Margaret Ann (Wilson) Ross

Life and Legacy of Margaret Ann (Wilson) Ross

Margaret Ann (Wilson) Ross passed away peacefully on November 13, 2025, in Seattle after a long journey with Alzheimer’s disease. During her final days, her three daughters were by her side, providing comfort and companionship.

Known to many as Margie, Margaret was born on October 4, 1939, in rural Pleasant City, Ohio, near her family's historic farm. She was the youngest child of Elizabeth and Reed Wilson, joining her older brother and sister. Her mother was a respected teacher while her father balanced roles as a State Fire Marshal and farm operator. Life on the farm, which had been in the family since the mid-1800s, was both exciting and hard work. The Wilson children grew up without the convenience of indoor plumbing, engaging in the daily routines of farm life. Margaret participated milking cows, feeding chickens and pigs, and riding her cherished horse, Rocky. Known for her bright red hair and spirited personality she shared stories of crashing her father’s new horse buggy, chasing pigs down the rural roads, and leaping from the barn loft into haystacks.

After her father’s death when she was sixteen, Margaret’s mother encouraged her to seek new opportunities to move to California near her brother. Her adventurous spirit took her to Los Angeles, aspiring to become a flight attendant. While attending school, she worked alongside her brother at a pharmacy and soon met Douglas Ross whom she married in 1963. Together they welcomed three daughters into their lives. Though city living was a change from her rural upbringing, Margaret ensured her daughters stayed connected to their roots by returning to the family farm in Ohio every summer.

The family relocated to Northern Colorado in the early 1970s. After her divorce in 1979, ever resilient, Margaret balanced a new career life while being a single mom. She worked as a home health aide and a travel agent. Margaret also co-managed several restaurants and bars with a partner, both in Poudre Canyon and around Fort Collins, Colorado.

After four decades away, Margaret returned to Ohio to support her sister and eventually took over the family farm. Despite returning home, she remained deeply involved in her daughters’ lives, traveling annually to visit them in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. In her later years, as symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s emerged, Margaret transitioned to assisted living facilities in Portland and Seattle. This allowed her to spend her final years close to her daughters and grandchildren, surrounded by family.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, Elizabeth and Reed Wilson, and her siblings, James Madison Wilson and Mary Ellen Rockwell. She is survived by her devoted daughters—Bonnie Ross Ziegler, Laura Rundle, and Leslie Ross—and her nephew, William Rockwell. Margaret adored her six grandchildren, all of whom are now pursuing college and their own life adventures. As well, she had a well-loved extended family of cousins and friends in Ohio that supported her journey. She will be fondly remembered for her warmth, radiant smile, spirited personality and brilliant blue eyes.

Margaret’s remains will be cremated, and her daughters plan to bring her to the family cemetery in Pleasant City, Ohio, this spring of 2026.