Margaret Hinton

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It is with great sadness that the family of Margaret/Punk Otelia (Kelley) Hinton announces her passing on Friday evening, Aug. 16 at Matagorda House Healthcare Center in Bay City, Texas at the age of 98.

Margaret was a lifetime Texan. She was born in Hochheim and graduated from Gonzales High School. In 1960 she moved to Baytown where she worked as a frameman for General Telephone Company until retirement. She later moved to Hermann Sons Retirement Home in Comfort, where she lived until relocating to Bay City last year.

Margaret was predeceased by her parents Clyde Blair Kelley and Annie Belle Steen Kelley, step-mother Agnes Rice Kelley, and her husband Douglas Lee Hinton as well as her siblings Bart Kelley, Clyde Kelley, Bonnie Etie, and Sam Kelley. She is survived by brothers Karl Kelley, Rex Kelley, Ray/Bub Kelley, and sisters Kay Manning, Suzanne Benes, and Priscilla Gibson. She will be forever remembered by her 4 children: Clyde Lee Hinton, Tommie Lou (Joe) Herzik, Connie (Bill) Conover, and Tina (John) Arlitt. Margaret will be sadly missed by her grandchildren Mark (Shelly) Hinton, Tom (Dena), Hinton, Daryl (Zoe) Roper, Lori (Wayne) Doyle, Lance (Lesley) Thrower, Logan (Michelle) Thrower, Douglas (Leigh) Arlitt, and Clayton (Emily) Arlitt as well as many great grandchildren.

Margaret is best known for her love of competition and her success as a senior athlete. She played softball throughout her adult years. She was the only woman on a co-ed All-Star softball team and won several championship games in the Houston Astrodome. She spent her golden years competing in the Senior Olympics at State, National, and World levels. She traveled to Mexico, Canada, Australia, and England to compete. Along with winning over 700 gold medals, she set senior world records in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump as well as pole vault. She was inducted into the Texas Senior Games Hall of Fame and the USA Masters Track and Field Hall of Fame as well as being featured in Life Magazine and on Channel 2 NBC/KPRC.

Always open to new challenges, Margaret was awarded with 1st place showmanship in a week long Houston Rodeo trail ride. She was 1st runner up in the Ms. Texas Senior America Pageant. On the home front, she was the center of the family unit and will be remembered fondly for the many domino and card games played late into the night.

The family would like to express our deepest gratitude to Houston Hospice/El Campo’s staff and volunteers for their much needed and compassionate care. Arrangements have been entrusted to Koenig-Belvill Funeral Home & Cremations, La Grange, Texas. Condolences for the family may be left online at www.lagrangefunerals.com. A Celebration of Life will be held for the family on Saturday.

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