Margaret Casteel, age 88, of Okolona, Arkansas died peacefully on July 10, 2022. Margaret was born in Okolona on the homeplace where she lived at the time of her death. Having an adventurous spirit, she left home after high school to study and work in Little Rock where she met the love of her life, Johnnie L Casteel. She supported his career in the US Air Force for the next 23 years, including at postings in Arkansas, Italy, Texas, Florida, Alaska, and Illinois, and sustained the family during his remote assignments in Vietnam and Taiwan. She continued her own work in the base housing office at two different bases after his retirement from the military. Following her own retirement from federal service, they decamped to her family’s homestead and the community in Okolona where they lived an active life in retirement. 

Margaret was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, her family and faith being the center of her life. She was active in the Center Grove Methodist Church and the First United Methodist Church of Gordon and lived her life as a true example of her faith. She was married to Johnnie for 52 years.

Margaret is preceded in death by her husband Johnnie, her daughter Lisa G Casteel, her mother Elizabeth M Dickerson, her father Paul E Dickerson and her sister-in-law Cornelia R Dickerson. She is survived by her son Gary W Casteel (Deb) of St Francisville, LA, her grandchildren Jay (Mary) of Seattle, WA, Rachel Ostrenko (Derick) of Baton Rouge, LA, Jordan (Darla) of Papillion, NE and Maggie Neill (James) of London, England, and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother John Paul Dickerson and nephew Tim Dickerson of Okolona, AR.

Visitation will be held Saturday, July 16, 2022 at 10:00am in the Center Grove Methodist Church.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 16, 2022 at 11:00am in the Center Grove Methodist Church with Pastor Mike Proctor officiating. Interment will follow at Center Ridge Cemetery under the direction of Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Home of Gurdon.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute (http://cancer.UAMS.edu/get-involved/donate/) or the Center Ridge Cemetery ℅ Belinda Whitlock, South Fork Road Box 1480, Gurdon, AR 71743. 

We also invite you to express your public condolences at www.herndonfuquafuneralhomes.com or private Letters of Love at www.herndonfuquafuneralhomes.com/page/letters-of-love.