Margarita Saba Walters was called home to be with Jesus on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. She was 83. How do you put her life and her legacy on to one page?
Margarita was born on July 18, 1940, in Cebu, Philippines to loving parents, Paulina Villamore and Christoto Saba. She was orphaned at an early age and became a nanny in Manilla, until she became of age to work and manage the Aristocrat Restaurant in Manilla. She learned so much having to grow up quick and carried a deep respect for work ethic.
She married the love of her life, Joseph Walters, on July 11, 1973, in the Philippines in the middle of a typhoon. She joked about it a lot. He went to Heaven to prepare a place for her on November 5, 1984.
Margarita moved to Long Beach, California in 1974 with her family. She spent a lot of time on her prized rose bushes and worked as a manager for a residential care facility until 1984 when the family moved to Carthage, Missouri. She enjoyed yard sales, cooking and taking walks. She fished, although she wouldn’t bait her own hook. Margarita was a humble, hard-working mother who pushed her kids to be good people. She loved with every fiber of her being, and always put her children – and grandchildren first. She loved to laugh and share little inside jokes with each one of them. She didn’t let a day go by without calling everyone to check up on them, and always wished them a good day, ending the phone calls or voicemails with “Never forget! I love you!” She was always the first one to pray and had the loudest laugh in the room. She loved nature and would sit outside enjoying the sunshine for hours.
Margarita was the matriarch of the family, lovingly referred to as “Nay” (pronounced Ni). She was blessed with seven children. Alejandrino Saba (wife Megan) of Carthage, Carlos Saba (deceased), Gerry Saba of California, Sandro Saba (wife Cathie) of Carthage, Augusto Saba (wife Cherry) of Baguio City, Philippines, Josephine Saba Ramos (husband Ernest) of Carthage, and Tony Walters of Carthage.
She is leaving behind a legacy of grandchildren, who she had a personal hand in raising most of them. Sandros Andrew Saba, Bishop Mosby Saba, Samantha Johnson Saba, Garrett Johnson, Tanner Marie Saba, Israel Saba, Allyson Saba, Austin Saba, Draven Saba, Megan Saba, Isaac Saba, Kole Saba, Malcolm Saba, Sydni Saba, Eboni Saba, Brooklyn Operio Saba, Jasmyne Ramos-Williams, JJ Ramos, Ernie Ramos, Carina Ramos, Melanie Ramos, Justis Snyder. Thirty great-grandchildren were also welcomed with warm hugs and never-ending compliments. She was often teased about being a spoiling Grandma, making sure they had their favorite snacks in the cupboard or the freezer. She will be missed as she takes a little piece of all of our hearts to Heaven with her.
Preceding in her death were son, Carlos Saba and husband, Joseph Walters.
The funeral for Margarita will be at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at Ulmer Funeral Home. There will be a visitation from 6:00 to 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at Ulmer Funeral Home. The burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery immediately following the service, where she will be laid to rest next to her husband.
