Mrs. Margaret Ann (Cotton) Spiry, age 85, of Des Moines, Iowa, went to be with Jesus at 12:35 a.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2015 at the Iowa Methodist Medical Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. She was born on August 29, 1929 in Burlington, Iowa to Chester Carroll Cotton and Ella Margaret Coon. She was raised in the Methodist Church and later years in life attended the United Church of Christ. She and her family moved to Columbia, Missouri where she attended and graduated from Hickman High School. She received her associates degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia. She had lived in Des Moines since the death of her husband, Alfred J. Spiry, Sr. in 2007 and for the 37 years prior to that in Hyde Park, Ohio. She truly enjoyed her home, her friends and all of the fun at Beaverdale Estates. She will be missed by all. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a prolific author having written twelve volumes of “The Cotton Family of Northern Virginia.” She began her genealogy research in the early 1980’s when the only forms of research were letter writing, making some long distance phone calls, court house and library visits to find the materials that were needed. For several years, she and Alfred J. Spiry, Sr. were the genealogist columnists for The Madison (Indiana) Courier and Weekly Herald and later a column for Round About Madison (Indiana). She also gave several genealogy workshops in Madison, IN. and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Margaret will be missed by her daughters: Babette Waldrop of Des Moines, IA & Margarete Jones & her husband: Rick of Berthoud, CO; her son: Georg Spiry of Ankeny, IA; her grandsons: George Greeve, Greg Waldrop & his wife: Jennifer & Daniel Jones; her 3-great-grandchildren; her brother: Walter Cotton of Vevay, IN & her nephew: Byron Cotton & his wife: Pam.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Chester Carroll Cotton & Ella Margaret (Coon) Cotton-Shadday; her husband: Lt. Col. Alfred J. Spiry, Sr.; her son: Alfred Jacob Spiry II & her father-in-law & mother-in-law: Jacob H. & Magdalene (Wolfart) Spiry.

Graveside services & Interment will be conducted Wednesday, July 29, 2015, at 11:00 am, by Rev. Rick Daugherty, at the Vevay Cemetery, Vevay, Indiana

Friends may call 10:00 am - 11:00 am, Wednesday, July 29, 2015, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home 208 Ferry Street Vevay, Indiana 47043.

Memorial contributions may be made to Charity of the Donor's Choice. Cards are available at the funeral home.

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