Margie Irwin

A rare jewel was lost when Margie Elaine Irwin, 85, passed suddenly on July 15, 2026.
She was a cherished wife, a beloved mother and grandmother, and a treasured friend and neighbor.
Born on November 9, 1940, in Rushville, NE, Margie Elaine Ogden was one of seven children born to Emery and Esther Ogden. Emery owned a mercantile in Martin, SD, which the family operated.
She met and married Jim Irwin, settling in Rapid City, SD, in ‘the round house’ Jim built. There, Margie focused mainly on raising her family.
Later, when her aging parents began to require assistance, Margie and her sister Shirley helped care for them, taking turns hosting the extended family who visited. There was even a piñata at Christmas!
Eventually Margie, Jim and their son Jamie moved to Colorado where Margie resumed her education. Undaunted, she attended college in her mid forties, obtaining a degree in social work, a field where she could advocate for the elderly.
Her philosophy was older people deserve dignity and thus followed a rewarding, productive career.
After they retired, it was time to head somewhere different, somewhere meaningful to them both.
They purchased a trailer house in Gordon, NE; once Margie’s parent’s retirement home. It needed a LOT of work but they were up to the challenge.
The two of them worked hard. Jim surrounded it with a carapace of his masterful brick work, turning it into a solid, handsome cottage.
Retirement offered other adventures, including travel. England and Ireland, New York City, Maui, and a trip to Pasadena (where Margie helped create one of the floats for the Rose Bowl Parade.)
Margie remained active and engaged throughout. Last year Margie was able to
attend both of her grandsons’ weddings - and she danced!
She is preceded in death by: brothers Don and Bill Ogden, and sister Shirley Huigrns. She is survived by her husband Jim, daughters Destri Irwin, Kelly Benson, Kimberly Dwyer, son James Irwin, her grandsons Brooks and Brock Benson and sisters Roselyn Miller, Carol Lewis, and Kay Gregg. She leaves behind many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.