Margarita Castro Ibarra

Margarita (Margie) Castro Ibarra, 86, of Kansas City, KS was called home on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7, 2024, at Evergreen of Johnson County. Margie grew up in the Argentine area of Wyandotte County and attended Mt. Carmel and Argentine High School. She was the youngest of 11 children of Pablo and Magdalena Castro. My mom would tell me stories of trips to Mexico City, and California when she was younger. She would travel by train with her mother. In July of 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of the Kansas and Missouri rivers. On July 13, 1951, the flood began running over the top of the levees protecting the Argentine and Armourdale areas, resulting in the evacuation of 15,000 people. Our mom and her family were evacuated and had to leave their home in a hurry with not many belongings. Life Magazine came to Kansas City and took photos of the flood and the families that were impacted. Our mom, grandmother, Aunt Carmen, and our cousin Terry were in an article along with their picture in Life Magazine. Our parents were married on May 2. 1955 in Mexico, Missouri. They lived in apartments in Missouri until they moved to their home on 3rd Street which was our Ibarra grandparent’s home that survived the flood of ‘51. Margie and Jesse raised their four children on South 3rd h Street in Armourdale, Kansas. When the mass redevelopment hit the neighborhood in 1969, Margie and her husband built a new family residence high on the hill in Argentine, Kansas, where they would spend the rest of their lives raising their children, soon to come grandchildren, along with the new memories to come from their new home. Our mother was mostly a housewife and stayed home while we were young, while our dad worked. Once we were grown and out of the house, our mother worked various jobs including a job where she worked with her sister, Carmen, son, Jay, and daughter-in-law, Diana. They all worked for a gift card company called Social Expressions in Kansas City, Missouri, on the Westside. Oh, the stories they share. Margie retired from Sprint Telecommunications as a warehouse processer, handling telephones to be delivered to customers. We had the best Christmas’ our mom would buy us a lot of presents, everything we wanted, and more. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, comadre, sister-in-law, great aunt, cousin, and friend. She was an avid shopper, to which the truck driver said she was their best customer. Our mom liked to sew, knit, and would make our sister Laurie’s clothes when she was little. Our parents would spend a lot of time with family and friends. Aside from always being at her mother’s house visiting her sisters, brothers, niece Terry and nephew Mike Castro, her and our dad would visit with Patsy and Gilbert Castro for card games. Visits with Aunt Mary and Uncle Tony, they both looked forward to receiving their calendar each year. Visits with Aunt Rita & Uncle Ray, doing their Avon shopping, and many more visits with other family members. Our parents shared the same birthday, June 18, although 2 years apart. Our mom was born June 18, 1937, and our dad was born June 18, 1935. People would not believe us when we told them our parents had the same birthday. We will miss our mom very much, and while our hearts are broken, we know our mom is now with her son Gary, her husband, her parents, her sisters, and brothers, reminiscing of the good times the family had together. Margie was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Jesse Raul Ibarra, Sr on December 29, 2020, and her son, Gary Anthony Ibarra on December 11, 2013, her parents, Pablo and Magdalena Castro, her siblings, Guadalupe (Ruby) Castro, Carmen Castro, Jesse Castro Sr, Sebastian Castro, Amado Castro, Consuelo Camou (George), Mary Castro, Antonio Castro (Alvina), and Louie Castro (Donna, dec). Her brother and sisters-in-law, Dr. Richard and Elia Ibarra, Raymond and Rita Ibarra, and her father and mother-n law, Richard, and Carmen Ibarra. She is survived by her sons, Joseph P. Ibarra (Diana) and Jesse R. Ibarra, Jr. (Michelle) both of Kansas City, Kansas, and her daughter, Laurie M. Ortiz (Joe) of Kansas City, MO. Grandchildren, Jesse Ibarra, III, Nicholas Ibarra, Alyssa Perez (Aaron), and Jessica Ibarra, and Great-grandchildren, Adrian Ibarra-Penca, Jalen Mora, Ashton & Aubrielle Perez. Her last remaining older brother, Joe (Buck) Castro. Her niece, they grew up like sisters, Theresa Delgado, Sister-in laws, Rosemary Montemore (Genaro, dec.), AnnaMarie Gonzalez (Paul, dec.), and Carmen Wolfgeher (Ralph), and her Brother-in-law, Tony Garcia (Mary, dec) and many nieces, nephews, and godchildren. The family would like to thank the staff who took care of our mom at Evergreen Community of Johnson County. I will truly miss the staff and the residents who were also my mom’s roommates and other residents who would be so kind to her. Sharing a smile, a wave, and would always say hi to her. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions are suggested to Evergreen Community of Johnson County and Hospice Care. 11875 S. Sunset Dr., Ste. 100 Olathe, KS 66061 Or the Alzheimer Foundation. https://www.alzfdn.org

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Margarita Castro Ibarra

June 18, 1937 - April 7, 2024