Margaret Toth Kalman

Margaret Toth Kalman quietly passed away on August 19, 2008, at the age of ninety-five in Mercer Island, Washington.

Margaret was born April 30, 1913, in Pittsburgh, PA, to the Rev. Dr. Alexander and Mrs. Elizabeth Kalassay.  At the age of nine she accompanied her parents to Ligonier, Pennsylvania, where they founded the Bethlen Home of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America.  Home to over 1,000 orphans during its tenure, it is now the Ligonier Valley Care Center and Hospital.  In 1933, she married the Rev. Dr. William Toth and accompanied him to Norwalk, Connecticut.  During their years serving the Hungarian Reformed Church community in Norwalk, her daughter, Alexandra, and her son, William, were born.   In 1942, they returned to Pennsylvania, to take serve  the Salem Evangelical and  Reformed Church community in Harrisburg.  Margaret continued working as her husband’s helpmate:   teaching Sunday school, providing music for services, teaching summer school and  perform the many and varied roles of a “preacher’s wife”.

When Dr. Toth accepted the Audenried Professorship and Chairmanship of the History Department at Franklin & Marshall College in 1946, the family moved to Lancaster.   During their 17 years in Lancaster, Margaret earned her Bachelors Degree from Millersville State Teachers’ College.   She also taught for two years in a one-room Amish school at Mill Creek.  She later taught at Bareville and New Holland, Pennsylvania, as well as Webster’s Grove, Missouri.  In 1963, Dr. Toth passed away while en route to St. Louis to take up directorship of the Reformation Research Society.  The next stage in Margaret’s life began with her marriage in 1964 to Dr. Eugene F. Kalman and move to Fairfield Connecticut.  While there, she served as President of the Salvation Army and Red Cross chapters in Fairfield.  After Dr. Kalman’s death, Margaret traveled extensively, both in the Far East and Europe, but her greatest pleasure came from devoting herself to her extended family.  
She is survived by her son, William J. Toth of Mercer Island, WA, and by her daughter, Alexandra Sax of Rye, NY, as well as seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and her brother, Karl W. Kalassay of Palm Beach, FL.

Services will be held at Salem Evangelical Reformed Church – Hellers, 2555 Horseshoe Drive, Lancaster, PA.   Viewing will be at 10:00 AM, Thursday, August 28, 2008, with the funeral to follow at 11 AM. Interment will be in the church cemetery.  Arrangements by Charles F. Snyder Jr. Funeral Home and Chapel Inc., Lititz, PA (717) 560-5100.  To send online condolences please visit www.snyderfuneralhome.com.