Community gathers in Loa to remember Margaret Oldroyd, woman killed in Wayne County

LOA, Wayne County — Standing outside a church in Wayne County on Friday, it was clear how many lives Margaret Oldroyd had touched.

People filled the building for her funeral, gathering not just as neighbors, but as one big family.

It was a reflection of the kind of life Oldroyd lived, and in a small community like the one in Wayne County, her family said nearly everyone knew her.

“I mean, I don’t even know if we can find some people who don’t know Margaret,” her sister, Brenda Parsons, said.

Oldroyd, 86, spent her entire adult life in Lyman, where loved ones said she became more than just a familiar face.

She was someone people respected, laughed with and someone whose presence was defined by relationships.

“Those relationships meant everything to her. Friendships meant everything to her. She lived a total life of service,” Brenda said.

Her brother, Morris Parsons, described her in simple terms that echoed what many in the community seemed to feel.

“She was usually pretty friendly to anybody that came through,” he said.

That warmth and openness, her family said, is what made the circumstances of her death so difficult to understand.

Investigators said Oldroyd was shot and killed earlier this month in her home in Lyman by a man who was trying to steal her car.

Two other women were also killed that day in separate incidents, sending shock through the small Wayne County community.

In the weeks since, family members said the support from the community has been powerful and appreciated.

“Seeing people come together in the community, the power of community, they all have been so affected by the events that have led to Margaret’s death. Margaret was just a well-known fixture in Wayne County and in Lyman. Everyone loved her,” Brenda said.

That sense of connection was on full display Friday, as people gathered for her funeral in Loa.

For Oldroyd, family was never limited to relatives.

“Church and family meant everything to her and her definition of family included the whole community,” Brenda said.

That extended sense of family is now helping those closest to her navigate the loss.

“I think they’re doing pretty good. It takes a lot. It’s a lot of adjustment for the way things have happened,” Morris said.

As loved ones said goodbye, the focus remained not on the violence that ended Oldroyd’s life, but on the way she lived it.

“I think that, what everybody feels the biggest loss is, is the loss of a best, long time, lifetime friend,” Brenda said.

Oldroyd leaves behind a large family, including children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, along with a community that loved her.

Her family said that is how she will be remembered.

“The last few conversations that I had with her, I’m like, ‘You’re 86 years old and you’re still out driving and you barely quit working, and you never sit down. You’re busy all the time. What’s your secret?’” Brenda laughed. “That’s where she told me she just loved and that there is only love. I’m so grateful that turned out to be my last conversation with her.”