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Born in Glasgow, Montana, Margaret grew up on the family homestead east of Bigfork with two sisters, Ida Mary Fordik Zietzke (deceased) and Frances Fordik Ollendike.
Margaret attended Swan River grade school and Bigfork High School, excelling in math. When not in school, she loved and excelled in 4-H. She attended Montana State College, graduating in 1962 with a BS in home economics. In the 1963 school year, she was physical education, tennis coach and home economics instructor at the Yuma, Arizona high school. After her children were in school, she became an adult education instructor for under-privileged families at the Family Training Center at the Glasgow Air Base north of Glasgow, Montana. From 1983 to 1996, upon conclusion of tree sales, she became a substitute middle school teacher at Uinta County school district in Evanston, Wyoming.
Margaret’s heart remained on the family homestead in Bigfork where she shepherded her family, nieces and nephews. Following her dad’s example, she was owner and manager of Crane Mountain Tree Farm, including retail and wholesale operations, retiring after 20 years at the age of 60. She continued to live on the family acres until her death.
Margaret married Marine Lt. John Albrecht in 1963 at Saint Catherine’s parish in Bigfork and became a Marine’s wife for the next 62 years. She was a dedicated mother of four children, daughters Christa Elizabeth Secord, Elko, Nevada, Carla Ann Allen (deceased), sons Craig Daniel Albrecht (deceased), and Brian David Albrecht, Havre, Montana, and granddaughter Olivia Marie Albrecht of Havre, Montana.
Her years were rich, bringing her many friends and adopted family members to share her talents. She was proud of her good memory of the history of the Swan River and Bigfork community and families. She was a student of the Catholic faith, a talented seamstress, quilt maker and potter. Most of all she loved her children, family, church, her cats and of course, her flowers.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Carla Ann Albrecht/Jeffrey Secord Memorial Scholarship Fund, Northern Montana Alumni Foundation, P. O. Box 1691, Havre, Montana, 59501.
Services will be held Oct. 11, 2024, at the Saint John Paul II Catholic Church (195 Coverdell Road, Bigfork) with rosary starting at 10:30 a.m. and the service starting at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Woodlawn Cemetery 2310 Ninth Street West in Columbia Falls, Montana, starting at 3 p.m.
