For two decades, Margie has been a constant source of steadiness, warmth, and welcome at the Lamoreaux. When she first applied for the role after seeing an ad in the newspaper twenty years ago, she never imagined how deeply this community would become part of her life. What started as a job soon became a second home, one filled with people she would grow to care for, laugh with, and stand beside through seasons of change.
Among the many residents whose lives have intersected with Margie’s, two have been on this journey with her from nearly the very beginning: Dan and Jim.
Jim, originally from New York, moved into the Lamoreaux in 2002. Over the years, he has watched Minneapolis shift and grow – its seasons not only of weather, but of culture, neighborhood life, and community spirit. From his vantage point in the building, he has seen people come and go, each bringing something unique to the place they temporarily or permanently call home. Through all that change, Jim says the familiar and welcoming environment has remained one of the reasons this building continues to be a comforting place to live year after year. And Margie, he says, was always a part of that foundation.
Dan, a long-time resident and active member of the downtown neighborhood association, echoes that sentiment. He has not only witnessed the gradual growth of the city but has also noticed the increased safety and sense of stability within the building itself. For him, Margie has become more than the front desk receptionist, she has become one of his longest friends, someone he now considers family.
“She’s been around for us through various seasons of life,” he said. “She knows us all and looks out for us, and we look out for her. Having a familiar and consistent face to greet me when I come home is a gift. I trust her, and I would never want to break the rules or disappoint Margie.”
That kind of mutual respect, care, and connection is what has defined the Lamoreaux for decades – and Margie has been at the heart of it.
As Margie reflects on her twenty years in this community, now preparing for her retirement in January, she speaks with gratitude and emotion. She says she expects to feel “homesick for at least a month,” because the Lamoreaux has truly become a home away from her own. She admits that there were ups and downs, like any long journey, but she will forever hold close the relationships she’s built and the people she’s met along the way. “Getting to be a consistent part of people’s lives here was so important,” she shared.
The most special memories shared between Margie, Dan, and Jim are the quiet moments of support, entryway conversations, laughter during community events, and simple joys like bingo nights or neighborhood cookouts.
Their story is a testament to what makes a house a home: the people who care for it, and the people who care for each other.
As Margie begins her next chapter of retirement, her legacy continues to live in the community she helped nurture – one that remains strong, connected, and filled with the same resilience and warmth she brought each day for twenty years.
