Margaret Irene Nichols, 83, Alexandria,SD died Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at her home. Funeral service and prayer service will be 10:00 AM Friday, December 21, 2012 at St. Mary of Mercy Catholic Church, Alexandria, SD with burial at St. Mary of Mercy Catholic Cemetery, Alexandria. Visitation will one hour prior to the service. Margaret was born on May 17, 1929 in Portland, Oregon, the third of four daughters, to Charles Harold Nichols and Margaret Irene (Hodgin) Nichols. She graduated from McMinnville High School in McMinnville, Oregon in 1947. Margaret completed 3 years of the Arts and Sciences program at Oregon State College before moving to New York City to work as a stewardess for United Airlines from 1951-1954. She did drafting work for Boeing Corporation in Seattle, WA from 1954-1956. Margaret married Keith Chapman July 17, 1954 in Kirkland, WA. They raised their three daughters on Bainbridge Island, WA. Margaret had a lifelong love for the beauty of nature, art and music, and enjoyed creating pottery, painting, writing poetry, etc. when she was younger. She joined the Catholic church in 1986. Her faith was a source of joy, hope and peace in her life and in the lives of many of her loved ones. Margaret worked as an office manager and bookkeeper for various companies over the years until she retired and moved to Alexandria, SD. in 1997. Grateful for having shared her life are her three daughters and their husbands, Mollie (Michael) Grove, Alexandria, SD; Tina (Rich) O'Neill, Edmonds, WA; Jennifer (Ron) Unruh, Seattle, WA; 12 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and three sisters: JoAnn Thomson (Redmond, OR); Meredith (Jim) Apperson, McMinnville, OR; Nancy Morley, Salem, OR. She was preceded in death by her parents, Irene and Harold Nichols. In lieu of flowers, family requests donations be made to Our Mother of Mercy and St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery in Alexandria, SD.