Margie E. Gartman Deere was born on March 6, 1929 in Sapulpa, Oklahoma during the Great Depression. Her parents were Horace and Pearl Gartman. She was the 8th of 10 children living in a 2 room home & started picking cotton at the age of 4. She attended Pleasant Valley School with the famous Bootleg Queen Cleo Epps being her favorite teacher. She graduated from Central High School in Tulsa in 1946 where her art skills began.

She married Herman G. Deere in 1947 after his return from serving in the marines on Iwo Jima during WWII. They had 3 children. Margie was the Supervisor of Lease Records at CNG/Mapco where she retired.

She was a founding member of Mayfair Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School for many years. She then attended Southwood Baptist Church. She was a member of Green Country Doll Club. She was named after the Margie Doll so she became a collector of over 150 vintage dolls all displayed in her home. She was active with the American Legion Auxiliary many years. With her artistic skills she painted many oil & pastel paintings winning several awards. Her specialty was painting pigs where many restaurants displayed her work thus making her have lots of pig stories.

Margie had a very green thumb making her yard part of her artwork. Her many flowers were featured several times in the newspaper with neighbors calling her the Flower Lady. She was the family historian and all the many relatives always congregated at her home. She organized the family reunions every year & she & her siblings sang old hillbilly songs with each playing the harmonica at special performances with the Southern Baptist conventions.

Margie loved to travel with her sister, Lola, to many foreign countries. She was spit on by a camel in Egypt, had her luggage stolen in Moscow & took a different family member with her each year.

She was a very religious woman & liked to quote bible verses to her children. She never had a drink of alcohol or smoked saying those around her showed her what not to do. Her favorite song was, It is well with my soul & she tried to help others receive their salvation with this song.

Margie Doll lived to be 97 years old outliving all her siblings. She is preceded in death by her husband, Herman, her son, Randall & grandson, Adrian Deere. She is survived by her son, Dale Deere & Rebecca, daughter Teresa Newton & Bill, grandchildren Chris Deere, Amy Brauneis, Kerry Machemer & Robert, Miranda Deere, Callie Killion & Chris, Brandy Hutchins & Aaron, Amber Coleman & Megan, & Amber Newton, many great grandchildren & her beloved cat, Goldie.