Margaret (Citro) Gallagher is celebrating her 90th birthday. Margaret was born Jan. 16, 1928, in Freeland, the daughter of Neal and Mary Citro.

She is the sister of Louis, Helen Clatch, Alphonso, Louise Miller, Jerome, Marie Toccket and Lawrence.

She has resided in the Hazleton area since her May 1950 marriage of 45 years to the late Edmund T. Gallagher. They had five children: Thomas of West Hazleton, Patrick of Lehighton, Dennis of Danville, Ronald of Conyngham, and Margaret Mary of Bordentown, New Jersey; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was employed by Bright’s Department Store and Miller’s Dress Shop in Lansford before her marriage and lived in Summit Hill.

Her children say Margaret continues to impress them with her hearty laughter, stylish dress, meticulous home and awesome cooking. She and Edmund had all of their children say the rosary together as a family, and to this day, prayer continues to be a large part of her life.

The family recently joined her at Holy Rosary Church in Hazleton to celebrate her life with a Mass followed by dinner at the Top of the Eighties.

Margaret’s life has always been centered around family from endless hours taking her own children and some of their cousins to the Mount Laurel pool, to baby-sitting or long-distance visits to her grandchildren. In times of need, she has also been there for her siblings.

Her children say it would be a good wager that most would never guess her age, but Margaret would be the first to tell you that 2017 was very hard on her, but you wouldn’t know it, and that, “She is a class act that still gets random compliments wherever she goes.”