Margaret Law Osmers

Margaret ”Peg” Mavis Law Osmers, 94, was welcomed into Heaven by her husband Ed, her Heavenly Father, her parents and many relatives on Saturday, June 17th, 2023. We are certain there was a wonderful reunion.

Peg was born in Morristown, New Jersey on July 12, 1928 to Caroline Brittin Law and Floyd Alva Law. Her family home was in Madison, New Jersey.

Peg has always been a “tomboy.” Her mother formed one of the first Girl Scout troops, and Peg was active in that, in 4-H, and enjoyed swimming at the YMCA. In Madison High School, she was the first female ever admitted to membership in Future Farmers of America, and was presented with agricultural awards and a gold pin upon graduation, and the Civil Air Patrol. At the age of 16, she was doing submarine surveillance over the Jersey shore. The CAP would fly until they spotted an enemy submarine, then go out and bomb it. She loved to fly, and made the rank of sergeant. She told only one lie in her life, and it was to her mom. Peg wanted to jump out of an airplane, yet knew her mom would never allow it, so she first learned to forge her mom’s signature. That was enough to get her parachuted!

Music was a love and talent of hers, and from the age of 7 she sang in church choirs, took vocal, violin, piano and organ lessons. She later learned to play the drums. She often sang the alto solo in Daughter of Zion in Handel’s Messiah. After high school, she had a music scholarship in New York City at The Carnegie Hall of Music, where she trained two nights per week in opera. Singing at Carnegie Hall was a wonderful time. She graduated in 1946 and then attended college at Drew University, a Methodist Theological college, on scholarship.

In the summer of 1946, Peg and Ed met at the ice cream shop where she worked—it was love at first sight. Ed had recently finished his tour of duty in the Army Air Corps in Europe. She had to decide between music, flying, college, and Ed. She finished two years’ worth of college in one, and then married September 12th, 1947. Ed had courted her on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Peg flew planes and drove motorcycles before she ever drove a car!

In her early married years, she worked for Bell Telephone, Sandos Pharmaceutcals, Bell Labs and Reaction Motors as an executive secretary where Ed worked. They lived in Lake Parsippany for a few years. In 1953, they bought a home in Mendham, where they raised a daughter and son.

Peg was always religious and from her childhood never doubted there was one God, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. She grew up Methodist. She used to watch Reverend Billy Graham every Sunday on TV. In 1963, missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came knocking, sharing a message of Christ’s restored church, with a modern-day prophet and apostles. She and her daughter were baptized as members of that church.

While in Mendham, Peg taught piano lessons, grew a large garden, worked as a paralegal, and served as court clerk for the town, working closely with the police department. She became a Qualified Police Sharpshooter. During the 1960s and 1970s, the family took several trips out West. On one trip, she was allowed the honor of playing the Tabernacle organ in Salt Lake City. Peg and Ed soon realized that was where they wanted to retire, but couldn’t wait. They bought land in the mountains outside of Bellvue, designed a house, quit jobs, and in 1972, it was Colorado or Bust!

Ed built most of the house, and Peg shot a wild turkey for their first Thanksgiving dinner. By winter, they were able to put an “out of business” sign on the outhouse. Nine months later it was a beautiful mountain home.

The years of mountain living were her favorite times. She loved nature and outdoors. Soon she was not only raising a garden, but raising chickens, sheep, turkeys, and at one time, a calf. She had many beloved cats over the years, too. She believed in being as self-sufficient as possible, and did a lot of wood-splitting. She was a volunteer weather reporter for KCOL and KCNC from 1972-1992. From 1975-1978 Peg worked as a dispatcher for Guardian Security in Ft. Collins, and Ed working as a maintenance man at

Colorado State University’s dormitories, where he was in his element fixing things and talking with the students.

In 1993, the winters were becoming difficult, so they moved into Ft. Collins for the rest of their lives. Peg and Ed enjoyed taking care of the landscaping at their church for a few years, and continued gardening at home. Ed passed away in October, 2013.

As a widow, Peg remained active in her church, serving as Relief Society secretary, which she loved. She attended the Denver Temple while her health was good, and continued to do genealogy work. She was thankful to have had many spiritual experiences and many good friends. She blessed the lives of many who knew her.

Peg was predeceased by her brother Paul, sisters Caroline, Phyllis, Sarah, and Mildred; nieces Sally-Jean Baarens-Harrison, and Lori Hart, and nephew Jeffrey Crum.

She is survived by her daughter, Peggy Szostek (Frank) of Brigham City, Utah; her son Edward Karl of Ft. Collins, Colorado; granddaughter Stephanie Szostek of Richland, Washington, and granddaughter Heidi Emond of Milford, New Hampshire.

Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, June 29th, 2023 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1400 Lynnwood Drive, Ft. Collins, Colorado. Internment at Roselawn Cemetery to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Meals on Wheels, Pathways Hospice, or the Veterans Association.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.allnuttftcollins.com for the Osmers family.