Peggy Jean Jenkins Kreiger passed away unexpectedly, about 7:55 p.m. Thursday, April 29, 2021, at her home in Crestline, Ks., at the age of 73 years, 4 months and 11 days.
She was the youngest of two daughters born to Joseph Frederick “Joe” and Ruby Marie Bash Jenkins on December 18, 1947, at old Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Jasper County, Mo.
She attended Galena schools from Spring Grove through Galena high school, and was a member of the graduating class of 1965. She attended Joplin Business College.
Peggy had gone to Galena High School with, and dated, Leroy Vernon ‘Sonny’ Webster—a member of the class of 1964. He, and some of the others she later dated, enjoyed working on cars, and she picked up some useful mechanical knowledge and abilities herself.
Peggy and Sonny married twice at Miami, Ok., December 22, 1967 and October 16, 1970 and divorced twice, July 08, 1969 and March 30, 1979. He was the father of her only daughter, Starla, her proudest life achievement. Sonny passed away March 01, 2020.
She married Burl Dean Kreiger, December 16, 1983, at Miami, Ok. He passed away March 20, 2008.
Peggy began her working career at Vickers Incorporated, Division of Sperry Rand Corp., Joplin, Mo., in their office. This was her longest place of employment, she and her husband Dean were both there until the plant closed in 1987.
Peggy later worked at Superior in Pittsburg as Tool Crib Manager, until it closed down in December 2008. During this time she also had a part time job with RGIS, inventorying stores over the four-state area when she wasn’t on the job at Superior. Her daughter Starla sometimes worked with her doing inventories.
Peggy enjoyed crafting the “surprises” teachers planned for the students to give to their parents. That was just the beginning of her many hobbies. She did all kinds of things at home on her own or with our help. She learned to embroider and sew, making some of her own clothes, and continued to improve her abilities and extend her range of hobbies throughout her life.
She’d always loved horses, she finally got a horse and entered barrel races at the Baxter Springs rodeo grounds.
She learned to bowl, and started entering bowling tournaments, won some prizes, and was able to travel distances from home in her younger years, and when she took it up again after her retirement. She always enjoyed being active.
She was involved in her daughter, Starla and grandsons, Dakota and Ethan’s school and other activities. She had more time to be involved with Starla and her grandsons after she retired. When they graduated from the Galena schools they were attending and continued their education, she was there.
She was so proud when Starla became a Certifed Respiratory Therapist. She was proud, but fearful, when Starla began to work with the Covid-19 patients. This has limited the time they were able to be together.
Among her many hobbies, one was genealogy. She and our mother amassed a collection of over 35,000 obituaries on index cards from over the four-state area and beyond, from newspapers. We got involved in genealogy in 1980, Mom and Peggy got went to cemeteries took tombstone photos and transcribed the information on the tombstones. They also went to Genealogy Societies and public libraries to search for information, to assist others with their family trees.
Peggy joined Find A Grave. She was so busy with other things, she didn’t have a lot of time to do it herself, but she was always at my side ready to help me.
Peggy was the one who visited family and friends in hospitals and went to funerals. She even went to funerals of people she’d never met that I knew, in my place, and signed their registers, if available, for us both. She also attended the reunions of my graduating class of 1957, so she could take photos of them to send to me.
She was the one who always tried to be family to her own, as well as extended family.
She had many relationship titles in her life. She was a daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, cousin, and friend to many.
She is survived by her daughter: Starla E. Hodges of Crestline, Ks.; two grandsons, Dakota J. (fiancé Martina Wilson) Turner, Wichita, Ks., and Ethan W. Turner of Crestline, Ks.; sister, Orlena Marie ‘Doodle’ and brother-in-law, Jennings Bryant of Shawnee, Ks.; two nephews, Jerry J. Bryant of Shawnee, Ks., and William J. Bryant of Wesley Chapel, Fl.; and several other cousins and more distant relatives, including Bruce Hodges.
Her presence here on earth will surely be missed, but she will always remain in our hearts.
Due to the times, she will be cremated and later placed in Lowell cemetery, Lowell, Ks. next to our mother.
Arrangements are under the direction of Derfelt Funeral Home of Galena, Ks.