Margery Ann Kirwan, 83 of Viola, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 17, 2024. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, October 26, at the Calvary Lutheran Church in New Windsor. The memorial service will begin directly after the visitation. Interment for Marge and Bob will be at the New Windsor (Petrie) Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be left to the Calvary Lutheran Church or New Windsor Cemetery Maintenance and Improvements Fund. Online condolences may be made at www.petersonwallinknox.com. Peterson-Wallin-Knox Funeral Home in Alpha is handling the arrangements.
Marge was born February 22, 1941, the daughter of Walter and Alice (Ottoson) Nelson of New Windsor, Illinois. She graduated from Winola High School in 1958. Shortly after graduation, Marge successfully completed Communications and Personnel Training in Omaha, Nebraska, and then moved to Washington, D.C., where she began work as a secretary for the CIA.
She later moved to Chicago where she met the love of her life, Robert Kirwan, at a New Year’s Eve party. The two were married in Chicago on June 24, 1964, and began their life together in New Windsor. In 1968, Bob and Marge purchased the farm outside of Viola where they lived together for over 50 years. In addition to being a homemaker and Bob’s helper on any project on the farm, Marge worked for a local newspaper and as a substitute mail carrier for the Viola Post Office. She was a longtime member of Calvary Lutheran Church, where she participated in various groups and activities over the years.
Marge was known for her baking and cooking skills. Her family always looked forward to her chocolate eclairs or angel food cakes when celebrating birthdays. She also had a huge demand for her strawberry jelly, egg pancakes, cookies, and homemade pies. She spent many summers putting up produce from Bob’s garden and orchard. In addition to making food or desserts for church luncheons, she could be counted on to make countless pies for the church tent at the New Windsor Fair and Rodeo.
Traditions were especially important to Marge. She loved spending time with her kids and grandkids each year coloring Easter eggs, carving pumpkins, and making gingerbread houses for the holidays. She was enthusiastic about sharing her Swedish heritage and enjoyed visiting Bishop Hill. She was passionate about genealogy and spent hours putting together scrapbooks. She also enjoyed traveling and browsing craft shows and flea markets with Gail and Bob.
Marge leaves behind her son, Jeff (Teresa) Kirwan of New Windsor; daughter, Gail (Tom) Jagers of Princeton; five grandchildren, Ashley (Keegan) Quinby, Katie (Sam) Burnett, Christina Kirwan, Alex Jagers, and Ryan Jagers; and five great-grandchildren, Wyatt, Evelyn, and Beckham Quinby, and Marleigh and Briggs Burnett.
She was preceded in death by her husband and parents.