Margaret Ann (Koonce) Luther

Margaret Ann Luther (Koonce) passed peacefully at her home on Anderson Island August 2, 2020 after a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer.  Diagnosed in December, 2019 she was mostly asymptomatic until the last month. 

Marge caught the eye of Marty (Martin H. Luther of Gooding, Idaho), a handsome Conservation Officer with the Idaho Fish & Game Department, who was stationed in the area.  She and Marty were married after a brief courtship at her parent’s home in Soldier, Idaho on September 15, 1955.  She and Marty were a great team, cleaning and improving state-owned property when Marty was assigned to posts all over the state.  As civil servants, both Marty and Marge acted with integrity – their word was their bond, and they were always on call, and always put the public’s needs before their own.  Wherever they went, she made great friends.  She enjoyed gardening, knitting / crocheting / quilting, cooking delicious meals from scratch from whatever was available, Bingo-Night at the Riviera, meeting friends for coffee at the local cafe, bridge with the girls, dining out weekly with their friends, and spending time in the out-doors with Marty, their children and grandchildren.  While at Roberts, Marge became a Rural Letter Carrier for the US Postal Service, and served the residents and surrounding area for a period of 30 years, continuing to serve even after Marty’s retirement from the IF&G.  She was one of the founding members of the Roberts Quick Response Unit (QRU) with Marty being her first case after crashing HER motorcycle!  Adept at delivery, she also delivered a child after the parents were unable to make it to the hospital in time.  Marge was an active participant in their local Community Church where she played the piano for services.  After the children left home, Marge earned a pilot’s license and later owned their own aircraft which she and Marty flew for a number of years out of the local airport, selling just before relocating to Washington.  A homeowner on the Island for 43 years and full-time resident for 24 years, Marge loved the Island and the people on it; she was an active member of the Anderson Island Christian Fellowship, the Community Club and the Riviera.  She loved, laughed, cried with and bid farewell to many friends over the years. The Island was dear to her and the people she did life with even dearer. Those relationships elevated her in a beautiful and meaningful way.   

Marge is survived by her husband of 65 years, Marty; brothers: Hugh Koonce (Afton) of Boise, ID; Joel Koonce (Genevre) of Wayzata, MN and Bokeelia, FL; and Paul Koonce (June, deceased) of Gooding, ID; son Mark (Kathryn) of Helena, MT; son Carl (Brenda) of Mesa, AZ; daughter Sara (Joshua) Boelter of Vancouver, WA; nine grandchildren (Marcey, Mitchell, Megan, Karlee, Kimber, Shandi, Charles, McKenzi and Samuel) and sixteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by an infant daughter (Marci Ann); parents, Luther Koonce and Kathryn (Lilly) as well as her twin sister Mary (Doran) Cluer; and youngest-sister Ruth (Michael “Red”) Miller. 

Thanks go out to all who have supported Marty and the family during this difficult time – neighbors, friends and family; your love, concern and prayers are felt.  

A memorial service will be held on Anderson Island Friday, August 7, 2020 at 10:00AM at the Anderson Island Christian Fellowship located at 9020 Eckenstam Johnson Road, Anderson Island, WA 98303. 

A celebration of life will be scheduled for the Labor Day weekend 2020.  Eventual internment will be at the Mountain View Cemetery North of Fairfield, Idaho.  A final notice will follow through the social media Facebook groups in those areas.

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