Margaret "Maggie" Blevins

Margaret “Maggie” Blanche Blevins, 77, a legacy of Nowata, Oklahoma, passed from this life into eternal rest in the arms of her Lord and Savior on the morning of Friday, February 24, 2023, at the Ascension St. John Nowata Hospital. Maggie took her first breath of life on August 30, 1945, in Mount Vernon, Washington, as the daughter of Elmer Martin and Lillian Mae (Cork) Nichols.

At a young age, Maggie and her family relocated to Nowata, where she grew up and graduated from Nowata Public Schools in 1963. Being the Nowata Ironmen’s #1 fan that she was, Maggie loved and supported all Nowata Ironmen sports and curriculum. She could often be found at Ironmen sporting events or parking in her Nowata Booster Club parking space that she was sure to purchase yearly. Maggie married Raymond “Ray” Lee Blevins on August 18, 1980, and the couple spent 33 happy years together, before Ray’s passing in 2013.

Maggie worked at the Jane Phillips Nowata Health Center for 44 years, retiring as the administrator of the hospital. She had a successful career at the hospital and was known for her dedication to the job and the care and compassion that she showed her employees and community.  Even after retirement, Maggie continued to serve on the Board of Directors of the Jane Phillips Nowata Health Center.

She was an avid volunteer and organized and overseen countless community events. Maggie was a true supporter of all things Nowata. She took a special interest in City of Nowata and the Nowata Fire Department and donated to their cause and organization continuously throughout the years. Maggie was a member of the Trinity Church and volunteered at the food bank there. She was on the Board of Directors of the 10-33 Transportation Service from 1993-2023. At 10-33, Maggie drove the wheelchair van and was the coordinator for the service for 30+ years. She was not only volunteering her time with this service, but she was giving the citizens transportation that was desperately needed, driving Nowata County citizens to doctor’s appointments and taking them where they needed to go. Most of the people that she drove would call her a friend. She served on the Board of Directors for Arvest Bank from 1998-2022. In addition, Maggie also served on the Board of Directors on the Nowata County Fair Board.

Maggie served on the Nowata Area Chamber of Commerce for at least 25 years, acting as the treasurer for many of those years. During her time at the Chamber, Maggie organized and raised funds for many community events that are still in place currently. For 20+ years, Maggie organized the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, the Annual 4th of July Celebration, the Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet, the Downtown Trick-or-Treat festivities, the Pioneer Days festivities, the Veteran’s Day Parade, and the Annual Christmas Parade. After each event ended, Maggie would go out the next day after whatever event it was and shop for hours, searching for bargains for the next year’s event to replenish the stock, many times spending her own funds. In Nowata County, it is not always the easiest task to get people to volunteer at these events, but Maggie would always seek enough people to help and raise more than enough funds and donations to make each event successful.

Maggie was the recipient of the 1995 Nowata Area Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year Award, the 2012 Nowata Area Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2021 Nowata Area Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award because only Maggie B could earn two lifetime achievement awards in one lifetime!

So many words could be said or written, but they would not begin to describe who Maggie was, is and always will be. Maggie was truly “one of a kind” and her character, dedication, and generosity to the citizens of the city of Nowata was honestly like no other and the citizens of Nowata will greatly miss her. If there was a need in the community, Maggie was sure to make it happen. Maggie’s huge heart and assertiveness always shined through with everything that she did. Though she has left us here, we will always hold her memories near and dear. We all know that one day again we will join her at the gates of Heaven and rejoice in knowing that we get to share eternity with her. Maggie was strong in her faith and knew that Heaven was her home.

Maggie is preceded in death by her parents: Elmer and Lillian Nichols, her husband: Ray Blevins, and her siblings: Norris “Nick” Nichols, Dena Alexander, and Allan Nichols.

Those left to cherish the beautiful memories of who Maggie was include her step-children: Linda Lee Stamper of Owasso, OK, Susan Peters of Delaware, OK, Donna Kay Heckman and husband, Joe of Owasso, OK, and Ben Lewis and wife, Tammie of Nowata, OK; her sister-in-law: Kathi Nichols of Eureka, MO; her cousins: Ervin Nichols and wife, Jane of Bartlesville, OK, Melvin Nichols and wife, Helen of Bartlesville, OK, and Jessie Palone of Nowata, OK; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews, and many friends.

Funeral services for Maggie Blevins will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at 2:00 pm at the Trinity Church in Nowata with Pastor Connie Tharp officiating. Interment will follow at the Nowata Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation is planned for Wednesday, March 1, 2023, starting at 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at the Benjamin Funeral Chapel. The family will be greeting friends from 4pm-8pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Maggie’s name to the Trinity Church at 117 S. Willow Nowata, OK 74048 or the Nowata Fire Department at 115 S. Pine St. Nowata, OK 74048. Arrangements for Maggie have been trusted to Benjamin Funeral Service of Nowata, OK. Online condolences may be left at www.honoringmemoriesnowata.com.