Margaret "Margie" Gilliland

Margaret “Margie” Gilliland, 74, of Lehigh, Iowa, passed peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at UnityPoint ~ Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 1:30 P.M., Friday, January 23, 2026, at Holy Trinity Church in Fort Dodge. Fr. Jake Rosenmeyer will officiate. Interment will follow at West Lawn Cemetery in Lehigh. Visitation for Margie will be from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, January 22, at Carson ~ Stapp Funeral Home in Dayton. For online obituaries & condolences visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com

Margaret Sue Saah was born in Washington D.C. on April 28, 1951, to John and Jean Saah. She grew up there and graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy in 1969. On August 30, 1969, she married George Alan Gilliland at St. Catherine Labourne Church in Wheaton, Maryland. The family started out in Alexandria, Virginia. They later moved to Maryland, and then ultimately settled in Lehigh, Iowa in 1972. She had 5 children: Teresa, Karen, Wendy, Holly, and Paula. In 1991, she graduated from Buena Vista University with a Bachelor's Degree In Early Childhood Education and subsequently obtained a Master's Degree in Special Education. She started out teaching preschool and then was a full-time substitute teacher. She also worked for Walmart for 25 years. She was an active member of The Catholic Daughters of the Americas and also of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents John and Jean Saah, daughter Paula Gilliland, sister Linda Saah, sister Jenny Kanagaratnam, and brother Nicholas Saah. She is survived by her husband George Gilliland, daughters Teresa Gilliland, Karen Gilliland, Wendy Gilliland, and Holly (Joel) Stark, sister Joyce (Robert) Stephens, brothers Dr. Alfred (Andrea) Saah, Richard Saah, Ronald (Oriole) Saah, and Jim (Roseann) Saah, granddaughters Sophia Stark and Josephine Stark, and brothers-in-law, Charles (Carol) Gilliland, David Gilliland, and Brian Gilliland. Also several nieces and nephews.

She was a dear wife, loving mother, adoring grandmother, great cook, and world traveler. She will be dearly missed by all those who had the pleasure to know her.