Margaret "Peg" Van Meter, age 93, of Washington, Iowa formerly of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died Saturday, November 12, 2011 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City following a short illness.

Memorial services will be held 6:30 p.m. Sunday, November 27th in conjunction with Evensong services at the United Presbyterian Home. Interment will take place at the Ivy Hills Cemetery in Abington, Pennsylvania. Memorials have been established for the United Presbyterian Home of Washington, Iowa. Online condolences may be sent for Margaret's family through the web at www.jonesfh.com .

Margaret was born May 29, 1918 in Topeka, Kansas the daughter of Ralph Todd and Ellen Jeanette (Henry) McLaughlin. As the daughter of missionaries, Margaret grew up in Egypt and attended school in Alexandria, Egypt. Margaret graduated from Monmouth High School in Monmouth, Illinois and later from Westminister College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.

She worked at Leads and Northrup preparing equipment for the war and later worked at a research lab in Baltimore, Maryland. Margaret was lastly employed at the University of Pennsylvania where she worked in the laboratory preparing slides for the Doctors. She was united in marriage to James Van Meter in 1961.

Margaret has resided at the United Presbyterian Home in Washington, Iowa since May of 2010. She enjoyed reading and caring for stray cats that would show up at her house.

She is survived by her sister Mary R. Case of Washington, Iowa; sister Fay Nieberle (who recently died Monday, November 14, 2011) and husband Carl of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in 1982, sister Elizabeth Bushong, and brother Robb McLaughlin.