Margaret Carol Hancuff was born on December 20, 1934 in Vancouver, Washington to LeRoy and Ellen Hancuff. She was the second of five children, all of whom helped with their parents’ farm work.
Margaret graduated from Vancouver High School and attended Pacific College, now George Fox University, where she met Mel Lamm. Within a couple of weeks, they knew that they would be together for life. They married on September 4, 1955. Through the 63 years of their marriage, they lived in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Sandy, and Gresham, while raising six children.
For many years, Margaret also provided care to countless children of local families. Many of those families became longtime friends. She was a very talented pianist and organist, serving her local church faithfully. She also arranged music and accompanied her husband, his father, his brothers, and the famous Lamm Family Singers, made up of Mel and their children.
Margaret never met a stranger. Everyone was welcome in her home and she freely extended love to all. She was a terrific cook who fed everyone who entered. And she made enormous main dishes, salads, and desserts for every gathering she attended. There was nothing like her fudge, divinity, peanut clusters, and peanut brittle. Each one was more delicious than the one before.
But you cannot talk about Margaret Lamm without mentioning her cookies. Who among us here today has not had the good fortune of enjoying at least one of her cookies? There were butter balls, sugar jumbles, thumbprints, cyclops, pinwheels, and crinkles. There were sugar cookies with sprinkles and sugar cookies with pink icing. And she made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. We all knew that she added more chocolate chips than the recipe called for. And she single-handedly kept the Gold Medal flour company in business.
Her earthly life came to an end in November of last year while she was doing what she loved: baking cookies. They were for an early 90th birthday party the family had planned for her. She suffered a massive stroke, and was unresponsive for a few days as her family gathered around while her breath slowly ebbed away. She passed at home on Nov 15.
Proceeding her in death were her beloved husband, her parents, Mel’s parents, two sisters, seven brothers-in-law, four sisters-in-law, a niece, and two nephews, as well as several cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Margaret is survived by her sister Beverly Poff, her brother LeRoy (wife Alice), her children Carrie Bishop (husband Paul), Ron Lamm (wife Renee), Ellen Parr, Rick Lamm, Debbie Lamm Bray (husband Rob), Randy Lamm (wife Alisha), grandchildren Carol Hintz (Raymond), Michelle Shanley, Nathan Lamm (Pamela), Jessica Lee, Carissa Birge (Jarred), Kelsey Bowhay (Nathan), Tim Parr (Sela), Jeffrey Bishop, and Amanda Bishop. Great-grandchildren include Luke Hintz, Josiah Hintz, Judah Hintz, Adina Hintz, Zoe Hintz, Liam Shanley, Bentley Lamm, Brody Birge, Jett Birge, Cade Birge, Monroe Bowhay, Rosalee Bowhay, Asher Parr, and Kyland Parr.
For those who lost track, that’s two siblings, six children, four children-in-law, nine grandchildren, five grandchildren-in-law, and 14 great-grandchildren.
Margaret’s legacy does not include only her descendants. Her life itself was an example of unconditional love, generosity, persistence, and unwavering faith in Christ. We are sustained by her example and countless special memories.