Sioux Falls, SD, Margaret Pollock, age 82, died on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at Avera McKennan Hospital.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 AM Friday, May 3 at St. Therese Catholic Church followed by interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Sioux Falls.

Visitation begins 12:00 PM Thursday at George Boom Funeral Home, Sioux Falls with the family present to greet friends from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM a Liturgical Wake Service will begin at 7:00 PM.

Margaret Mary Alice Mertens was born on January 15, 1931 on the family farm near Ogema, MN to Hugo and Alice (Kugler) Mertens. She received her education in White Earth, MN attending St. Benedict's Mission. In 1953 Margaret made her home in Sioux Falls, SD attending the SD Beauty Academy graduating in 1954. On July 12, 1955 she was united in marriage with Robert Samuel Pollock in White Earth, MN. The couple made their home in Sioux Falls and was blessed with four children.

Margaret worked as a beautician for six years, and then worked as a housekeeper; cooking and cleaning for the Parish of St. Therese Rectory. She and her husband then owned and operated A-1 Cleaning Service for twenty years. She was an active member of St. Therese Church serving as Eucharistic Minister, working on the funeral committee and being a part of the Prayer Shawl group, crocheting prayer shawls and baby Baptismal blankets.

Margaret enjoyed spending time in her garden, canning, cooking, baking, shopping at Goodwill and listening to music; especially country, gospel and polka. Above all she loved taking care of her grandchildren and hosting all family gatherings and holidays. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend who will be dearly missed.

Grateful for having shared her life are her four children, Deb Peters and her husband, John, Sioux Falls, Patty Rand and her husband, Rodney, Maynard, MN Bob Pollock and his wife, Lori, Sioux Falls, and Laurie Markley and her husband, Scott, Sioux Falls; eleven grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; eight siblings, Lillian Maruska and her husband, George, Detroit Lakes, MN, Evelyn Buhl and her husband, Bill, Stillwater, MN, Alice Pye, Franklin, TN, MaryAnn Teiken, Ogema, MN, Hugo Mertens and his wife, Carol, Sioux Falls, Clarence Mertens and his wife, Linda, Sioux Falls, Ronald Mertens, Veblin, SD, and LeRoy Mertens, Mesa, WA; and a host of other family and friends.

Margaret is preceded in death by her parents, husband; two sisters, Ethel Huska-Burchett and Bernadine Mertens; and four brothers, August, Anthony, Edwin and Raymond Mertens.