Margaret Jeffery grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, the youngest daughter of Oscar and Harriet Blythe Jeffery. Oscar W Jeffery (1872-1965) was an alumnus of Princeton and ran his own law firm in the town. He was President of the New Jersey State Board of Education for many years. Margaret had two older sisters, Suzanne and Frances. Her mother, Harriet, died in 1931.



Margaret attended Vassar College and graduated in 1940. She was secretary of her class.



She was an Assistant Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York when she was granted a leave of absence in March 1945 so that she could join the Red Cross. Her maternal grandmother was born in England, which might give some reason as to why she decided to join the American Red Cross and serve overseas.



She joined the ARC's overseas branch on 1 April 1945 and sailed in early May. She was on active duty with the American Red Cross in Scotland when she died of influenza on 3 September 1945. She is buried in Cambridge American Cemetery.



From New York Times article:

'Basil O'Connor, national chairman of the American Red Cross, in announcing her death, paid tribute to her "selfless service on behalf of the members of the armed forces".'