Margaret A. Mangelsdorf

Margaret A. Mangelsdorf, 88, of Fort Wayne, Indiana and formerly of Moline, Illinois passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 27, 2021, at her residence.

Margaret was born on August 6, 1933, in Moline, the daughter of Walter and Margaret Braem Yager. She married Robert H. Mangelsdorf on July 3, 1954, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Rock Island, Illinois.

Margaret enjoyed University of Illinois Football, going to movies, riding the big roller coasters in theme parks across the country and playing board games. She was active in her church and was a member of the Lutheran Hospital Circle. She loved spending time with her family, especially the large family gatherings at almost every holiday. Margaret also enjoyed spending time at the family cabins in Gulliver, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. She really enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her great-great grandchildren.

She worked for the Moline Boys Choir for many years as choir manager keeping track of the choir business including attendance, finances, and scheduling concerts and tours. Margaret especially liked traveling with the boys on their annual trips to St. Louis, the annual summer camp in Green Lake, Wisconsin and traveling the country each year on the Moline Boys Choir tours.

Margaret is survived by her children, Katherine (Kevin) Morse, David (Ann) Mangelsdorf, John (Sylvia) Mangelsdorf, William (Wendy) Mangelsdorf, and Paul (Kerry) Mangelsdorf; grandchildren, Stephanie Mangelsdorf, Rebecca (JayB) Thompson, Daniel (Jamie) Morse, Jennifer (Joe) Owens, Roger (Mayra) Morse, Sarah (Eric) Zent, Amanda VanWatermeulen, Christi (Quinton) Helgason, Ali (Jim) Gauley, Josel Mangelsdorf, Rose Mangelsdorf, Sarena Mangelsdorf, Kyleen Mangelsdorf, Jessica Mangelsdorf; great grandchildren, Jordan Emery, Kyle Emery, Devin Emery, JayB Thompson, J’Briona Thompson, Zoe (Alex Esterline) O’Hare, Ethan Morse, Bradon Woodward, Adison Morse, Kaili Ryan, Alexi Ryan, Aliyah Owens, Kaleb Owens, Christopher Owens, Amare Owens, Davion Owens, Ava Morse, Landon Morse, and Riley Zent; great-great-grandchildren, Zayden Darcey and Evelyn Esterline. She is also survived by brother-in-law Rev. Kenneth Mangelsdorf and his wife Anne, and brother-in-law Daniel Mangelsdorf as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert; her sons, Richard Mangelsdorf and Robert E. Mangelsdorf; her parents, Walter and Margaret Yager; brother, William Yager; sister, Phyllis Miller; half-sister, Dorothy Welch; and sister, Marion Peterson; and great granddaughters, Bailey Morse and Alilyanna Owens.
A thank you goes to niece Margaret and Randy West, who visited her almost every day during her last year in Moline. Very special thanks to Margaret’s Fort Wayne caregivers who helped her in so many ways: Granddaughter-in-law Jamie Morse, who was the primary caregiver on weekdays; family friend, Marcia Carter; and special friend, Jeanine Godwin from Comfort Keepers. Thank you as well to the therapy and nursing staff at Visiting Nurse Fort Wayne for assisting her after her hip injury.

A funeral service will be held at 11 AM on December 18, 2021, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Moline, Illinois. The Rev. Dr. Wilfred Karsten officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to service at the church. A light lunch will be served beginning at 1:30 PM at The Cellar in the former Coolidge Junior High School building in Moline, Illinois. Burial will be at Rock Island National Cemetery on Monday, December 20, 2021. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Memorials may be made to Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Moline, Lutheran Social Services of Indiana or Camp Lutherhaven in Albion, Indiana.

The family invites friends to share stories and condolences at TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.