Margaret Albertini

Margaret Albertini of Portland, Ore., and formerly of Libby, passed away peacefully on June 13, 2014, at her residence in Portland.  

Margaret was born in Stockett on December 14, 1916, to Nicholas and Julia Paliga. She was the seventh of 11 children.

Margaret attended school in Stockett, well into high school, and loved the experience. However, her education was interrupted due to her mother’s illness. She helped care for her mother, three younger brothers, and one younger sister. During this experience she learned caregiving and home making skills from her mother, which she extended to her marriage and family.

On June 1, 1940, Margaret was married to Victor Albertini of Stockett, and they lived the next eight years in Wallace, Idaho.

In 1948, the family moved to Libby, where Margaret spent the next 65 years. She helped raise her two sons, Victor and Arden, worked part time at a local floral shop and tended her extensive flower gardens.

Over the years, her yard gave her a special sense of pride. Friends would comment about how beautiful the yard always looked. Even strangers, while driving by, sometimes stopped to get a better look at the yard.  And if they saw her working outside, they often took the time to compliment her.  

If fact, her yard was featured, several times, by The Western News, as the yard of the month. Margaret also provided flower arrangements to the parish of Saint Joseph Catholic Church for a number of years.

After the death of her husband Victor in 1993, and since  Margaret didn’t drive, she received support from her many friends and neighbors.

She endeared herself to others. In fact, one couple “adopted” Margaret as their surrogate mother and provided help in many ways over the years. They also dined together during various holidays.

Another dear friend visited Margaret often at her home in Libby where they shared meals and a lot of laughs.

In addition, her hair dresser picked her up for appointments, dental and optical staff members helped get her to and from their offices, friends took her shopping or to doctor appointments and others shared produce from their gardens.

During the past several years, Margaret started spending the winters in Portland. Her son Arden would pick her up in the fall, and her younger sister Lucille, and husband Len, returned her to Libby in the spring.  In September 2013 Margaret moved to an assisted living home in Portland.

Survivors include her sons Victor Albertini, Marion.;  Arden Albertini, Portland, Ore.;  a sister Lucille, Allyn, Wash.; granddaughters Samantha Smedley and Patricia Nord, both of Salt Lake City, Utah; five great-grandchildren Hunter Smedley, Hayden Smedley, Harrison Smedley, Savannah Nord and Sophia Nord, all of Salt Lake City.

Services will be held at Saint Joseph Catholic Church at 11 a.m. on  June 28,  2014, followed by a luncheon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Saint Joseph Catholic Church or Libby Hospice.

Local arrangements are under the care of Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home in Libby. Online condolences may be made at www.schnackenbergfh.com.