From Jason Nies – November 1, 2020
This evening at close to 7pm as I was cleaning the kitchen up after finishing dinner, I received a phone call informing me that Margret Schlichting passed away at 5pm this evening. I have been expecting this call as I knew Margret was under hospice care, but I was not prepared for the sadness I feel with the loss of Margret. It felt like I was losing a grandparent all over again. I only knew Margret for eleven years, but she had an impact on my life and I am grateful for the time I was given with her. Please allow me to share a little about who Margret was to me.
Margret was Marge Stock’s right hand and as they both would describe their roles Marge dreamed it and Margret made it a reality. These two women dreamed up, designed, financed, and opened The Inn at Honey Run on November 1, 1982. They had a long career before The Inn working together at Stouffer’s Restaurants and then later their own convention and event planning business. I first met Margret when Phil Jenkins, the owner of The Inn between Marge and I, held a lunch gathering for all of us a few months before I purchased The Inn. Phil wanted to introduce them to me and me to them. It was a nice lunch at The Inn and I remember leaving that lunch really excited about my new future and extremely grateful to meet Margret and Marge and hear their stories about The Inn and understand their original vision.
After I purchased The Inn at Honey Run our friendship continued. I do not remember exactly how but we started meeting the first Tuesday of each month and held this tradition until Margret’s health began to fail and she moved into the nursing home. I cherished these Tuesday evenings. Carla, my Margret and right hand, and I would take the ladies out to a different restaurant in Holmes County. We made our way all around the county and enjoyed critiquing each establishment we visited. We shared stories about The Inn and I learned so much history of The Inn during these dinner dates.
Margret seemed to prefer Carla over me and every time I saw her, she would ask me with her thick German accent “How’s Caarrrrllllaaa”. She tolerated me, but she loved Carla. Maybe she felt sorry for Carla knowing what she had to deal with all her career with Marge and her crazy ideas.
Margret was a wealth of information about the physical operations of The Inn. She knew where every pipe was buried and every hidden access panel in the ceiling. She knew every square inch of our 56 acres. She and I never discussed her feelings about The Inn or her twenty plus years working there, but I would imagine she felt the same way as I do about it. After being here for eleven years this place has become like a family member. There are times it is very needy and demanding but then there are times it gives you so much love and its spirit is opened to you, and it feels like heaven. Margret had the opportunity to work at The Inn with Marge which gave them the ability to operate The Inn as a labor of love rather than a for profit business. Can you imagine the fun they had with this giant hobby of an Inn.
Margret was an opinionated and strong woman. She could tear you down in ten seconds flat and God help you if she did not agree with you, she would let you know. But she also had the other side of her that was so caring and loving. She lit up when we were visiting the sheep or when she came over to help birth a lamb. Margret was and is a special woman. I am truly lucky to have known her and I am honored to be one of the many people on this earth who love her. I have missed my regular visits with her and her absence from the earth will be noticed. She built an incredible foundation at The Inn and it is by her hard work and efforts that I have benefited. She built a foundation for us that is strong and was built to last for the ages. Her legacy at The Inn at Honey Run will never be lost. Her actions from 38 years ago are still blessing thousands of people every year as the celebrate their special life milestones here, thanks to Margret’s work. While the next generation coming to The Inn will not know her personally, they will connect with a piece of her soul that she left for all of us at The Inn at Honey Run.
Margret, while I am sad today, I am happy for you for I know that today you are with your Savior and Lord and you are probably trying to boss everyone around in heaven. Thank you, Margret, for your love and for sharing The Inn at Honey Run with me.
Jason
In Honor and Remembrance:
Margret Schlichting
October 15, 1935 – November 1, 2020
Comments
My sincere condolences
Loved her so much💖
Dear Jason,
it is so good to hear what you think and feel about her…thank you so much for your warm words for Margret.
It feels good to have friends abroad.
Hope to see you and Carla again one day at The Inn at Honey Run,
Karin and her family from Germany
We knew Margaret as the”sheep lady”. She was always around The Inn and was so obviously Marge’s right hand. “The quiet one”. But as you said she was the “doer” and not the watcher. We had many dinner time conversations with Marge and knew of their long and companionable relationship.
So many wonderful things about our time at The Inn from Marge and Margret’s time til now with your time, Jason, make wonderful memories.
Thank you Jason for a spot on tribute to the one and only Margret. Many happy memories and great lessons learned with her guidance during my years at IHR. She will be missed and fondly remembered with love and gratitude by many.
Thank you so much for remembering Margret here…her spirit is so strong within those who felt her kind soul. Blessings always!
So sorry to hear of Margret’s passing. It has been several years since I have seen her but she was a special woman. I appreciated the opportunity to get to know her and Marge during the 10 years I lived in Millersburg. It was difficult to see such a determined and strong willed woman declining in the latter years. While I am sorry to hear of her passing, I am thankful she finished her long journey, and in the words of our Salvation Army friends, she has been ‘promoted to glory’.
A great tribute to Margret. I have such fond memories of her and Marge. They helped my mom and I grow The Inn at Cedar Falls as they mentored us. I cherish the time we had together on earth and look forward to seeing her again in heaven.
So sorry for your loss of Margaret! What a blessing to have such a mentor and such fond memories! What a great tribute to her.
Margret was a beautiful soul…in and out. At the Relay for Life Spaghetti Dinners, she was a willing helper making sure the food was always served at the right temperature and all safety concerns were met. At church, I enjoyed our conversations and across the aisle waves. We were better for having her in our lives.
Yesterday was a day of sorrow for the Inn at Honey Run. Learning of Margaret’s death and Herb Brigham. Herb and I have remained friends since we both retired from IHR. Any time Herb came North he and Savannah stayed with me. I just learned of his death yesterday. Great loss of the “oldies but goodies” from the IHR>
She was one of the Greatest.
I had the honor of taking care of her at the nursing home. I was one of her nurses. She was extremely spunky. Staff and other residents adored her. She will be missed. Especially her temper🙂
The news of Margaret’s passing is truly heartbreaking. She was one of my favorite residents and she always managed to keep not only myself, but all of us in good spirits. Some of my favorite memories are when she was very vocal while sitting at the nurses’ station. She would run the show and tell us how to get the job done. There was never a dull moment with Margaret and she always made me laugh. I wish I could tell her guten morgen one more time and see her face light up but I’m thankful she’s at peace.
Good morning, my name Mrs. Carmicle I actually stayed at the Inn about 5 years ago when I renewed my wedding vows. I really enjoyed my stay there. everyone was so friendly and pleasant. I drove from Cleveland Ohio about 1hour and a half drive, let me tell you it was worth it. I always planned to come back and I think next year maybe once the COVIC is under control I will. I was so relaxed when I stayed there I had a room with a view of the birds it was amazing!! My deepest sympathy because I had the pleasure of meeting Margaret and I will never forget her smile.
Sincerly,
Emilette Carmicle
We will remember Margret as a hard working, friendly soul with a heart of gold! Because of Marge, Margret and Jean we enjoyed our times at the INN on many trips for over 20 years!
It was a pleasure to get to know and appreciate Margret and Marge from the first days of the Inn. Years of business planning meetings and periodic Board meetings where always a treat and productive with their assistance.
They made a formidable pair. I have always cherished their friendship over
The decades. We still stay at the Inn when visiting family in Wooster. It is so good to see the Inn continue to prosper and maintain its special place.
Margret and Marge may the Lords blessings be with you.
Wolf Schmitt
Do you have any idea if she had a daughter Nancy? I am a nurse and worked in Detroit at Henry Ford Hospital under the CEO Nancy Schlicting. Quite the wonderful leader.
Oh my. I’ve been thinking about her and Marge Stock daily. I have a picture of them with Dorothy and me in our living room and remember our last visit with each of them in their respective assisted living facilities.
They so wanted us to to build on the 40-acre development and often I wish we would have.
We were enamored with the unique talents each had and how they partnered to build an extra special place of warmth and welcome.
We stayed at the Inn regularly during their tenure and through all the transitions including Phil’s tenure. We unfortunately haven’t gotten there much and were disappointed when we attempted to meet Jason who was unavailable. We too were in care-giving mode for much of the past decade and need to return to once again feel their spirit and appreciate their continuing legacy through Jason.
Our deepest sympathy to her family including her Inn family of guests and employees and all the HolmesCo residents who befriended and helped these ladies thrive.
Very sad to hear about this. We spent our Honeymoon at the Inn and many visits followed. My favorite memory of Margret is her taking charge of the Sunday Night Raid The Kitchen Buffet. Which was only for the guest. And she made sure you were a guest ! She helped build one of the most captivating places one could visit. People always ask me what do you do when you stay at the Inn. My answer is nothing ! Enjoy the ambience, enjoy the quiet, enjoy the view and oddly even darkness brings a unique enjoyment.
On one of our many many stays at the Inn it was raining cats and dogs. Really raining. My husband I were preparing to go up to the Honeycombs when a car comes screeching to a halt in front of us.
The door bounces open and through the pouring rain we make out the image of Margret, leaning from behind the wheel yelling “Get in!”
In we scrambled. Up the road she flew.
Screeching to a halt she says. “Get out!”
“You’re a wild woman!” I cried.
“I know!” she responds.
And out we flew. We’d been coming to the Inn quarterly – she saw me as I was diagnosed w/MS and the difficulty I had walking and while I was improved she remembered … she cared … she was, and is, one special wild woman to me. Our deepest sympathies.
Margret was a part of my family, even if not by blood. I am a great niece of Marge’s (we know her as Muggs) and I grew up knowing Margret, hearing stories, learning from her, so much. When you went to see Muggs, you went to see Margret, and she taught you life lessons. Muggs would talk with you, but Margret worked with you.
The world has lost a powerhouse. Love you Margret, and you are always in my heart!
My husband Jim and I first visited the Inn with our three daughters on New Year’s Day, the first year that the Inn was in business. Our good friends recommended we do the drive from Cleveland for this special dinner. All 10 of us piled into their Suburban and off we went. We were so impressed with Marge, Margret and the Inn that we became regulars at the Inn, staying there several times a year. We have fond memories of Oma and her delicious coffee cake for breakfast and of the lovely dinners in the evening. On one of our winter visits the Inn had a quilt designing contest and my husband busily started his design. The Inn liked it so much that they actually sewed up the quilt and it hung in the Inn dining room for many years.
Our memories of Margret are very special as both she and I are from Germany. Margret and I always had lots of things to talk about. She will be greatly missed.
We first met Margret and Marge (and Marge’s mother) the first night we stayed at the Inn during our honeymoon. We arrived very late that Sunday night due to a snowstorm, and Margret took us into the kitchen for our very own Raid the Kitchen, that had ended hours before. We profusely apologized for our late arrival and she said, “No need! You’re home now! Relax! Eat!” and then she left us to do just that. We always looked forward to seeing her and catching up when we came to eat or to stay, and she always welcomed us “home.” And now . . . she is home.
Margret was family, not by birth or marriage, but because she was my aunt’s right hand. She had that fierce, determined German personality but also had an enormous and generous heart. She was gentle, kind, caring, warm and attentive. Mostly she had a honest and hearty laugh. Over the decades I spent with her we laughed, we played, we made memories.
Goodbye, until we laugh again, my beloved Margret!
For many years Margret played an important role in our lives, whether as guests at the Inn or as her friend and neighbor. There are so many memories, countless meals shared, laughter and finally tears. We will miss our friend.
Jason, So sorry to hear about Margret—Mom Millie and I both cherished her. So many good memories visiting her, Marge and Jean in their triplex. Millie Mom is now in a facility for memory care herself, but will let her know the next time I videoconference with her, about Marge’s passing. We’ll miss her greatly.
Margret was a dear soul. I was involved with the landscape design and installation at the Inn’s initial conception. I visited the Inn on a weekly basis for several months in the early ’80’s, and Margret was alwyas there fore support, advice, and friendship. She is missed by many.