Margaret Frances Cook Underwood, age 86, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, January 7, 2017, in Traverse City, Michigan surrounded by family.
Margaret was born on July 8, 1930 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Albert Charles Cook and Maude Hegner Cook. She attended Hartwell High School in Cincinnati, and was a member of the final graduating class from that school. She spent every summer with her family at the family cottage on Little Glen Lake in Leelanau County. She graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with Honors with a degree in Psychology.
After marrying John N Underwood Sr, the family relocated to Traverse City, Michigan in 1964. They immediately joined the First Baptist Church of Traverse City and remained members until their deaths. In 1967, after being divorced, Margaret chose to stay in Traverse City and raise her 5 children in the area. She began working for the Boy Scouts of America, Scenic Trails Council in 1965, going to full time employment in 1967. Margaret was also actively involved as a volunteer in the Scouting program, serving as a Den Leader, Committee Chair, Round Table Leader, District Trainer, Brownie Leader and Troop Leader for the Girl Scouts. She also served on the Crooked Tree Council Board and was the Contingent Leader for her Girl Scout Troop to Our Cabanya in Cornovvica, Mexico. Margaret received several awards for her volunteer leadership in Scouting including the District Merit Award for the council and the Silver Beaver Award from the Scenic Trails Council. She retired from the Boys Scouts in 1994. While she was working at the Boy Scouts, Margaret earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Ferris State University, and worked on a Master's Degree in Education from Michigan State University.
Margaret had been politically active in the Republican Party since her arrival in Traverse City. In 1988, Margaret was approached and ran for a seat on the Grand Traverse County Commission Board. In her 20 years as a County Commissioner, she held several positions including Vice Chair and Chairman of the Board. Margaret retired from the Commission in December of 2008, at the age of 78, being the longest serving County Commissioner in Grand Traverse County at that time.
In 1994, Margaret was asked to serve as the Deputy Treasurer of East Bay Township, where she served until 2006. After retirement, she kept active quilting, reading, especially books about the Civil War, and watching lots of sports – especially keeping up on the Detroit Redwings.
Margaret was always active in the community. She volunteered for the National Cherry Festival starting as a volunteer building floats, then moved on to become a Festival Director for 25 years and ended up a NCF Chancellor. She was President of the Traverse City Area Public Schools Music Boosters, heading up the Annual Fruit Sale several years. She helped spear head the fund drive for the new track at what is now Traverse City Central High School. Margaret also received the first ever "Golden Baton Award" from the TCHS Boys Track program in 1977 for her never ending support of the program.


Margaret served her Lord and Savior with a passion. As she recently witnessed to First Baptist Church, her first memory was riding on her big brother Bert's shoulders, through the cornfields to attend Sunday School at Wyoming Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio where she became a member and continuing as a member of First Baptist Church in Traverse City, Michigan. She faithfully taught Sunday School for 52 years serving all ages within the church. She also completed Layman Certification with American Baptist Churches in the 1970's. Margaret was elected to the American Baptist Churches State Board of Regents, as well as the National Board of Directors for the American Baptist Churches - USA. She also served as the President of the American Baptist Women's Ministries at both the State and Local level, and was still the White Cross Coordinator this past Christmas.
Margaret is survived by her five children: son John (Arlene) of Eden Prairie, MN; son David (Laura) of Sturgis, MI; daughter Sarah Segerlind (TJ) of East Lansing, MI; son Daniel (Lorraine) of White Salmon, WA; son Joseph of Traverse City, MI; and brother Albert Charles Cook, Jr. of New Jersey. Also surviving are her beloved grandchildren; Nick, Emily, Sally, Erick, Matthew, Amy Margaret, Amy Arlene, Kate, Julie and Anne, along with her great- grandchildren Sydney, Jaime, Bryan, Marley and Liam. She is preceded in death by her brothers Joe and Robert and her parents Albert and Maude Cook.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, Jan. 15 from 5pm to 7pm and again on Monday, Jan. 16 from 10am to 12 noon at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City. A memorial service will be held in the spring at First Baptist Church in Traverse City followed by a private family internment.
In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in Margaret's name to International Ministries, American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, c/o First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 6733, Traverse City, MI 49696-6733.
Please share your thoughts and memories with Margaret's family by way of her online guestbook at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com .
The family is being cared for by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.