Margaretta Dressler Jeffery

A memorial service is 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Walnut Creek, Calif., for Gardnerville native Margaretta Dressler Jeffery, 96, who died April 20, 2010 in Stockton, Calif.

Born May 7, 1913, to Sen. William F. and Margaretta Park Dressler, on the family ranch, she was delivered by her great aunt, Dr. Eliza Cook, the first licensed female doctor in Nevada. The youngest of seven children, she spent her early years growing up on the ranch and attending the local Fairview School.

In 1925, she moved to Oakland with her mother and brother Milton. There she attended University High School in Oakland and then the University of California at Berkeley. In college she played saxophone as a member of the "California Poppy Girls Orchestra." She graduated from Berkeley in 1934 with a bachelor's degree. In 1935 she married James Henry Jeffery. She taught school and then took time away from working to raise three children. She returned to teaching, and worked with the students at East Bay Activity Center, a school for children with emotional problems in Oakland. She was active in the church and League of Women Voters.

The couple enjoyed traveling and spending time with their friends. They had a loosely formed group of friends who united under the group name of "FLIT" and they traveled together to Australia, China, Greece, Hawaii as well as shorter trips to Yosemite, Mendocino and Monterey. Many of the friendships in this group began in high school and lasted until they were all well into their 80s.

They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1985 and were together until his death in July 1988.

Mrs. Jeffery was preceded in death by her husband; sister Lucile D. Brown; brothers Erwin Dressler, Carroll Dressler, Fred Dressler, Myron Dressler and Milton Dressler. She is survived by children Brian Jeffery, Dennis Jeffery and Anne Jeffery (Jack Sept); grandchildren Scott Jeffery, Kris (Ron) Fowzer, Kevin (Kristin) Jeffery and Keith Jeffery; great-grandchildren Fallon Fowzer, Will Fowzer, Judd Fowzer, Sarah Jeffery, Kate Jeffery, Cooper Jeffery and Jack Jeffery.

Tuesday's service will be at Grace Presbyterian Church on Tice Valley Road in Walnut Creek.

Donations may be made in her name to The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org), the Central Asia Institute which builds schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan with an emphasis on educating girls (www.ikat.org) or to a charity of your choice.