| Honored by: | The Religious Studies Department |
| Brick location: | PAVER:32 map |
(1937 - 2013)
The twelfth of thirteen children and a twin in a second set of twins, Margaret Koelzer was born in Nehama County, Kansas. She began school in a one-room school house then moved to a farm near Beattie, KS, where she lived until adulthood. She married Philip Svoboda in 1956, with whom she was to have five children. She was widowed in 1980 and subsequently married Charles Langloss. He also had five children and together they have 18 grandchildren. Margaret attended Mid Plains Community College in North Platte, NE; Southeast Community College in Lincoln, NE; and the University of Nebraska. During the time her children were growing up, she was Den mother, Girl Scout leader, Sunday School teacher and grade school volunteer. In 1990, Margaret came to the Philosophy Department at Iowa State. She has been secretary for the Religious Studies Program and for cross disciplinary programs in the LAS College. From the beginning, she contributed to the friendly atmosphere of the departmental office. She also became adept in the more recondite features of our word processing program. In Spring 1994, she moved to the LAS College office for work with cross disciplinary programs. Margaret tells an interesting story of her family's first experience with Iowa.
"One of my great great grandfathers was immigrating with his family from Canada to the mid-west in 1850. He fell through a trap door on a boat near Clinton County, Iowa. His widow carried out their plans and continued on to Kansas with her seven children; the eldest was sixteen. The funds which were to be used in buying land had been left in Canada. After she had settled her family, she made the long trip back to Canada where she converted the money into a bank draft which she converted to cash at Davenport, IA. She completed the journey with the money quilted in her skirt. She managed to obtain 720 acres in all. She was a remarkable manager and succeeded where strong men failed. Margaret Draney was a small woman physically but made up in energy and determination for what she lacked in size."
7/1/96
Paver Inscription:
"Relig Studies
Eliz C. Stanton
Bernice Power
Marge Svoboda Langloss"