Margot Hale

Margot Martha Irma (Bartsch) Hale fell seriously ill while on a cruise aboard the Carnival Valor with her daughter Michele by her side. On Thursday morning August 13, 2015 she was taken to the clinic in Cozumel, Mexico, where she passed away before she could be evacuated to a larger hospital. She met and married Gerald Jerry Hale who was stationed with the U.S. Navy in Bremerhaven, Germany. They were married in 1958 at the base Chapel. Margot and Jerry had two daughters, Phylis Smith, who died in 2014, and Michele Yohe. Phylis' son lives in West Virginia and is the father of two beautiful daughters, Amanda Smith and Sarah Powell. Michele married William Yohe III and they live in Concord, NC. Bill & Michele have two beautiful daughters, Alexis and Morgan. Margot was born in Berlin, Germany on 1 July 1937 to Alfred and Irmgard (Drange) Bartsch. The family originated in Neuhaus, Kreis Frankenstein, Schlesien, Germany (now Poland). After the war the family moved to Bremerhaven, Germany where Alfred established a thriving taxi business and Irmgard became oldest active female taxi driver in Germany. Margot had a brother, Werner, who predeceased her on 3 May 2007. She has four nieces living in Bremerhaven (Bettina, Belinda, Bianca and Jennifer) three cousins living in Berlin (Jurgen, Ulla and Wolfgang) and a special German friend, Evelyn Rautschka, who visited frequently. Margot's health had been slowly deteriorating for several years and when asked by her cardiologist what she had on her bucket list she said she wanted to go on one more cruise. She didn't make it all the way through but we take solace in knowing she died doing what she loved. There will be a service for Margot at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home, 1209 Iowa Ave W., Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday August 29th. Public visitation will be held one hour prior to services. A reception will follow with burial at the Eden Cemetery in Rhodes, where Jerrys family from a great-great grandfather to recently departed family lie. There will be a celebration of life gathering in Orange City, Florida in the middle of September. Plans have not been finalized. Jerry and Bill & Michele Yohe family thank everyone who has expressed condolences with special thanks to sister Jean Pfantz without whom we could never have arranged this and to our neighbor in Deltona, Mrs. Nancy Walker who has assisted in every way. Memorial Contributions maybe directed in Margot's name to her family.