Marguerite Mardell Poor, fondly known as Peggy to her friends and family, passed away Wednesday, April 1, 2009 from heart failure at the home of her son and daughter-in law in Locust Grove, Virginia.
Peggy was born April 26, 1923 to Joseph and Ella Morris in Kinsman, Ohio. The only daughter among six brothers, her family settled in Fairbury, IL where Marguerite became a high school drum majorette and worked in a number of local businesses before and after graduating from Fairbury-Cropsey High School in 1941. She moved to Washington, D.C to work for the U.S. Department of the Interior and in 1949 married a U. S. Marine Corps Fighter Pilot whom she met through her twin brother Mahlon "Jiggs" Morris, also a Marine pilot in the South Pacific. Peggy became a homemaker and mother to four children, eventually settling in Annandale, VA. She became an active parishioner at St. Michaels Catholic Church, teaching religious education classes and working at the Parish Rectory. She enjoyed local garden club activities and book clubs including an Edgar Cayce study group. Peggy and her husband Ernie moved to Burke, VA in 1993 becoming members of the Church of the Nativity. Peggy joined the Legion of Mary, serving as Secretary and later Vice-President, and supported a wide variety of charitable organizations.
Peggy is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Lt. Col. Ernest E. Poor, USMC, Ret.; her daughter Debbie MacKillop of Denver, CO; daughters and sons-in-law Penny and Ken Rosenwinkel of Chicago, IL, and Robin and Scott Etter of Mt. Dora, FL; her son and his wife Michael and Kathleen Poor of Locust Grove, VA; nine grandchildren, Sarah, Laurie, Jamie, Rachael, Malcolm, Jeff, Mara, Forrest and Natalie, and great-grandson Judah, born to Ben and Laurie Stellwagen; two brothers, Duane "Buck" Morris of Fairbury, IL, and Jack Morris of Champaign, IL.
A viewing will be held at 10:00am Monday, April 6, with a Mass of the Resurrection at 11:00am, followed by a reception, all at the Church of the Nativity, 6400 Nativity Lane off Old Keene Mill Rd, Burke VA. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, cnewa@cnewa.org or (212) 826-1480.
Mrs. Poor and her family are in the care of Laurel Hill Funeral Home, 10127 Plank Road, Spotsylvania, VA.
Online condolences may be made at laurelhillfuneralhome.com.