Margaret C. Kortens

Margaret Beach Wheeler was born March 28th, 1928, in Three Rivers, Michigan. Known to all as Marty, on January 31, 2024, at age 95, she passed away peacefully. Marty was born to Harold and Bertha Wheeler. Harold (a dentist) passed away just days before Marty was born. Bertha remarried and Marty was raised by her stepfather Skyler Sprague. Her siblings were Paul, Majel (Paul) Carter, and stepbrother Don (Betty) Sprague. The family lived in housing attached to the Sprague Funeral Home in Mishawaka, Indiana. Marty recalled hearing the reports of the Pearl Harbor bombing live over the radio at age 13. Marty met her prince charming at Michigan State College (now University) where, after graduation, Marty married Charles “Roger” Korten in the summer of 1949. Roger had served in WWII and went on to become an attorney in Michigan with his own practice. Marty and Roger had four children, Doug (Brenda), Dawn Breton, Scott (Dubbin), and Lance. Marty and Roger enjoyed many summers at Clarklake, Michigan at “K1” where they made lifelong friends. The family also frequently visited Chaffee’s Lock, Canada where they had a cottage. During the decades in Michigan, Marty volunteered for the March of Dimes, the Ella Sharp Museum, and the Florence Crittenton Shelter. On vacation, Roger enjoyed snow skiing and Marty (not one to be left out) learned how to ski and so did all the children. After Roger retired, the couple spent more time at their condo in Casa Bonita Grande in Bonita Springs, Florida. Marty made CBG her permanent home in the sunshine after Roger passed away in 2014. For the last decade, she continued to visit with friends, travel, volunteer, and spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Marty’s drive to be involved and her filled social calendar might have been her secret to longevity. She traveled internationally until the pandemic and continued to knit socks and prayer shawls when she (eventually) sat down. Regardless of where she lived, Marty was a proud member of the First Presbyterian Church. Marty was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, her son, Doug, and his wife Brenda, and her beloved Roger. If you knew Marty, you knew she was a diminutive and beautiful woman, but she was not one to ever underestimate. Marty raised her children with love, discipline, a focus on manners, and expectations they would be good citizens. As a great-grandmother, she softened the rules and loved to spoil the children with gifts and treats. Marty deeply touched the lives of countless people during every chapter of her life. She had no shortage of those who loved her and thought she was a role model and an icon. She never revealed her true age until she was approaching 90. She loved to celebrate all occasions, had a signature color (Marty Korten blue) and was a regular at posh local shops and restaurants in various locations for decades. The family would like to thank Westminster Palms for all the care they provided Marty during her St. Petersburg chapter. In lieu of flowers, in Marty’s honor, you can shop for comfort gifts for foster children https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/NDYYA6ESL5S4?ref_=wl_share or give a tax-deductible donation that will go directly to children in need Donate – Children's Network of Hillsborough (childrensnetworkhillsborough.org) Marty and Roger will be interned together at the First Presbyterian Church, Bonita Springs in a family ceremony. To sign her guest register or to leave online condolences please visit www.ShikanyFuneralHome.com. Arrangements are being handled by Shikany’s Bonita Funeral Home Family Owned and Operated Since 1978.

Margaret C. Kortens

March 28, 1928 - January 31, 2024