaret was awarded a NEA teacher of the year award for her work at Hamblen Elementary. Margaret has had many satisfied students over the years. Jim Rabb, her brother, said while at a conference in El Paso. Texas a stranger noted his last name and said �I had a teacher in the Seattle area in 1944 at Crown Hill School and her name was Margaret Rabb. She was the best damn teacher I ever had!� Margaret was a prolific reader and quilter, but many remember her from her bridge days. During her last year of elementary school teaching, Margaret took bridge lessons from Fern Koenig. They became friends and played bridge together. In1979 Margaret was a duplicate teacher with a class of beginning students. Margaret remembered Barbara Blodgett, Madeline Flaherity and Rhea Welch from those days. Margaret directed unit games from 1981 until 1999, and then headed Maggie�s Clubs until retiring from bridge. at 87, Margaret had these final words: �Thank you everybody! What would I have done without you? The bridge clubs in Unit 448 have contributed a richness to my life in the form of friends and challenges, as well as understandings of the nature of change.� After retirement Margaret spent several winters in Guadalajara, Mexico with her dear friend Vera Hansen. Another dear friend was Ava Hagen. Some of Margaret�s last thoughts and wisdom were about helping others in need, especially women. Margaret was one who unconditionally loved, cared for and nurtured others her entire life. She sends her love to all of her students over the years. Margaret is survived by her children: Dawn E Kincaid, Jeffery G. Bartline, Ken Bartline and Judith J Barich; grandchildren: Colin, Nicholas, and Jessica Leuthold; Zach and Greg Melrose; Peter and Allison Bartline; great-grandchildren: Alexandra and Lance Melrose, Colby and Marissa Leuthold. Memorial Service 2PM Saturday, January 24, 2015 at Heritage Funeral Chapel. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Margaret, please visit our Tree Store. Read more Events DEC 25

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