Margaret E. McDonald, 97, of Peosta, Iowa, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, December 7, 2019 at 10:43 a.m. at Shady Rest Care Center in Cascade, Iowa.

Visitation for Margaret will be held from 3 to 8 p.m., Monday, December 9, 2019 at the Reiff Funeral Home in Epworth, Iowa. Visitation will also be held after 9:00 a.m., on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at St. John’s the Baptist Catholic Church in Peosta, Iowa.
Mass of Christian Burial for Margaret will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at St. John’s the Baptist with Rev. Michael Schueller officiating. Burial will be held in St. John’s Cemetery in Centralia, Iowa.

Margaret was born August 2, 1922 in Bernard, Iowa, daughter of John and Mary Ann (Molony) McCarthy. She received her education from the Bernard Country Schools, Peosta High School and the University of Dubuque. On February 13, 1945 she was united in marriage to Philip McDonald at Holy Family Catholic Church in New Melleray (Peosta), Iowa. He preceded her in death on July 3, 2012. She was a teacher at St. Patrick’s in Epworth and St. John’s in Peosta.

Margaret was a peaceful woman with a strong devotion to her faith and family. She was a tender hearted, understanding, and loving lady. She was an avid quilt maker and gardener.
She was a member of the St. John’s the Baptist Catholic Church in Peosta, Iowa.

She is survived by her four children, Judith (Ronald) Zwolinski of Plainfield, IL, James (Myrt) McDonald of Dubuque, IA, Maureen (Al) Faber of Cascade, IA, and Bonnie (Rod) Wagner of Dubuque, IA; 14 grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren; 2 great great grandchildren; her twin sister, Mary Miller of Dubuque, IA; sisters and brothers-in-law, Ethel McCarthy of Atlanta, GA, Donna Kutsch of Dubuque, IA, Velma Usher of Minneapolis, MN, Ellen (Charles) Schmadeke of Solon, IA, Tom Horsfield of Dodgeville, WI, Francis “Buzz” (Darlene) McDonald, Marlene Chamberlain of Platteville, WI.

She is preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Eleanor Burds and Geraldine McCarthy; brothers, Ralph McCarthy, Justin McCarthy, James McCarthy, and John McCarthy; three sisters-in-law, Callista Spielman, Kay Horsfield, Mary Lehnhoff, Jackie McDonald, and Eileen in infancy; and six brothers-in-law, Raymond, Vincent, William, Patrick, Francis and Philip in infancy.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.reifffuneralhomeinc.com