Margaret Whisnant

Margaret Eve Steinke Whisnant, of Manhattan, Kansas, died on June 22, 2026, at the age of 92.

She was born on May 20, 1934, in Woodrow, Colorado, to Frances Josephine (Haller) and Louie Fredrick Steinke. The youngest of six children, Margaret remained deeply connected to her family throughout her life. She was known as Marge to her friends, Margie to her family, and, on special occasions, Margaret by her parents.

From 1958 until 2020, she lived in the Kansas City area. For more than fifty years she made her home in Pleasant Valley, Missouri. In 2020, she and her husband, Jim, moved to Manhattan, Kansas, to be near their daughter, Rita, and her family.

A turning point in her life came in 1959 when a friend who worked at a dry cleaner's decided she should meet Carrol James "Jim" Whisnant, Jr. The friend had noticed that Jim's shirts never had lipstick on the collar and concluded he must be single. She decided he might be the perfect match for Marge.

Ever the optimist, Jim invited Marge on their first date to the 1959 Sunflower Showdown between Kansas State University and the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Marge was a proud KU graduate, while Jim had attended Kansas State before serving in the Korean War and remained a devoted Wildcat fan throughout his life. For reasons only Jim could explain, he thought a rivalry football game would make an excellent first date. KU defeated K-State 33-14. Family legend has it that Marge felt so sorry for Jim after watching her Jayhawks trounce his Wildcats that she agreed to a second date. Her daughter, Rita, always liked to say that Marge went on that date out of sympathy-but everyone knew it was really because they had already begun falling in love.

Less than a year after that memorable football game, they were married in Colby, Kansas, on June 25, 1960. The love that began on that first date sustained them through sixty-four years of marriage.

Margaret graduated from the University of Kansas in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and earned a Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1970. A lifelong educator and public servant, she taught in the North Kansas City School District during the 1960s and 1970s.

For more than thirty years, she was a dedicated grassroots volunteer for the Republican Party.She attended both the warmest and coldest presidential inaugurations on record, each for Ronald Reagan, and proudly brought her family to the second inauguration. She also served as a delegate to several Republican National Conventions.

In 1981, Missouri Governor Kit Bond appointed her as Fee Agent for the Liberty License Bureau. She faithfully served in that position until 1993.

Travel was one of Margaret's greatest joys. She took her first big adventure on a trip to Europe after college, helped by a bank loan co-signed by her brother Leroy, who accurately attested to her reliability. That sense of adventure carried into her marriage as she and Jim enjoyed many travels together. Their honeymoon was a driving trip to California, and they returned many times to visit Jim's Navy buddy, Don Kratzer, and his wife, Carol. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, they celebrated an anniversary in Australia in 1995, where they saw the Great Barrier Reef. Another favorite adventure took them through Alaska, traveling long, isolated roads in a truck pulling a camper. She described that journey as one of the greatest freedoms of her life.

She also loved taking her daughter, Rita, to Chicago to visit both the city and her brother Leroy, his wife Betty and her niece Mary Frances Bushman and her husband Mark. When her granddaughter Kate was old enough, she joined the adventures. Sometimes Jim came along, but often these were special trips just for the "girls." Whether flying, driving, or taking the train, Margaret was always eager to try a new way to reach a new destination.

Visits to Austin to spend time with Rod, Amerin, and their family became treasured traditions. She always planned special activities for the children and was a tremendous help. Rod and Amerin looked forward to every visit. The family also shared vacations to South Padre Island and Big Cedar Lodge.

When Jim and Kristen moved to Seattle, Jim and Margaret drove there to help with the move and took CJ and Abbey to see Mount St. Helens. She especially loved introducing her grandchildren to places they had never seen before. Every trip became an opportunity to visit as many friends and relatives as possible along the way.

Margie will long be remembered as the loving glue that held her family together. She celebrated with her brothers and sisters in times of joy and stood beside them through times of sorrow. She warmly welcomed sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law into the family and remained the thread that kept everyone connected as generations grew and spread across the country. If you wanted to know how to reach someone or hear how a family member was doing, you simply asked Margie. She either knew-or knew how to find out.

Family was always at the center of her life. She organized family reunions to strengthen bonds across generations, stayed in close contact with her nieces and nephews, and took a genuine interest in their lives. Aunt Margie is especially cherished by her nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

She was a woman of deep devotion and unwavering loyalty. Her relationship with Jim was a beautiful example of enduring love, evident to everyone who knew them. She supported her children wholeheartedly and created a home where they were encouraged to dream, grow, and build loving families of their own.

Following the example of her mother, Margaret became an avid gardener, a love she joyfully passed on to her daughter Rita. She was also an enthusiastic reader who was always eager to discuss a good book.

A devoted Catholic, she prayed the rosary faithfully and once joked that she owned enough rosaries and Bibles to start her own store. If you wanted someone to pray for you, Marge was the person to ask.

On October 24, 1942, when Margaret was eight years old, her mother wrote this note to her:

Dearest Margaret,

May your daily joys and sorrows make you strong in life's race, to run till the lips of smiling angels greet you with the words, "Well Done."

Hope that you will always be kind and sweet as you grow older, just as you are now.

Your loving Mother

God Bless You

Margaret treasured this blessing throughout her life. It quietly accompanied her through seasons of joy and sorrow and remained a source of strength until the end of her earthly journey.

When you think of Margaret Steinke Whisnant, may you remember her kindness, her humor, her resilience, her steadfast faith, and the generous love she shared with family and friends. She leaves behind not only cherished memories but also a legacy of devotion that continues to bind her family together.

She is survived by her children: Carrol James Whisnant III (Kristen), Rodney Thomas Whisnant (Amerin), and Rita Jeannine Whisnant Cassida (John); her grandchildren: Carrol James Whisnant IV, Abbey Blair Whisnant Western (Gunner), Brock Thachil Whisnant, Eve Kerala Whisnant, Axel Zain Whisnant, Calvin James Cassida, Katherine Elizabeth Cassida Rizza (Alan), and great-grandson Theodore Andrew Rizza.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jim; her parents, Frances Josephine (Haller) and Louie Fredrick Steinke; her brothers, Leroy, Lloyd, and Louis Steinke; and her sisters, Marie Freehling and Martha Wolfe.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. James Catholic Church in Liberty, Missouri, on August 8, 2026. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m., followed by the rosary and eulogy. Mass will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. James Catholic Church and left in care of the Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home.