Bindner, Margaret 'Peggy'

Margaret “Peggy” Bindner, 83, of Cedar Rapids, died Thursday, July 12, 2012, at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids. Funeral Mass: 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 16, at St. Matthew Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids, by the Rev. David Beckman. Visitation: 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids, with a vigil service at 3 p.m. Burial: Mount Calvary Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.

Survivors include her daughter, Teresa (Gary) Pool of Montgomery Village, Md.; her sons, Michael (Moira) Bindner of Alexandria, Va., Gregory (Alisa Male) Bindner of Arlington, Va., Stephen (Stephen Darby) Bindner of Dallas, Texas, and John Bindner of Cedar Rapids; two grandchildren, Jonah Pool and Catherine “Catie” Bindner; a brother, Kermit (Sue) Allen of Coralville; her faithful canine companion, Joey; and many nieces and nephews.

Peggy was born Aug. 30, 1928, in Walla Walla, Wash., the daughter of Jerry and TaLetta (Bell) Allen. She grew up in the Seattle area, graduating from Kent High School in 1946, and then attended the College of Puget Sound. She then went to Galesburg, Ill., where her brother worked and met the love of her life, Justin “Jim” Bindner. They were married Oct. 28, 1950, in Kent, Wash.

Jim's work in aviation took them on adventures all over the world. They lived in many cities in the United States and abroad, such as Ventura and San Francisco, Calif., Quantico, Va., Chicago, Niagara Falls, Paris, Rome, and Copenhagen, often crisscrossing the United States in Jim's Cessna airplane with Peggy as the co-pilot.

Finally in 1962, God answered their prayers for many children when Peggy gave birth to Michael in San Antonio and they were blessed with four more children in the next seven years. She embraced her role as a mother, patiently and lovingly raising them with her faith as her guide, passing to them her love for cooking and travel.

Music sustained her from the age of eight when she sang Shirley Temple songs on stage at the local Grange to as recent as a week ago as a member of the St. Matthew's Resurrection Choir. She was a song leader in high school, a member of many choirs, and her rich voice never faded. Her children cherished her lullabies.

Peggy was an avid cook, an original fan of cooking shows, and her children all lined up on the couch to watch Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet with her. All of them are accomplished cooks and her youngest son, John, is a chef at a local restaurant.

Peggy's Catholic faith was her anchor and she practiced it lovingly and devoutly from the time she converted after many years of interest. She shared her faith and love with so many through her joyful nature and steady laugh. She was active at St. Matthew's until her death in prayer groups, choirs, and attending Adoration every week.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jim; and a sister, Joan Hughto.

Memorials are suggested to St. Matthew Catholic Church.

Please sign the online guest book and share a memory about Peggy at www.stewartbaxter.com.

 Updated survivors online  July 11, 2013

Published July 14, 2012 in The Gazette