Mary Margaret Battles Obituary

Mary Margaret Battles, 76, of Topeka, passed away peacefully, March 26, 2021 at Midland Hospice House. 

She was born in Scotland County, Missouri on May 29, 1944, the daughter of Noel and Ila Dean (Phillips) Beckert. 

She was a 1961 graduate of Memphis High School in Memphis, Missouri. 

She married Donald Keith Battles on December 23, 1961 in Memphis. 

She had a daycare and was a homemaker. 

She was on the girls’ basketball team in high school which she lettered. She loved attending her sons’ baseball games, playing ping-pong, volleyball, and basketball, watching football and college basketball games and attending garage sales. She never knew a stranger. 

She loved sharing memories of growing up on a farm, the one room schoolhouse she attended, her high school friends, and talking about how much she loved her family and friends. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Noel and Ila Dean (Phillips) Beckert, great-granddaughter, Jaydyn Halseth, and great-grandson, Zachary Kaufman. 

She is survived by her husband Donald Keith Battles of Topeka, KS; siblings, John (Nadine) Beckert of Kahoka, MO; Dean (Roberta) Beckert of Memphis, MO; Betty (Audrey) Glass of Memphis, MO; Helen (the late Winifred) Hill of Memphis, MO; and Ed (Sandy) Beckert of Lees Summit, MO; children: Gary Battles of Westwego, LA; Terry (Danny) Belisle of Topeka, KS; and Ronnie Battles of Springfield, MO; grandchildren: Brian (Jodi) Halseth, Jaqueline (Daniel) Kaufman, Anthony (Kimberly) Halseth, Jennifer Halseth, Samantha Battles, Alexandra Battles, Brianna Battles, Danny Belisle, Jr., Richard (Julia Mannell) Halseth, and Gary Belisle as well as many great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. 

Cremation is planned with graveside services to be held at a later time.