Des Moines, IA - Margaret Emily Yoder Weiner, age 85, walked the path to Heaven on November 15, 2025 from Des Moines, Iowa. She began life in Washington, DC, on November 14, 1940 with parents Samuel Levi Yoder and Barbara Jete Yoder. Two brothers, John and Page Yoder, rounded out the family.

Ever the academic, Margaret graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Duke University in religious study. She earned a master's degree and PhD in French from Pennsylvania State University. Her Phd thesis was 300 pages on symbolism in Andre Gide's literature. She then taught humanities and French at Penn State. After study in France and Switzerland, Margaret became a teacher of transcendental meditation and joined the faculty at Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. She served as assistant Professor, then Chair of the Literature department there.

Margaret returned her focus to religion while working for Affirmative Action and the School of Religion at the University of Iowa. In 1984 she attended seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and was ordained as a deacon, then priest in 1987. She began her priestly duties at Trinity Episcopal Church in Ottumwa, Iowa. Later she served at St. James Episcopal Church in Oskaloosa.

Margaret will be forever remembered for her gentle ways, prepossessing smile, and loving attention to all, especially Jerry. She is survived by her devoted husband Jerry Stanley Weiner of Des Moines and three nieces — Nancy Henry of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Cindy Miller of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Shannon King of Ormond Beach, Florida.

Services will be handled by Dunn's Funeral Home and St. Andrews Episcopal Church at 10 am on November 20th at St. Andrews Church. The service will be shared on the St. Andrews Facebook page. Memorial donations would be welcomed by St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Des Moines, Trinity Episcopal Church in Ottumwa, or St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Osklaloosa, Iowa. A scholarship fund in honor of Reverend Margaret has been started by Jerry at St. Andrews church for seminary study expenses.