Margaret Arbuckle was the second born child of Hugh and Evelyn Arbuckle of Montana, both of whom have predeceased her in death as well as her only other sibling, an older brother, Leo Arbuckle of Coram Montana.  

Margaret was born in Choteau Montana and lived her early years on her father’s ranch near Glacier National Park where he worked as a professional hunter and guide. Growing up in this remote mountainous setting, Margaret learned early on how to be self-sufficient and was helpful in her father’s business. It was not uncommon for her to run a string line of stock horses across the mountain ranges on her own as a teenager and to complete these runs that lasted many days surviving in this wilderness setting and with this important responsibility.  The ranch also had sheep, and she learned to be proficient in all the aspects of ranching. She always worked and worked hard at whatever her job was. In June of 1946, Margaret and her brother Leo along with their father trailed their horses from Swift Dam through the Bob Marshall in Montana. It rained every day, going to bed wet and running short of food. With only a can of peas left at the end of the drive, it wasn’t surprising that nobody ever liked peas after that. 

Margaret and her brother Leo spent winters at a boarding school as the ranch was too remote for them to travel with the extreme winter weather. It was interesting to hear the tales of her adventures as a young woman and all her experiences.

Margaret met her first husband, William (Bill) Strack, where she worked at a restaurant. He asked if she would cook up some fish he had caught, and she was happy to oblige. After that initial meeting, Bill was a frequent visitor to that restaurant and when Margaret introduced him to her father Hugh Arbuckle, a well-known hunter and guide at the Arbuckle Ranch near Glacier Park, this must have made for an interesting encounter. “Wildlife hunter and guide meets daughter’s new beau, the local Fish and Game Officer”. We have heard the “stories”.

Shortly after, Bill and Margaret left Montana, married and moved to Homedale Idaho where Bill worked in Owyhee County for Idaho Fish and Game and mom worked as a homemaker and cared for the growing family. From that marriage there were five children. Bill Strack of Nampa Idaho, Richard Strack of Homedale Idaho, Donna Strack of Wilmington Delaware, Clayton Strack of Asotin Washington and Gayle Strack of Idaho City Idaho.  

Growing up, we have many memories of mom cooking and canning. She taught her eldest daughter Donna to sew and to this day Donna enjoys it and in fact received a college degree in that area of interest. Mom taught her New York City born husband all about taking care of the cow and learning how to milk it as well as raising and butchering chickens. Mom always had a love for horses and as her children, we got lots of practical experience by getting bucked off during the course of breaking and training them. Our reward was each of us having their own horse to ride and it was one of the joys of our raising that we all remember and cherish.

Unfortunately, that marriage did not last and Margaret remarried. She had three more children, Leroy Strack of Emmett Idaho, Leo (Butch) McMilian of Tacoma Washington, and Evelyn McMilian of Caldwell Idaho. Margaret continued to live in the Homedale/Wilder area most of her life. She worked many jobs to include at Simplot and later she worked for the United States Postal Service in Boise.

Margaret taught her children to work hard and be self-sufficient. We have many memories to include going into the orchards at the “crack of dawn” as young children and picking peaches and cherries. Mom had many friends from her church and liked to pack us in the family station wagon and go over to their homes where they needed lots of helpers to mow yards, pull weeds and rake leaves. We received our reward in homemade strawberry ice cream and cookies.

Margaret always enjoyed people, and she made caretaking her career as a private in home CNA. She was good at her job and never had much time off in between clients.

Margaret passed peacefully in her sleep in the care of an amazing private home care family. She was fortunate living in this country home setting that she loved, and was surrounded by horses and chickens she could see from her bedroom window.

Margaret left behind a large family with a total of eight children, twenty-three grandchildren and too many to count great grandchildren. Wherever she went, Margaret easily made friends and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

A visitation/viewing is scheduled at Flahiff Funeral Chapel in Homedale, Idaho December 18th. Viewing will start at 11 am and the funeral service begins at 2 pm.