Margaret Rose VanderHeyden died on November 20, 2017 at Vasona Creek Healthcare Center. She was born in Rochester, Indiana on January 1, 1919 to La Verne and Ethel Smiley. She graduated from St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1940.

In November 1941 she married Paul J. VanderHeyden of Mishawaka, Indiana. She was a working nurse most of her life. Working for Bendix Corporation, RACO Inc. and for a surgeon in Mishawaka. They had 3 children, Paula, Terry and Randy. After husband Paul died young (1962) she focused on raising the three children. She was proud to have all three graduate from college.

Margaret traveled to France in 2001. She especially enjoyed visiting the Normandy D-Day landing sites. While in France she also enjoyed visiting the Louvre as she loved art and enjoyed painting. She also enjoyed walking, reading, especially westerns and feeding the birds and squirrels in her back yard. She would also drive down to the St. Joseph river to be sure the ducks had plenty of food, and for a very long time fed a stray kitty near the local mall.

In 2008 she moved to California to be near family. She lived in Menlo Park and Los Gatos. There she discovered a park near the bay where she loved to walk, feed the ducks, geese and just sit and enjoy the water.

Survivors are daughter Paula and her husband Don, son Randy and his partner Annette. Son Terry very sadly passed in 1992. Granddaughters Sharon and her husband Scot, Deborah and her husband Ryan. Four great grandchildren, two in Minnesota and two in San Diego.

Funeral Service will be conducted at 3P.M. on Sunday, November 26, 2017 at Zimmerman Bros. Funeral Home, Rochester, Indiana.  Friends may visit from 1-3P.M. at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Odd Fellows Cemetery, Rochester, Indiana. Online condolences may be expressed at www.zimmermanbrosfh.com

 Service Information