Margaret (Dordts) Schwartz (1916-2013)

SCHWARTZ, CORDTS, CANDLER, LEMLEY, CRAFT

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 1/28/2013 at 19:01:09

From Adams & Soderstrum Funeral Home obituary, Story County, Iowa:

Margaret Schwartz
August 15, 1916 - January 11, 2013

Margaret was born August 15, 1916, to Fred and Emma Cordts in Boone, Iowa. While delivering the Boone Sunday newspaper at the age of 12, she met her future husband, 19-year-old German immigrant Frederick Schwartz. Margaret loved to tell of taking one look at his odd European clothing and pointed shoes and running off on her scooter, laughing. Their courtship began years later and they were married when Margaret was 19.

In 1947, Frederick began teaching German at Iowa State University and he and Margaret moved into their new home at 814 Gaskill Drive, where Margaret lived until an injury suffered in 2009 forced her into assisted living. Though she lived less than a mile from Cyclone Stadium, she’d never attended an ISU football game until 2005, when grandsons Erick and Alan Lemley flew from Syracuse, NY, specifically to escort her to a game. The Ames Tribune printed a feature article about her game attendance, including a photo of her standing proudly between her grandsons. She directed everyone who visited her at 814, later at Bickford Cottage, and then at Bethany Manor, to the framed copy of the article hanging on her wall.

A world traveler, Margaret visited Europe many times with husband Frederick, including trips to see daughter Mary while she and her husband, Jim, were living in Vienna, Austria, and meeting Frederick’s German relatives. After Frederick’s death, she met daughter Margaret Candler and her family for 16 straight summer vacations in Cornwall, England. One memorable summer included traveling with the Candlers to Australia and New Zealand, by way of Hawaii.

Throughout her life, Margaret devoted time and loving attention to family and her many friends, keeping up long-distance connections through correspondence. Her friendships were invariably life-long.

Known as “Mother” to her entire family, Margaret’s daughters and her grandsons began the tradition of “Motherfest” family reunions to celebrate her 80th, 85th, 90th and 95th birthdays, honoring her as “The Mother of Us All.” For the 2012 Motherfest, the family and her many friends gathered at Reiman Gardens for a day-long open house, to Margaret’s great delight. She greeted one and all with her trademark beaming smile and lots of hugs.

Margaret was an active and well-loved member of Collegiate Presbyterian Church, especially in serving many years on the church rummage sale committee. Her faith and optimism never wavered, despite the tragedy of losing their only son to cancer at the age of seven. She also served several years as treasurer of the Faculty Women’s Club and was a member of that organization until her death.

Margaret is survived by her three daughters, Margaret Candler of Annapolis, MD; Mary Lemley of Long Island, NY; and Karen Craft of Ames; six grandsons and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister and brother, her husband, and son, Frederick Jr. (“Freddy”).

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames or Bethany Life in Story City.

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