Margaret Smyres was born in 1924 in the Belgian Congo to Methodist missionary parents. Upon their return to the United States, she grew up in the Finger Lakes area of New York state, and graduated with a B.S. degree from the Keuka College School of Nursing. She became a registered nurse in both New York and New Jersey.
After her marriage to Eugene (Gene) Stockwell, they
were missionaries in Uruguay, where they served a Methodist
church from 1952-1962. While overseas, Margaret worked in Public
Health, teaching classes in natural childbirth. She and Gene had
four children, three boys and one girl, all of whom now are
living with their families in the eastern United States. During the years when Gene was on the staff of the Methodist/United Methodist Mission Board (Latin America area - 1963-1968 and Associate General Secretary of the World Division - 1968-1972) and later on the staff of the National Council of Churches (1973-1983), they lived in New Jersey. During this time Margaret spent three years (1967-1970) as a psychiatric nurse in a private hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey, and a short time in the summer and fall of 1970 in Public Health in Paterson, New Jersey. From 1970-1972 she worked as a supervisor of a drug clinic in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
>From 1984 to July of 1989, Margaret and Gene spent very happy years with the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland. Margaret worked with the Ecumenical Women’s Group, and Gene headed the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism. After retirement from the World Council in 1990 the Stockwells returned to South America, where Gene was president of the seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina for four years. In May of 1995 Gene was diagnosed with cancer, and died in October of the following year. While they were in Buenos Aires in the early ‘90's, and later in the ‘90's under a two-year contract with the General Board of Global Ministries, Margaret worked with individuals and small groups to become “Christian Life Support Groups.” The goal is “to provide a place for women (and later, both men and women) to talk, share their problems and issues – a place of freedom without censorship.” Steps to accomplish that goal include: listening, and teaching listening skills; Bible study, related to our lives; study of other books; practical work and exercises; active imagination; prayer and intercession; and worship and song.
Out of some of her own experiences of moving beyond pain and brokenness to gratitude for each experience and each new day, Margaret works with others who have suffered and been broken. Together they learn to use the tools of the Gospel in order to forgive and be forgiven, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide and direct. Frequently she affirms: “In the midst of struggle, . . . often painful, God is faithful and works miracles, transforming people and making them new, alive and vital, not just for themselves, but for others.” Knowing that there is work still to be done, Margaret will return to Buenos Aires early in September from her new “home base” here at Brooks-Howell to continue her work for much of the coming year.