Fannie Margaret Schmitz Schulze

Fannie Margaret Schulze was born June 23, 1921 in Commerce, Texas. She was the only child of Jesse Lee and Lottie Gertrude Schmitz. Margaret is preceded in death by her husband James Alton Schulze. She is survived by daughter, Dixie and her husband Bill McMath of Corinth.

Margaret grew up the daughter of a railroad man for the Cotton Belt Line and a mother who took in ironing and provided day care in her home for children of working parents. She attended school in Commerce and graduated as the valedictorian of the Commerce High School Class of 1939. She entered East Texas State University (now Texas A&M Commerce) that same year. While at ETSU she majored in health, physical education, recreation and dance. She was a member of the traveling dance team and a majorette in the ETSU Marching Band.

It was at ETSU that Margaret met the love of her life, James Alton Schulze, on the tennis courts. After graduating from ETSU, Margaret coached basketball and taught physical education, Spanish, and journalism at Commerce High School for 1 year before she married James on May 1, 1943.

James was sent overseas in WWII as a pilot. While he was busy dropping paratroopers on D-Day, Margaret was aggressively working on a Masters Degree first at the University of Texas at Austin on scholarship and finally finishing the degree from ETSU in 1947. After the war Margaret and James both continued to teach at Commerce High School. In 1950, their only child, Dixie Lee was born.

The family moved to nearby Greenville in 1954 where Margaret taught physical education and directed the Flaming Flashes drill team while James taught math, industrial arts and coached tennis. They remained in Greenville for 6 years and moved to Denton in 1960.

Margaret taught health, physical education and led the pep squad and cheerleaders during her teaching years at Denton High School. She completed her 40 years of teaching by being the Dean of Women at DHS for the last 5 years of her career. Teaching was her passion and she was a master teacher. Though she was a busy working mother, she never missed an activity or performance that daughter Dixie was involved in. She balanced work, family, fun, and community activities.

After retirement, Margaret did not slow down. She volunteered with Hospice at

Flow Hospital, served as a docent at the Denton County Court House and taught in the literacy program at the First Baptist Church. She was a lifetime member of the Texas Retired Teachers Association. She followed James across the US to national tennis tournaments until he finally stopped playing competitively at the age of 82. When James passed away in 2010 at the age of 88 they had been married 67 years.

Margaret's interests and talents were never ending. She enjoyed making stained glass, ceramics, knitting, crocheting, and was an excellent seamstress. During her involvement at the Senior Center in Denton she did line dancing and made recycled Christmas cards. Until recently at age 98 she was still participating in all the activities at Lake Forest Good Samaritan Village. She especially enjoyed working puzzles, coloring, playing cards and bingo. Her family and friends loved her because of her sweet, happy personality. She has said many times, "I have had a great life, I feel like a million dollars, and every day is a good day!" She was loved and will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to share 98 years of her full and happy life.

Due to the current COVID19 situation, there will be a family graveside burial at Roselawn Memorial Park in Denton. Texas. In lieu of flowers memorials can be sent to Good Samaritan Society Lake Forest Foundation, 3901 Montecito Drive, Denton, Texas 76210.