Margaret Mary Older

Margaret Mary Older, known to family and friends as Peggy, was born on February 25, 1946, in Ft. Madison, Iowa, where she was raised and built the foundation of a life centered on creativity, family, and quiet grace.

Peggy graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 1964 and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interior Design from the University of Houston. She devoted her life to her family as a loving wife, stay at home mother, and devoted Nana, a role she cherished deeply.

A talented and creative soul, Peggy was an accomplished seamstress who created beautiful quilts that will remain treasured heirlooms. She also enjoyed painting landscapes and flowers, sewing, photography, bird watching, and spending time with her beloved black Labrador retrievers, Bubba and Sam. Peggy found great joy in living near the beach and spent many happy years surrounded by its beauty.

Peggy married Mark Older in Ft. Madison in 1967. They shared 44 years of marriage until his death in 2011. During their life together, they lived in Virginia and Chicago before settling in Houston and later retiring in Galveston. In 2021, Peggy married James Dehner in Katy, Texas, and they made their home in Fulshear, Texas.

Although Peggy was not a veteran herself, both of her husbands proudly served as Vietnam veterans, a fact she held in deep respect.

Above all else, Peggy loved spending time with her family. She was a wonderful, caring Nana to her three grandchildren and will be remembered for her warmth, kindness, and gentle presence.

Peggy was preceded in death by her mother, Elvina Dodge; her father, Paul Dodge; her infant son, Jonathan Older; her first husband, Mark Older; and her brother, Donald Dodge, all of Ft. Madison.

She is survived by her husband, James Dehner; her daughters, Kimberly Older and Elizabeth Betsy Wilkerson; her sister, Susan Reichelt; her son in law, Clay Wilkerson; her grandchildren, Rowan McLaughlin, Luke Wilkerson, and Rory Wilkerson; her nephew and niece, Thomas and Cindy Reichelt; and various other nieces, nephews, and loved ones.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice or a favorite local animal shelter. A Celebration of Life and funeral mass will be held in Ft. Madison at a later date.

Peggy will be lovingly remembered for her artistic talents, her devotion to family, and the quiet beauty she brought into the lives of those who knew her.