Margaret "Greta" Mary Hester

Margaret "Greta" Mary Hester (née Mullan) was born on June 29th, 1936, at the Maternity Home in Coleraine Parish, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, to Elizabeth McFaul. She was placed in the care of Margaret Mullan (née McLaughlin), a 65-year-old recently widowed woman, who raised her in Glenullin. The elder Mullan had raised ten children of her own, her youngest, who Margaret called “Uncle” Paddy (Patrick), still residing on the farm to help with the day-to-day operations and serve as a father figure to Margaret. Grandma and Greta would attend the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Glenullin, walking the 3-mile round trip regardless of the weather.

After completing her education, Margaret attended an agricultural school specializing in hospitality. One of her early jobs was as a secretary with Dr. Kelly and his wife in County Down and as a waitress in Portrush, Northern Ireland. She then left the Emerald Isle at the age of 20 to join her "Aunt" Ellen in Jersey City, New Jersey, working at her delicatessen, McCarthy's, as a waitress and all-around helper. Margaret later moved to New York City, where she attended night school and worked for the Mutual Life Insurance Company.

In New York City, Margaret met her first husband, Derlin Griffin, a Navy serviceman. They married on March 25th, 1961, and lived in Providence, Rhode Island, Orlando, and Ocala, Florida, before settling in Casper, Wyoming. The marriage produced four children before ending in July 1967.

Margaret then followed friends to Parsons and later Coffeyville, Kansas. In Coffeyville, she met her second husband, Howard Hester, and they were married on October 16th, 1971. The couple moved to Caney, Kansas, in May 1972. This marriage produced one child. The couple was married until Howard died in 2013.

Margaret moved to Coffeyville to Windsor Place Assisted Living in 2001 and later to Windsor Place Nursing Home in 2019, where she resided until her death. When asked how she would like to be remembered, she said, "for my humor and wit."

During the pandemic in 2020, with DNA, Margaret, who was given up at birth, was finally able to answer the long-time question of who her mother was. Thanks to help from people from Ireland, Scotland, England, and Canada, the puzzle pieces were put together, revealing Elizabeth (Lily) McFaul as her mother and James McAlister as her father. She was delighted to know finally. She was also happy to find her living siblings, Mary, Annie, and Alex, on her mother's side and Kenny, Colin, Sharon, and Victor on her father's side.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard; her son, Patrick Griffin; a stillborn daughter; her "grandmother," Margaret Mullan; her birth mother, Elizabeth McFaul; her birth father, James McAlister; and her "aunts" and "uncles," Peter, Mary, John, Peggy, Danny, Jerry, James, Ellen, Peter, and Patrick Mullan. Her half-brother, Brendan McFaul, and half-sisters, Joan Moyes (née McAlister) and Annie Anderson (née McFaul),  Stepdaughter Virginia Hester and stepson Howard C. Hester also preceded her in death.

Margaret is survived by her daughter, Robin, and Van Longbons of Bartlesville, OK; her sons, Dirk and Connie Griffin of Manhattan, KS; Mark Griffin of Broken Arrow, OK; and Harry and Gina Hester of Cherryvale; stepdaughters Carol Faglie, Romona, and Becky, and Kenny Evans, Cherryvale; 16 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, 14 step-grandchildren and many great step grandchildren  

Cremation has taken place with Wickham Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 216 East 4th, Cherryvale, Kansas 67335.  Celebration of life services will be held Saturday, January 4th, 2025, at 11:00 AM in Caney, Kansas at the Fellowship Church (old First Christian church), 100 E 4th Ave, Caney, KS 67333.