Margaret E. Rinehart

Margaret E. Rinehart, 102, St. Joseph, Missouri, passed away Sunday, July 16, 2023.

She was born July 3, 1921 in Santa Monica, California, the daughter of Christopher and Mary, and grew up in southern California.

She graduated from Redondo Union High School in 1939 and later graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1943.

Margaret was a pianist and affiliated with the international music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota. Later, she did post-graduate work at Northwest Missouri State University, University of

Missouri, and Missouri Western State University. She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Redondo Beach,

California.

She was a Federal Aviation Administration Airport Traffic Controller at Long Beach Airport, California and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Arizona from 1943-1946.

Margaret married Paul Rinehart in 1948 in Hawaii. They spent sixteen years there, living on pineapple plantations at

Maunaloa, Molokai and Waipio, Oahu where Paul was employed in the pineapple production business.

They were the parents of three daughters: Christine, Susan, and Barbara. The family moved to Northwest Missouri in 1963, living in Worth County and St. Joseph.

Margaret was a librarian at Bishop LeBlond High School from 1968-1983. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Kappa Chapter, professional women’s educator society.

Her husband preceded her in death in 2002 and her daughter, Barbara Rinehart, preceded her in death in 2019.

Margaret’s interests included music, travel, playing bridge, and assisting in management of the Rinehart family farm in Worth County.

Survivors are Christine Rinehart of Littleton, Colorado,

Susan (Rinehart) and Gary Richtmyer of Florence, Montana, four grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

     Private graveside memorial services and inurnment will be held at the Honey Grove Cemetery in Grant City, Missouri. Family with gather with friends for a Celebration of Life on September 23, 2023 in St. Joseph, Missouri.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Margaret E. Rinehart, please visit our floral store.