Margaret Schmidt Maas

Margaret “Peggy” Maas (nee Schmidt) took her last breath September 18th, 2021 at her family home on Pine Lake in Hartland, WI. In her final days she was surrounded by all 8 of her loving children. She lived an extraordinary life filled with a large loving family and many dear friends.

Peggy was born to Lillian and Edwin Schmidt on April 5, 1926 in Milwaukee and spent her early years in Whitefish Bay where she and her two sisters attended St. Monica’s parochial school. At 2 years old her family started coming out to Beaver Lake in the summers and in 1937 her parents bought an old farmhouse on Pine Lake. Soon the family was one of the first to live on Pine Lake all year. In the summers Peggy had fun on the lake with lifelong friends and became an enthusiastic sailor crewing in C boats. During the school year she took the train and several busses to attend Milwaukee-Downer Seminary High School. She then attended Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York.

Peggy married the love of her life, Edward Harold Maas “Teddy” on August 8, 1948. Soon they welcomed their first child and then welcomed another about every two years until there were eight. Peggy and Teddy loved having a chaotic house full of noisy, animal loving and adventure seeking children. She instilled in her family a passion for sailing, gardening, travel and downhill skiing. Peggy watched her children sail competitively, cheering them on from boat or pier, from the time her oldest Eugenie started in Cub boats in the late 1950s right up until Peter, Michael and Lisa sailed the last E boat race of the season in 2021. In the winters she took her children to Heiliger Huegel Ski Club, of which she is one of the original members, every weekend to ski race. As a result, one of her children, Wendy, made the Junior Olympic team and then became a National Junior Olympic Ski Coach.

Even while she and Teddy were busy raising their big family with lots of activities, Peggy had many other accomplishments. She worked at the first Stein’s Garden Center for many years and even played a major role in starting the floral department back when there was only one store. She taught floral design at Waukesha County Technical College and had a business called Country Fair with her daughters Wendy and Lisa, selling dried flower arrangements at fairs around the area for many years. She was also a national judge for the Garden Club of America. Peggy also was instrumental in starting the parochial elementary school at St. Charles in Hartland around 1960.

Peggy is survived by all of her children: Eugenie Maas (Jim Anderson), Wendy Maas (Marty Paulson), Stephen (Robin) Maas, Peter (Julie) Maas, Merry Maas (Steve Ambrose), Michael (Jennifer) Maas, Todd (Kristin) Maas, and Lisa Maas (Grant McLaughlin); sixteen grandchildren: Teddy Anderson, Jamie Anderson, Dakota Dux, Jessie Dux Finnula, Sierra Dux Bernard, Sara Maas, Kelly Maize, Lindsay Hardy and Lillian Hardy, Stephanie Maas, Alex Maas, Amy Maas, Patrick O’Hara and Nicholas O’Hara; and seven great grandchildren: Raina, Vienna, Nevada, Bowie, Corbet, Nathan and Juniper. Peggy is also survived by her two sisters, Jean Lindemann and Suzi Shepard, and various nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband Teddy of 55 years, her parents, her granddaughter Cassie Maas, and nieces Heidi Schultz, Julie Lindemann and Debbie Kuehn.

The family is planning a private service during the 4th of July holiday, her favorite time of year when her children and grandchildren would always gather at her home, in 2022.