Margaret Achenbach

Margaret Lunau (Roberts) Achenbach was born on September 23, 1919, on a farm near Dunlap, Iowa to C. E. "Gene" and Mathilda "Tillie" (Lunau) Roberts. Mathilda died when Margaret was seven years old. Margaret attended Dunlap Country Schools and graduated from Dunlap High School in 1937. She was the editor of the school paper. After graduation she took a 12 week course in Denison and received her teaching certificate. She taught country school near Dunlap for seven years. In 1948, she started teaching 5th grade in Dayton and Spencer, Iowa. Later Margaret took night and summer classes and received her BA degree in 1961. Margaret met Fred Achenbach in Spencer and the couple married on December 29, 1964. The couple lived in California and Arkansas where Margaret continued to teach. In the winters the couple did missionary work in the southern United States. The couple returned to Dunlap in 1983 and still continued with their missionary work. Fred died June 11, 1993.

Margaret was a member of the First Congregational Church in Dunlap where she taught Sunday school for many years. She enjoyed traveling, teaching, and writing newspaper articles. Her passion was writing and she continued that at the nursing home in writing a column for the Dunlap Reporter on the happenings at the nursing home. One of Fred and Margaret's highest points in life was claiming Alvaro Rodriguez and Margarita [Glen] (Rodriguez) Rushing as their own children.

Margaret died December 14, 2008, at the Dunlap Nursing & Rehab Center at the age of 89 years, 2 months, and 21 days.

She was preceded in death by her parents; step mother, Elizabeth (Graves) Roberts; husband, Fred Achenbach; and brother, Art Roberts. She is survived by her brother Frank Roberts and his wife Eula Jeane; sister-in-law, Ruth Roberts Heller all of Dunlap, Iowa; 11 nieces and nephews, and many, many other relatives and friends.

Funeral Services
2:00 pm Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Congregational Church ~ Dunlap, Iowa

Clergy Pastor Doug Russell

Musicians Bev Price
Phil Lubbers ~ "Because He Lives"
Rehm Family ~ "Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling"

Honorary Pall Bearers
Ruth Metcalf ~ Rita Francis
Marilyn Cook ~ Carol Mulligan ~ Janet Isom
Jim Roberts ~ John Roberts

Pall Bearers (nephews & great nephews)
Rollie Roberts ~ Don Roberts
Ron Roberts ~ Tim Roberts
Dan Roberts ~ Matt Roberts
Jake Roberts ~ Nick Roberts

Final Resting Place
Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Dunlap, Iowa