Margaret Amelia “Peggy” Meyer-Dowling

Margaret “Peggy” passed away on Thursday, December 27, 2018, at her home at Park Centre in Newton.

A time of remembrance and celebration of life will be 1:30 p.m., Monday, December 31, 2018, in the Garden Room at Park Centre.The Pence ~ Reese Funeral Home in Newton, are entrusted with the arrangements.Visitation will be at Park Centre’s Garden Room, an hour prior to the services and at a coffee time following the services.Burial will be in the Iowa Veteran’s Cemetery in Van Meter.In lieu of flowers memorials may be designated to Peggy’s family.

Margaret Amelia "Peggy" Meyer-Dowling, 94, the daughter of William A. Meyer and Fern Wiley-Meyer, was born August 25, 1924, in Fayette, Missouri. She was a graduate of the Fort Madison, Iowa high school, Class of 1942, and Midland Radio and Television School of Kansas City, MO, in 1943.She then worked for Braniff Airways in Dallas and Corpus Christi, Texas.

On September 23, 1945, Margaret was united in marriage with Lt. j.g. Robert Nelson Dowling at the First Methodist Church in Fort Madison. Following World War II, she and Robert moved to a farm near Keokuk, IA and then to Donnellson, where she worked as secretary to the school superintendent.She later worked as the Office Assistant at Lee County Extension Office for twenty-six years, retiring in 1982. Margaret was made an Honorary Lee County 4-H Member. She was active in the Order of Eastern Star for over 65 years, serving as Worthy Matron, four terms, in Artaban Chapter, Donnellson, two terms as a Grand Chapter Committee Member, and a member of the Past Matrons of Order of Eastern Star.In January 2007, she received a two-year commission as Grand Representative of North Carolina.She was active in the Order of Rainbow for Girls in Fort Madison Assembly as a girl and later as an adult, serving on the Rainbow Board and as Mother Advisor of the Farmington Assembly, which led to being appointed Grand Deputy of the Rainbow Grand Assembly for seven years.Margaret was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, for over 65 years, the Iowa Retired School Personnel Association and the Donnellson Garden Club.One of her special joys was her membership in PEO Chapter O of Farmington, where she had served as Chaplain. After moving to Newton, she affiliated with Chapter ME. She was an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Keokuk, where she served several terms as member and Clerk of the Vestry, several years on the Altar Guild, two terms as President of the ECW and as a Docent of the Church Tours. Margaret and Robert spent many hours working successfully to have the church named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Margaret is survived by her husband Robert; daughter Christina "Tina" (Chuck) Jolicoeur of Polo, IL; son Kevin (Martha) Dowling of Newton; grandchildren: Jennifer and Courtney Strange; Keegan, Shannon, Robert and Elaine Dowling; a great-grandson Kamden Dowling; a great-granddaughter Abigail Kain; and many good neighbors and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents.Online condolences may be left for the family at: www.pencefh.com.