Margaret Oyer

Margaret "Margie" Oyer, 85, of Goshen, died at 7:00 pm Saturday, April 6, 2013 at the Maples at Waterford Crossing. She was born October 31, 1927 near Surrey, North Dakota to her parents, A.D. and Elnora Horst Yoder. Margie lived in North Dakota until she was ten and then moved to Wayne Co., Ohio where she grew up in the Wooster, Ohio area. She attended rural elementary schools in North Dakota and high school in Creston, Ohio. She attended Goshen College in 1951-52 taking a secretarial course. As a young girl she enjoyed singing with her parents and 8 siblings at their church for special occasions and Sunday evening services. She accepted Christ as her Savior in her teens and was baptized and became a member of Crown Hill Mennonite Church at Rittman, Ohio. She was active in church all her life, teaching both Bible School and Sunday school, and sang in the choir. On August 16, 1958 she married Richard "Dick" Oyer at First Mennonite Church in Denver, Colorado. They spent most of their married life in Kalona, Iowa. She worked as a medical secretary for many years in Glenwood Springs, and Denver, Colorado, and University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, Iowa. The last 22 years of her secretarial work were spent as secretary at the Kalona Elementary School where she knew all 400 students by name and some called her "mom." She enjoyed arts and crafts, sewing and knitting, traveling, and decorating her homes. For many years she made most of her own clothing. She helped design and decorate the three homes that they built. She loved to garden and make flower arrangements. She also loved to travel. She and her husband visited Europe twice and were able to attend The Passion Play at Oberamammergau, Germany. They have been in all of the 50 states, except one. They went on two cruises, the Inland Passage to Alaska and the Caribbean. They have visited 15 different foreign countries. She did volunteer work at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp, Divide, Colorado, Spruce Forrest at Penn Alps, Garret Co., Maryland, and at the Crowded Closet an MCC Thrift Shop in Iowa City, Iowa. She was a founding member of the Kalona Garden Club. Margie is survived by her husband, two sisters, Vera Kurtz, of Plain City, Ohio, and Helen Yoder, of Logansport, and two brothers, Chester (Esther) Yoder, of Harrisonburg, Virginia and Mel (Betty Mae) Yoder, of Goshen, and one brother-in-law Emerson Blosser, of Goshen, and many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parent, three sisters, Effie Geisinger, Luella Leighty, and Stella Blosser, and a brother, Ivan Yoder Friends may call on Friday, April 12, 2013, from 6-8 pm and on Saturday, April 13, 2013, from 10:00 to 10:45 am., at College Mennonite Church where a memorial service will be held at 11:00 am. Memorials may be made to College Mennonite Church, Mennonite Central Committee, or Goshen College. Cremation will take place prior to the visitation at Yoder-Culp Crematory.