THE DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL
Daytona Beach, Florida
Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Leotah "Margaret" Hamilton Weeks went home to be with the Lord Thursday, August 6, 2015. Margaret passed peacefully with her son, Duane & his wife, Kimberle, daughter Elaine & her husband, Wayne, her grandchildren, Butch & his wife, Wynette, Crystal, Duane Jr., Michelle, Tamara, Dale, Robert, Great-Grandson, Preston, Niece, Kathy, Great Nieces, Melissa & Christina, Great-Great Niece, Briana, Pastor, Jerry Durden and his wife, Susie, as well as her caretakers, Manuela, Jose and Danielle by her side.

Margaret is predeceased in death by her husband of 65½ years, William "Wallace" Weeks and her sister, Kathryn Faith Hamilton McCort.

Margaret H. Weeks was born in Daytona Beach, Florida on December 19, 1929 to Robert Thomas Hamilton and Cora Leotah Benson Hamilton. Her younger sister, Katherine was born in 1931. Margaret was three when her Mother passed away on Christmas Day, 1932. Her Father moved her and her sister out to County Road 305 in St. Johns Park where they lived with her Grandparents, Robert Hamilton and Margaret Woodend Heatherington Hamilton.

Margaret attended Gilbert's School where she excelled and skipped the fourth grade. She graduated from Bunnell High School at the tender age of 16 as Valedictorian of her class. She was awarded a full teaching scholarship to Florida State University where she attended one semester, but decided that Business School in Jacksonville was a better fit for her.

After a few months at Business School and working in the Credit Department at Kay Jewelers, Margaret grew homesick. Her Father was missing her just as much, so he helped procure a job for her with local lawyer, Mr. HT Cook. At near 17 years old, Margaret moved back to Flagler County and worked for Mr. Cook for 4 years.

In 1946, Margaret Hamilton formally met William "Wallace" Weeks. Wallace would ride 20+ miles by horseback from Bulow to County Road 305 to court her. After two years of courtship, they married June 26th, 1948 and together they had two children: Margaret Elaine Weeks and Duane William Weeks.

In 1953, Margaret was asked to work at the Flagler School's Superintendents Office.

In 1956, she left her job when her daughter, Elaine was born on July 15th. Margaret had returned to the work force part-time for the Honorable Judge, Duane Deen, but would later leave the job, due to her pregnancy with second child, Duane, whom was born in 1958, on May 1st.

During her years as a stay at home Mother, Margaret worked from home, giving permanents, as well as setting and cutting her friends' and neighbors' hair.

From 1963-1964, Margaret was a Flagler County School bus driver, where she was able to bring her two small children along and let them ride in the seat behind her. In 1964, Margaret was offered the position as the Bookkeeper for Bunnell High School. Since her two children were in school full time, she loved being a part of the work force again. Margaret excelled at her job and in 1969, she was asked to become a Finance Officer for the Flagler County School Board.

Margaret retired from the Flagler County School Board in 1995; after 35 years of dedicated service. Margaret always had a camera in her hand, snapping pictures of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She enjoyed printing her own pictures and creating photo albums to display and share with her family. Margaret also enjoyed the simple things, like mowing and maintaining her lawn. She had a love for genealogy and sharing her family's lineage. She also loved music and could often be heard humming or singing an old Andrews Sisters song, while tapping her toes and twisting her hand. Upon retirement, she enjoyed traveling with her husband in their RV to visit family in the mid-west and had also taken a trip to Maggie Valley, NC.

She is survived by a daughter, Margaret "Elaine" Weeks O'Kane (Wayne) of DeBary, a son, Duane William Weeks Sr. (Kimberle) of Bunnell, eight Grandchildren: Harry Rowan Palmer, Jr. "Butch" (Wynette), Crystal Elaine Palmer, Jeffrey Daryl Palmer, Duane William Weeks, Jr., Michelle Onnalee Weeks Taylor (Carl), Tamara Yvonne Weeks Prevatt, Dale Wallace Weeks, Robert James Weeks, ten great-Grandchildren: Courtney Cierra Palmer, Rebekah "Reba" Lynn Wood, Preston Michael Palmer, Natalie Renee Weeks, Austin Duane Weeks, Cain William Taylor, Caleb Ryan Prevatt, Logan Scott Taylor, Alexis Yvonne Prevatt, Camille Onnalee Taylor and her twin brother, Lucas Carl Taylor, two Great-Great Grandchildren: Jordyn Elizabeth Smith and Brantley Scott Gibson, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great (great) nieces, great (great) nephews, and cousins.

Services will be at 1:00 p.m. Friday, August 14, 2015 at the First Baptist Church of Bunnell located at 2301 Commerce Parkway, Bunnell, FL (600 ft. off of Moody Blvd/SR 100) with Reverend Mark Somers officiating. Interment will follow at Flagler Palms Memorial Gardens (Hope Cemetery) located at 511 Old Kings Road, South Flagler Beach, Florida. The family will receive friends Friday at the Church from 12:00 Noon until the time of the services at 1:00 p.m.

After Interment, Family and Friends are invited to return to First Baptist Church of Bunnell Fellowship Hall for a Celebration of Life Reception in honor of Leotah "Margaret" Hamilton Weeks. Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of Johnson-Overturf Funeral Home, Palatka, Florida.