Mary Margaret Buus was born on June 5, 1945, in Monett, Missouri. She was the daughter of William Curtis and Anna Lucinda (Smith) Seneker. She grew up with her older brother John on their parents’ dairy farm north of Mt. Vernon. There her mother taught her to cook, sew, and play piano, three skills by which she would serve the Lord and bless her family and friends for the rest of her life.
Margaret graduated from Miller High School in 1963, and then attended Ozark Christian College until her marriage to Richard Buus on June 12, 1964. To this union were born three children; Stephen, Lucinda, and John.
Margaret accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior at an early age and used her gifts to serve Him as the longtime music director of Miller Christian Church. Whether singing solos for countless funerals, duets with her brother, trios with Joyce Jones and Lois Hunter or Stephen and Sheila, or accompanying a choir, congregation, or theater band, Margaret’s smooth alto voice and signature style on the piano stood out. Her musical abilities were known throughout the area, and everyone fortunate enough to have her play for them knew she had the unique ability as an accompanist to bring out their best without an audience ever noticing how she did it.
A knowledgeable student of the Bible, Margaret taught the “Mr. and Mrs.” Sunday School class at church for many years and was once honored at the North American Christian Convention for her teaching abilities. If you asked Margaret to tell you her favorite scripture reference, she would give you a smile, followed by, “Well, this week my favorite scripture is…” She would use her great knowledge of the scriptures to make sure the music at church matched the sermon topic so the congregation could use both the music and the sermon to reflect upon the topic being addressed that day.
For more than 28 years, Margaret was the accompanist for the Miller High School music department, helping hundreds of budding musicians at numerous district and state contests. She played for both the instrumentalists as well as the choral students and loved getting to play new music because she enjoyed the challenge of mastering it. There were many times when area teachers would turn to Margaret for a copy of a hard-to-find piece of music. No one was ever surprised when Margaret was able to find the song in her music library and save the day. Margaret was the glue of the MHS Music Department, and her gentle guidance and great patience helped mentor many young directors through the years.
As talented as she was in music, Margaret was at least as equally talented in cross-stitch. She made cross-stitched creations for those she loved greatly. She made items for weddings, new babies, graduations, Christmas presents, and for high school students who had done great things at contests. The slanted “M” at the bottom of each piece marked it as a Margaret original, and if you ever received one, you know it was made from a place of deep love. Getting one of Margaret’s pieces meant you were one of her special people, and she prayed over each stitch as she prayed over you.
Margaret’s sewing skills were not limited to just cross-stitch. She was an excellent seamstress and made many of her own special outfits as well as formal wear for her granddaughters. She created her own patterns and then added a special touch to turn them into the most beautiful things you ever owned. She had a skill which just could not be replicated, because everything was made with a little extra love.
Margaret was also an excellent cook. If she knew you had a favorite dish, especially if it was a dessert, she would make sure that you had it on your special day. She was an excellent pie maker, and always made each family member their favorite pie on Thanksgiving and for their birthday.
Margaret’s favorite color was purple, and she loved Dr. Pepper. She was a die-hard NASCAR and Days of our Lives fan and would watch either whenever they came on TV.
In her later years, Margaret became active in several civic organizations. She was the president of the Miller Christian Service Center, vice-president of the Miller Fall Festival Association, and a member of the Miller Lions Club. She helped her daughter-in-law Sheila with American Legion Auxiliary Girls State and played piano in the Mt. Vernon Community Theater band for productions such as The Music Man and Fiddler on the Roof. She also played and sang with the Lawrence County Community Choir for a time.
Margaret passed away Nov. 18, 2019, in her home in Miller, at the age of 74 years, 5 months, and 13 days. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Anna Lou Seneker, brother John Seneker, father-in-law Gregers Buus and brother-in-law James Buus. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Richard; son Stephen Buus and his wife Sheila of Greenfield; daughter Lucinda Garringer and her husband David of Miller; son John and his fiancee’ Consuelo Kalea of Miller; grandchildren LeeAnna and Marinna Garringer; Ebony, Emmanuella and Isabella Kalea; Amelie, Larissa, and Lars Buus; and great-grandson Teddy Garringer.
Margaret Buus was a perfect example of the Proverbs 31 woman. “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”
Surely in all the days of her life, Margaret brought nothing but good to everyone she knew and loved.
A celebration of Margaret’s life was held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, at Miller Christian Church. Burial will be at a later date at Miller Memorial Gardens, under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home of Miller. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made payable to Miller Christian Church or Miller Music Boosters in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 108, Miller, MO 65707. Online condolences may be shared at www.FossettMosherFuneralHome.com.
