Margaret Maeder

Margaret Maeder, daughter of Dora Mae (Towler) and Fred Toepfer was born August 19, 1926, in Cass County Iowa near Anita. She passed away on November 22, 2016, at Cass County Memorial Hospital at the age of 90 years, 3 months, and 3 days. Margaret's mother died when she was six and she was raised by her father. She attended country school near Massena. Margaret graduated from Cumberland High School in 1944. After completing the Normal Training Course following high school, she taught country schools in the Massena area for two years, teaching some of the same children with whom she went to school. On September 17, 1946, she married Bernard F. Maeder at St. Timothy's Catholic Church (known as Reno), rural Cumberland, Iowa. Bernard had returned from WWII when they met. To this union seven children were born. Bernard and Margaret were farmers, returning to the family farm in 1951 that later became a century farm of Frederick/Maeder. Margaret was a member of St. Timothy's Catholic Church, serving many years on the Altar Society with church work. She was a member of the Get Acquainted Club and was a friend to many neighbors.

Margaret loved to cook and spent time in her kitchen daily. She had a very large garden from which she canned and froze foods for her family. She grew a lot of flowers. She spent many hours at her sewing machine making clothes for her children. Later she made a lot of pieced and cross-stitched quilts for her family. She knitted and crocheted sweaters, slippers and doilies. In later years she read a lot of large print books. She loved the holidays and on Easter and July 4th the family would come and have antique tractor and kid cart rides. Her favorite thing was having her family come home.

Margaret is survived by her husband of 70 years, Bernard. Also surviving are her children, Dallas (Joan) Maeder, Mary (Monty) Boswell, Ronald (Carlene) Maeder, Shirley (Randall) Olive, Diane Stender, Linda (David) Beeman; 15 grandchildren, Mark (Deb) Maeder, Jim Maeder, Chris (Krista) Maeder, Jeffrey Boswell, Teresa (Jon) Koch, Andrea (Nick) Jordan, Jennifer (Chris) Cotham, Tera (Steve) Arquitte, Ryan (Rachael) Olive, Rachael Olive, Kaley Stender, Blake Stender, Anne Beeman, Luke Beeman and Kate Beeman; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Margaret was preceded in death by her daughter, Teresa Marie, in 1970, her parents, all of her siblings, and many other relatives.

A rosary will be held at 5:00 p.m., Friday, November 25, 2016, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic with visitation to follow until 7:00 p.m.

A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 26, 2016, at St. Timothy Catholic Church, rural Cumberland, Iowa.

Burial will be in Calvary Catholic Cemetery at St. Timothy Catholic Church.