Margaret A. Saley

Margaret A. Saley, 76 of Onalaska, passed away at her home on Thursday, December 22, 2022, following a short but courageous battle with cancer.

She was born December 12, 1946, in La Crosse to Earl and Jesse (Taylor) McKinney and graduated from Aquinas High School in 1965. On August 12, 1967, she married Roger Saley, and he preceded her in death on October 10, 2014. Margaret was a stay-at-home mom to her four children for many years, until returning to school and earning her L.P.N. degree in 1979 from WWTI in La Crosse. She then worked for the Onalaska Care Center for over 30 years until her retirement.

Margaret was an avid member of the Red Hat Ladies and a previous member of the Onalaska Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed camping, shopping, going to rummage sales, getting together with her former coworkers at OCC, cruises, and driving adventures with Roger. She had always expressed her desire to visit Hawaii with her husband, but not until they built a bridge so she would not have to fly. Finally, in 1996 she took her first airplane trip to see friends in Arizona, in 2016 she visited Disney World in Orlando for the first time with her best friend Pat Werner Matson, and in 2019 she visited England for her granddaughter’s wedding reception.

Margaret is survived by four children; Mark Saley (Mishelle Gulley) of Onalaska, Lori Saley-Sands of Onalaska, Lisa Kiedrowski of Chaska, MN and Tami (Mike) Starr of Holmen; 12 grandchildren, Jeremy (Maria) Saley, Brittany Saley, Trevor (Allison) Saley, Alexandria (Phoenix) Gleason, Megan Saley, Jordan Sands, Ashley (Hunter Conant) Saley, Jakob Sands, Josephine Kiedrowski, Alicia Starr, Tasha Starr and Jessi Gulley; 7 great-grandchildren, Parker Saley, Elliot Saley, Oliver Saley, Roger Saley, Hattie Conant, Jayce Gulley, and Venice Romskog; numerous nieces and nephews, other family members and her two furry friends, Teddy and Bella.

In addition to her husband Roger, she was preceded in death by a grandson, Joshua James Saley.

The family would like to thank the Gundersen Health System Hospice Department, her Oncology Department Team, and her primary care provider, Lisa Roepke, NP, at the Onalaska Gundersen Clinic for their incredible hard work and support they provided.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred and will used in Margaret's memory.

A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 21, 2023 at the Onalaska American Legion, 731 Sand Lake Rd., Onalaska, WI. 54650

You held our hands when we were small, you caught us when we fell.

The hero of our childhood and of latter years as well.

Every time we think of you, our hearts just fill with pride...

And though we will always miss you

We know you are by our side.

In laughter and in sorrow in sunshine and in rain.

We know you are watching over us until we meet again.

-Anonymous