Margery Veatch, 94

Margery Ann Jones Veatch, 94, died on Oct. 6, 2019 after a long illness. Born to Florence and Lester Jones in Oak Park on June 7, 1925, she graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School and earned a degree in Speech Pathology from Elmhurst College and later her master’s degree in Special Education. She worked as a speech therapist for public schools in suburban Chicago.  

She met her husband, Roger, at a Methodist Youth Fellowship dinner, and they married on July 3, 1945. A talented organist and pianist, she entertained her family on Sunday evenings playing their favorite hymns. Every summer, the family camped all over the United States. 

After retiring, she worked for the Community Renewal Society and volunteered at The Boulevard (formerly Interfaith House) in Chicago. The couple traveled all over Europe and Asia with the Community Renewal Society Chorus. 

During their Oak Park years, they were active at First United Church and found time to pursue her interests in quilting, making rugs, sewing clothes, knitting, and embroidering. She loved having her family home for holiday dinners. After her children left home, she kept up with them through frequent cards, letters, and phone calls. 

Margery Veatch is survived by her children, Kathryn (William) Ksander, Elizabeth Hopkins, Margaret Veatch and Phillip Veatch; her sister-in-law, Anita (the late Edwin) Bast; her grandchildren, Peter (Miranda Hardy) and David (Natalie Ruttan Stack) Ksander, and Roy Veatch; her great-grandchildren, Tula, Felix, Wyatt and Lowell; and her 16 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger; her brother, Richard Jones; her daughter-in-law, Alanna Connors; and her granddaughter, Wendy Carol Smith.  

A memorial service was held Oct. 26, 2019 at Congregational United Church of Christ in Greensboro, North Carolina. Memorial contributions may be made in her honor to the Community Renewal Society, 111 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 820, Chicago 60604 or to the Poor People’s Campaign, 3041 Broadway, Box 47, New York, New York, 10027.