April 2026
                                                                       Meet The WPS Office Manager
                                                                                 By Vicki Williams
The newly widowed, anxious, young woman summoned the courage to call the Widowed Persons Service office. The person who answered the phone spoke with warmth, compassion, and patience. Her listening skills were honed through years of experience. For the caller this woman became the face of WPS. As a result of this positive, extremely informative interaction, the young woman made one of the best decisions she would make that year, she attended a grief support series. She began to both slowly heal and rebuild her life. Who was the individual who forever changed another person’s life in such a positive way? Her name is Margaret Davis. Margaret Davis has served and continues to serve as the office manager for WPS. This year marks 42 years of service and counting.

Margaret began her volunteer career working with a lady everyone knew as Meme. They worked together from an office which was actually a closet in an office building. Meme was the office manager, and Margaret assisted her. The furniture consisted of a desk, two chairs, and a typewriter. Margaret would sit at the end of Meme’s desk typing cards of new members. Next, the office would move to a church and remain there until the church needed this space. The final move was to the current office though it has expanded over the years. Meme trained Margaret, and when Meme was no longer physically able to work after a terrible fall, Margaret became the office manager.

While Margaret was still working with Meme, the AARP came to Dallas and conducted a meeting that Margaret attend-ed. AARP wanted to be involved with assisting individuals who were widowed. Margaret attended that meeting. When the original charter for our local WPS organization was put in place, one of the names found on the charter is that of Margaret Davis. For many years AARP and the Widowed Persons Service of Tarrant County were linked.

As the office manager for WPS, Margaret has assumed many responsibilities. At one time she worked 5 days a week. Like a good leader, Margaret has wanted those who work in the office to have the ability to do many of the office tasks so that no one person is indispensable. All of these tasks she has done herself, and she encourages others to do many of them currently. Because she is the office manager, each individual who works in the office reports to Margaret. Whether doing it herself or delegating the task, Margaret orders sup-plies for the office, has the ability to write checks, coordinates and facilitates the running of the office, represents the office on the Executive Board or designates someone to fulfill this duty, and provides service to anyone who comes into the office including volunteers, Board members, or patrons. She makes herself available on a daily basis to answer questions by phone if anyone working in the office wishes to consult her. And, the list goes on and on . . .

Over the years Margaret has gone above and beyond her duties as the office manager. She has attended many functions and helped with fund raisers. When WPS was mailing approximately 1,600 newsletters per month, Margaret assist-ed with preparing them for mailing and delivered them to the United States Post Office herself.

When asked about what has made the WPS office a success over the years, Margaret will quickly respond that it is because of the wonderful assistants that she has had over the years.

In short, Margaret is truly an “unsung heroine” of the Widowed Persons Service of Tarrant County.

Phyllis Weisheit, President