Margaret Kraft

Margaret S. Kraft, 96, Bismarck, formerly of Tuttle, died Nov. 7, 2020, at Baptist Health Care Center, Bismarck. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, Nov. 16, 2020 at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 East Divide Avenue, Bismarck,  with Rev. Merle Hoots, Baptist Health Care Center Chaplain officiating.  A service livestream will be available on the funeral home’s website.

Burial will follow at the Tuttle Cemetery, Tuttle. 

Margaret was born to Vernon and Letha (Castle) Shaw on Feb. 19, 1924 in Fergus Falls, Minn. 

She received her education in Heil and Carson, graduating from Carson High School in 1942. 

During World War II, Margaret served as telegrapher in Western Union offices in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.  Working her way up from clerk to manager, she was among the few women telegraphers.  She used her skill in operating a telegraph key to send and receive Morse Code messages by telegraph lines.  She learned telegraphy growing up in a family who worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad.  A telegrapher was one of the first “high-technology” professions of the modern era. 

Margaret took a year of nurses’ training at St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck and then returned home to Tuttle to help the family following her mother’s death in 1945.  

Margaret married Rueben C. Kraft at Harvey in 1947.  Her Christian faith, family and church were particularly important parts of her life.  She enjoyed spending time visiting with family and looked forward to holidays, birthdays, and celebration get-togethers.  She kept a daily record of activities and events, had beautiful penmanship and enjoyed writing letters to the family.   

She served as a substitute schoolteacher, a 4-H leader and a piano teacher.  She was a member of the Tuttle United Methodist women’s church group, a Homemakers club and served in several officer positions. 

Margaret is survived by daughter, June Kraft, Bismarck;  son, Timothy (Pat) Kraft, Tuttle;  grandchildren, Tamara Kraft, Loveland, Colo., Laurie (Lee) Belohlavek, Bismarck, and Kristal (Kyle) Nordsven, Fargo;  great-granddaughters, Britney, Bismarck, and Katelynn, Fargo; sister, Cleone Swanner, Katy, Tex.;  brother, Ronald (Sharon) Shaw, Austin, Tex.;  sister-in-law, Luella Shaw, Aneta, N.D.;  and several nieces and nephews. 

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents;  husband, Rueben; daughter, Colleen Kraft;  son-in-law, Earl Brekke; brothers, Vernon Thomas Shaw and Clifford J. Shaw;  sister-in-law, Ruth Shaw; and brother-in-law, Albert Swanner.