Margaret Anea Hodge

Margaret Anea Hodge, 70, of Olathe, Kansas, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at the Olathe Hospice House, her husband of 50 years at her side. She was born on January 27, 1953, to Alvie M. Emerson and Virginia Ann (Sperry) Emerson in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Margaret attended Lincoln Southeast High School and graduated in 1971. It was on graduation night that she had her first date with her future husband, Steven. They were married two years later, on June 1, 1973, at Trinity United Methodist Church in Lincoln. Margaret attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, graduating with high distinction and receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1975. In 1975, she also received the NSPCA Silver Certificate award for receiving the second highest grade in the State of Nebraska on the CPA exam that year.

Margaret then went to work at an accounting firm in Lincoln as a certified public accountant. In 1984, she began her career in billing and billing reconciliation, starting at the Lincoln office of a national telecommunications company. Her job brought the family to Olathe, Kansas in 1995. Margaret continued this work in the telecommunications industry for decades. In recent years, Margaret worked at the Kansas City office of the Internal Revenue Service, continuing until shortly before her death.

While her career was very important to her, Margaret also enjoyed her life outside of work. She loved to travel, with her husband always at her side. Family was very important to Margaret. She adored her grandchildren. Margaret also loved to read, travel plan, listen to public radio, do sudoku and crossword puzzles, and take care of the home finances. Before the move to Kansas, she had been involved in the Lincoln Children's Zoo Auxiliary and had taught Sunday School at Trinity United Methodist Church for many years. Margaret was also an active member of Toastmasters International.

Margaret is survived by her loving husband Steven S. Hodge, her daughter Michelle Lynne Johnson and son-in-law Adam Johnson, her daughter Pamela Sue Pope and son-in-law Christopher Pope, and her grandchildren Owen Ryan West, Sadie Mae Pope, and Anna Sterling Pope. In addition, she is survived by her uncle James Sperry and aunt Gail Sperry, her brother Edward Emerson, her brother John Emerson and sister-in-law, Do Emerson, her brother-in-law Michael Hodge and sister-in- law Shari Hodge, and numerous nieces and great-nieces, nephews and great-nephews, and cousins.

Margaret is preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, and her beloved aunt, Patricia (Sperry) Davis.

Funeral services will be on Friday, August 25, 2023, as listed below.

The family requests that any memorials in Margaret's honor be made to the Olathe Health Charitable Foundation (OHCF) and designated to Hospice House, mailing address 20375 West 151st Street, Suite 325, Olathe, KS, 66061. (Or online at olathehealth.org/memorials.)

Margaret's service will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time. Click here to view the service

Penwell-Gabel - Funeral Home (913-768-6777) is assisting the family.

To share a memory of Margaret or leave a special message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.

Penwell-Gabel - Funeral Home (913-768-6777) is assisting the family.