Margaret was born on March 6, 1922, to Dr. James C. and Grace E. Carey, in West Liberty, Iowa. Throughout her life, Margaret was proud to be the daughter of a veterinarian and of her Iowa roots.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College in 1943 where she met her beloved husband, Eugene (Gene) O. Peisner, during her freshman year. They married in June 1943 after she graduated from Grinnell. Together they had three children. In the early years of their marriage, Margaret and Gene lived in Snohomish, WA, Minneapolis, MN, Iowa City, IA, New York City, and Ithaca, NY, before finally moving to Okemos, Michigan, in 1963 where Gene was a professor in the Department of Human Ecology at Michigan State University. After Gene died in 1985, Margaret married John B. Brattin and enjoyed traveling with him and visiting their children across the country. When John passed away, she enjoyed spending time with Dr. Chris Christiansen in Michigan, Florida, and Asheville, North Carolina.
Margaret valued education. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Iowa in Special Education. She worked as a teacher before her children were born and then when each of them was old enough to start school she returned to teaching and spent the later years of her career as a reading specialist at Holt Junior High School.
As a young girl in West Liberty, Iowa, she enjoyed reading books that she checked out from the public library. She was an avid reader throughout her life and enjoyed participating in her church book club as well as her Community Club book club. She was also a member of two bridge groups for nearly fifty years. She enjoyed playing Scrabble and Rummikub with family and friends, and during her 100th year, she especially liked the dice game, Skunk!
Our mother loved swimming and was a lifelong swimmer. In fact, she was the first female lifeguard at the public swimming pool in her hometown. She was still swimming laps at the University Club pool in East Lansing well into her late nineties.
Margaret was a member of Edgewood United Church where she served on several committees. She also volunteered for the Peace Education Center and belonged to the League of Women Voters. Margaret was attracted to organizations that she felt would make the world a better place
Our mother had a sense of adventure and loved to travel. She traveled to the Great Wall of China, the pyramids in Egypt, the Andes in Patagonia, the castles of Ireland, and even to Nicaragua on a humanitarian mission. She especially enjoyed Elderhostel/Road Scholar educational travel programs.
Margaret loved and supported her family unconditionally. When we were young, she helped us with our math homework, encouraged her daughters in their ice skating and dance lessons, and taught her son to fish at the neighborhood “lagoon.” Our mother always listened with care to our concerns, and we often turned to her for her sound advice. As her granddaughter Catherine described her, Margaret was “more than kind,” patient, realistic, generous in all ways, sharp in mind and wit, nonjudgmental, embracing of all, compassionate, and always striving to help others.
Margaret is survived by her daughter Christine (Michael) Erhard of Madison, Wisconsin, daughter Terese (Sam Harrah) Peisner of Colorado Springs, CO, son William (Kathy Rickard) Peisner of Fort Collins, CO, her loving grandchildren (Christine and Michael Erhard’s daughters: Jennifer Erhard Rice, Catherine Erhard (Patrick) Olson, and Kristin (Eric Knoche) Erhard), Jennifer Rickard-Figueroa, Jordan Rickard-Peisner, Rachel (Brent) Sinn, Emily (Alvaro Perez Bolano) Harrah, and Luke Harrah, and great-grandchildren, Michael and Olivia Rice (mother Jennifer Erhard Rice), Theodore Olson (parents Catherine & Patrick Olson), Rowan and Dom Sinn, and Lorena Perez Harrah. Margaret also leaves behind her dearly loved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. James C. and Grace E. Carey, her brother Dr. John W. Carey, her husband Dr. Eugene O. Peisner, and second husband John B. Brattin.
Margaret donated her body to the University of Colorado School of Medicine. When asked about her wish, she replied, “I always wanted to go to medical school, and that’s one way to get there.“
Donations honoring Margaret may be made to the Peisner Family Scholarship Fund at Grinnell College (alumni.grinnell.edu/give) or the Meta Peace Team (metapeaceteam.org).
A Celebration of Margaret’s life will be held at a later date.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Swan-Law.com for the Brattin family.
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