Margaret Ann Shook

Margaret Ann Shook, 84 of Coalton, Ohio passed away peacefully at home on June 28, 2025.She was born April 16, 1941 in Jackson to the late Elza and Lucille Hayburn Collins. Margaret lived her early years in Petrea, Ohio and attended grade school at Mineral Heights School in Jackson. Later she lived her teen years on Webb Pierce Road in Jackson. A graduate of Jackson High School, she was employed by Chung King Foods where she met Gerald " Jerry " Shook of Coalton. They were married on November 18, 1961 at the home of Rev. Alfred Tripp in Vinton County and she became a full time homemaker. Born to this union were Nancy Shook Agee in 1962 and Greg Shook in 1964.Margaret was community oriented and was a long time member of the Coalton Historical Society.She was one of the first female firefighters with the Coalton Volunteer Fire Department and served 33 years, retiring in 2010.She was the head cook for Coalton Volunteer Firefighters, Inc.at the James A. Rhodes Community Center in Coalton, cooking many a banquet which included her well known chicken and noodles plus her Hawaiian banquet cake. She fed many dignitaries including Governors James A. Rhodes, Mike DeWine, George Voinovich, and John Kasich along with Bob Taft's spouse ,Hope, Ted Strictland, and many congressmen.Frances Strictland and Frances DeWine loved Her banquet cake so much that they requested a copy of her recipe. She also volunteered to help construct along with other fire department members the current fire station and the James A. Rhodes Community Center in Coalton . She was a former member of Fellowship United Methodist Church in Coalton all of her married life until it closed and she became a member of Lucasville Emmanuel Church in Lucasville, Ohio.She was an amateur radio operator with license identification of KC8DFM. During the historic 1997 flood of Jackson County, she utilized her skills by maintaining emergency communications for Red Cross at the Jackson Memorial Building Operations Area.Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by sisters Helen Hayth, Mary Fisher, Beatrice McGhee, Margie Whaley, and her brother, Lewis Collins, along with several nieces and nephews. She is survived by her husband of nearly 64 years, Gerald Shook; daughter Nancy Shook ( Timothy ) Agee of Jefferson City, Tennessee; son, Greg ( Annie Sheets ) Shook of Coalton; dogs, Bruiser, Lizzy, and Lola; cats, Baby Kitty and Phizz; and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 at the Jenkins Funeral Chapel in Wellston where a Firefighters Service will be held at 7:30 P.M. Funeral services will be Thursday at 1 P.M. at the Jenkins Chapel with Pastor Tim Shephard officiating.Burial will follow in the Shook Family Cemetery next to the Coalton Cemetery. The Shook family would like to thank the staff of Heartland Hospice and neighbor Jody Milsap for helping with Margaret's care in the final days of battling cancer.In lieu of flowers, donations to honor Margaret can be made to the Coalton Historical Society, P.O. Box 233, Coalton, OH 45621 to assist with the restoration of Governor Rhodes' birthplace. Online condolences may be made at www.samjenkinsfuneralchapel.com