Margaret Joan Banbury Green

Margaret Joan Banbury Green, age 94, passed away peacefully in her home January 29, 2016. She was born on March 14, 1921 in Cornwall, England to Francis Alfred and Ethel Maud Banbury. Her sister Barbara was born in 1922. In 1923 the Banbury family immigrated to America through Ellis Island. Proud of her English heritage, Margaret maintained contact with her British relatives through written correspondence and several overseas visits.Margaret grew up in Michigan and graduated from Ann Arbor High School. After a year working in her father’s store, Margaret attended Ball State Teacher College and graduated from Indiana University School of Education in 1942. While at Indiana she was a member of the Women’s Christian Organization and attended the Foundation’s Women’s Philanthropy Conference. She was also an active member of Pi Lambda Theta, an Honorary Sorority for the School of Education. After graduation, Margaret taught business classes for five years at the high school in Crawfordsville, Indiana She married Wallace Virgil Green, a Crawfordsville native, World War II veteran and Indiana State College graduate, at her parents’ home in Butler, Indiana May 31, 1947. They were married for 43 years and had four children. Her husband predeceased her in 1990. Margaret put her creative energies to work for her family. With an eye for design, style, and quality, she sewed garments for herself, her daughters and their dolls. She also made stuffed animals to the delight of her grandchildren. She prided herself in giving new life to items, re-upholstering and refinishing furniture and repurposing clothes into quilts and rugs.As a devoted mother, Margaret enjoyed attending children’s school and athletic events. She lent an ear for listening and a compassionate heart for understanding. She supported numerous charities; she was passionate about getting to the polls to vote. She had a soft spot for lost and abandoned pets, adopting several over the years.She is survived by four children: Rebecca Gorman (Robert) of Plymouth; MN; Cheryl Green Dyer of Cornelius, NC; Thomas Green and Richard Green of Indianapolis, IN. There are four grandchildren: Emily Gorman of Chicago, Il; Bryan Gorman of Mound, MN, Jon Dyer (Cecilia) and Megan Artman (Tim) all of Huntersville, N.C.; and six great grandchildren: Annabelle, Jack and Rosalie Dyer and Sophia, Holly and Genevieve Artman.There will be Celebration of Life for family. Internment will be at Elm Grove Cemetery in Bluffton, Indiana where she will rest with her parents.