Margaret Emilia Edmiston

MARGARET FLIPSE EDMISTON, age 102, passed away peacefully on March 14, 2026, at DeReys House in Dunnellon FL, surrounded by her children and one of her five loving caregivers. She was born on September 22, 1923, in Jamaica, Queens, New York to German immigrant parents, Max and Elfriede Oehler. Her first language was German and when sent to school without knowing any English, her “Mutti” said, “she’ll learn!” Margaret lived an amazing life marked by generosity, her multiple talents and interests, an adventurous spirit, a strong and inquiring faith and a deep devotion to family and friends. All who knew her were in awe of her energy, positive attitude and warmth shown to everyone, regardless of connection. Margaret never met anyone she didn’t already know.

One of Margaret’s early experiences was traveling to Germany with her mother at age 15 to visit family in August of 1939 where she actually saw the despot Hitler in a motorcade. With rumblings of war, her mother made a hasty decision to leave the country immediately. They boarded the S.S. Bremen in Bremerhaven which proved to be the last ocean liner to escape Nazi Germany. Defying orders to return, the captain delivered his passengers safely to New York.

Margaret graduated in the second class of the Mary Louis Academy with honors and matriculated to Hofstra College in 1941, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree. She took her first job at Fritzsche Brothers as a chemist working with essential oils and perfumes. It was at Hofstra she met her husband, Robert “Tim” Flipse, who following his Naval service in World War II, completed his medical degree at Cornell University and later became one of only twelve nuclear radiologists in the U.S. in the 1960’s.

The family moved to the Miami area in 1955 where Margaret became heavily involved in the many activities of her four children, including being a Cub Scout den mother, a constant chauffeur and as she said herself, “chief cook and bottle washer”. Husband Tim relegated his wife to being the “official baiter of hooks” when the family boat motored out in the Gulfstream off the shores of Miami Beach on fishing excursions since “she did it so well.” Tim died suddenly in 1966, and she was now on her own with four very lively children and her parents, who had moved to Miami in 1957, as backup.

She then embarked in a real estate career well before the days of the internet and computers. Her sketching and drawing skills began to emerge as she drew pictures of marketed homes on self-created brochures. Margaret’s outgoing personality also even took her into the world of competitive ballroom dancing at which she excelled and became a champion in more than one competition.

1978 saw her marriage to Charles “Tony” Edmiston, an acquaintance at the Miami Shores Presbyterian Church who had lost his wife to cancer. It was then the whirlwind of merged family and grandchildren truly began. She was amazingly creative, particularly with children, and after leaving Miami and moving to Dunnellon in the 1980’s, Margaret became a mentor at Romeo Elementary School. She and Tony portrayed Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus during the Christmas holidays at Rainbow Springs where Margaret was a volunteer. The mural she painted as the pine forest backdrop for an indigo snake display was still there in 2024 but has since been removed. In 1981, they purchased a summer home in Sky Valley GA which was truly Margaret’s “happy place”. Summers would see a steady stream of family and grandchildren visiting for “Grandma Camp” and would also find her zip-lining at age 89.

In 2004, Margaret and Tony moved their winter digs to On Top of the World in Ocala where she became totally ensconced in the community’s clubs and activities as a member of the Art Group, Shutterbugs, Computer Club and Birdwatchers as well as continuing education classes in various disciplines. Margaret always said, “I have a thirst for knowledge” and made the cover of the community magazine, Southwest Neighbors, twice at ages 90 and 100. Sadly, she lost Tony also in 2008 after nearly 30 wonderful years together. Through the Shutterbugs Photography Club, she then connected with Charlie Smith which proved to be a special companionship. The two of them drove cross-country multiple times, going north first to Maryland and Ohio to visit Charlie’s children, and then on to Yellowstone where Charlie and his deceased wife had worked during the summers. She lost Charlie as well in April of 2020. We all admired their 5,000+ mile journeys by car at their ages but always managed to return home safely!

Margaret journaled extensively throughout her life and left a lasting legacy to her family through her writings, pictures, storybooks, paintings and drawings. Anyone who ever met her was touched by her warm smile, her non-judgmental demeanor, and her love toward others. Whether through small acts of kindness or larger ways, she shaped the lives of those around her and left an imprint that will be shared for generations. Margaret’s name will also be carried on with the recent arrival of great-grandchild, Margaret Joy.

Along with the loss of two husbands and a beloved companion, Margaret also mourned the loss of son Jay at age 54 in December of 2006. She is survived by son, Bob Flipse (Jeralyn) and daughters, Barbara Clovis and Carol Tippelt (Mark Emery), Dr. James Edmiston (Rhondda), Anne Chamberlin, and Sue Edmiston along with 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life honoring MARGARET EDMISTON will be held at 1:30 PM on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at First Congregational United Church of Christ. It will also be live-streamed on YouTube – First Congregational United Church of Christ of Ocala. Margaret will be interred at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell with her beloved husband, Charles W. Edmiston. May her memory be a blessing and may those who loved her find comfort in the legacy she leaves behind