Margaret "Marge" Linn Fagenson, (Sager)

Margaret “Marge” Fagenson was an artist with a practical gift for getting things done. She could shape clay into sculpture, run a business, organize a gathering, and figure out what needed attention next. Direct and capable, she brought her creativity into every part of her life. Her family knew her care through the things she made, the meals she prepared, the problems she helped solve, and the welcome they could always find in her home.

 

Marge was born Margaret Linn on March 1, 1927, in South Bend, Indiana, to John and Frieda (Swartz) Linn. She was the youngest of three sisters, following Rose and Jesse, known as Jean. Her father died from injuries sustained in a car accident just weeks before her fourth birthday. Relatives surrounded Frieda and the girls with support during that difficult time.

 

The family moved to Chicago, where Marge grew up. As a girl, she rode the L into the city for violin lessons. She made many girlfriends and kept in touch with them throughout their lives. After Frieda remarried, Irving Sager became Marge’s stepfather and adopted her. Her last name became Sager, though she often used Linn as her middle name.

 

Art was a lasting part of who Marge was. She attended the Art Institute of Chicago and became a ceramic sculptor. Over the years, she made jewelry, worked with her cousin Lisa in the ceramics studio, and owned a flower shop. She combined an eye for beauty with the practical ability to organize the work behind it.

 

Her creativity also produced things her family could wear and use. She sewed clothes for her children and grandchildren. Many relatives received crocheted baby blankets made with her double-sided stitch, with a different design on each side. These were personal gifts, shaped by her skill and the time she gave to making them.

 

Marge continued learning as her children grew. She returned to college, learned American Sign Language, and became a teacher’s aide in special education classrooms for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Her life included raising a family, making art, running a business, and finding new work that put her abilities to use.

 

The person who shared so much of that life was Abe Fagenson, whom she met at the Art Institute of Chicago. They married on August 31, 1946, beginning a partnership that lasted more than seventy-five years. Both were creative and curious, with different ways of approaching life. Abe was an artist, engineer, and experimenter. Marge brought her own artistic gifts along with practical judgment and a talent for making things happen.

 

They moved to Los Angeles in 1950. Their daughter Reva was born in 1951, followed by Edward, known as Eddie, in 1952. They bought a house in Reseda, and their youngest son, Louis, was born in 1957. In 1963, the family moved to Granada Hills.

 

Their home was filled with art, ceramics, books, and keepsakes from their travels. It was also a place where people gathered. Once Marge and Abe put a swimming pool in the Reseda backyard, summer weekends brought sisters, brothers-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends to swim and barbecue. Nieces and nephews were welcome for extended visits, and Marge held a special place in their lives.

 

Marge hosted Passover and Thanksgiving, while Rose hosted Hanukkah. For years, the Thanksgiving turkey was served on a platter the sisters had found while dumpster diving behind a ceramics factory. It was a family holiday centerpiece with a story of its own.

 

Marge and Rose were especially close. Rose lived a few blocks away, and they talked every day and spent a great deal of time together. Jean lived about fifteen or twenty minutes away, keeping all three sisters within easy reach. When Jean had cancer, Marge and Rose helped care for her together. Their closeness remained part of family life through the years.

 

Marge and Abe loved to dance and spent years square dancing with the Lads and Lassies. They traveled to Rose Society events in Portland, Oregon, and Japan. Marge also accompanied Abe on trips for his aircraft design work, and their travels took them around the country and to places including Hong Kong and Italy. They liked meeting new people and learning about unfamiliar places.

 

Some of their happiest times were in Chico and Paradise, California. They brought grandsons along during the summer, and Marge and the boys would fish all day. Those trips were another way of spending time together, adding to the shared memories of holidays, backyard gatherings, and visits at home. As grandchildren and great-grandchildren joined the family, her care reached another generation.

 

Abe died in December 2022 at ninety-nine. Marge died on August 13, 2026, also at ninety-nine. Their wish was for their ashes to be joined. Together, they had built a long life full of art, travel, friendship, and family. Marge’s part in that life was distinctly her own, and her welcome remains an enduring part of what her family carries forward.

 

Marge is survived by her daughter Reva Witcher and son-in-law Dennis Witcher; grandchildren David Walker (NeCe), Daniel Walker, Gabriel Witcher (Mary), Loren Witcher (Mayme), and Michael Witcher (Marjorie); and great-grandchildren Ocean Walker, Vik Walker, Blaise Danio, Henry Witcher, Eli Witcher, Julian Witcher, and Theo Witcher. She is also survived by her son Edward Fagenson and daughter-in-law Tammy Fagenson, and grandchildren Jake Fagenson (Tiffany) and Rebecca Fagenson; her son Louis Fagenson and daughter-in-law Camille Fagenson, and grandchildren Emma Fagenson and Adam Fagenson; and many, many nieces and nephews and their children.