Margaret "Peggy" Ellen White's Obituary
White, Margaret E. “Peggy” joined the choir invisible on February 7th, 2024. Her spirit is continued by her four children, 8 grandchildren, two great grandchildren, 7 surviving siblings, and an extended family of relations and friends from every walk of life.
We were blessed to learn many valuable lessons from Peggy during her 76 years, among them: Don’t take yourself so seriously. “Wear purple with the red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit”. Coax smiles from strange children at redlights and in long grocery lines by pushing your upper dentures out and crossing your eyes. She believed children should be sung to, teased, and encouraged. Also: Dance like no one is watching. Peggy never passed by a shop video camera display without grabbing her closest mortified child, dancing, and singing “me and my shadow”. Make the car dance by lightly tapping the brakes to the beat of songs on the radio.
Go to church, any church. Visit them all, sing their songs, pray for their members, and share in their worship. The most important lesson is to give. Give visitors your undivided attention. “Oh, I was just starting to straighten up, but come in and sit” is how she greeted what must have been her numerous visitors.
Give your time to the prison ministry, and hospital volunteer groups. Give rides to people walking in the cold or rain. If they steal from you give forgiveness and give the next person, the benefit of the doubt. Give your last dollar to the ragged person outside the coffee shop knowing you have coffee at home, and a home to go to. Give advice (solicited or not), hugs, encouragement, and compliments. Give not because you have an abundance, but because they have less. “We give because giving has changed us. We give because giving could have changed us”.
She is survived by her children: Son Mike (girlfriend Tammy); Daughter Robin Ray; Son Danny (wife Marissa); Daughter Betsy. Moss (husband Jay) Grandchildren Chase White; Raegan White; Amy Stone (husband Sean); Sarah Swanson: Tyler White; Mark Uy; Kenny Kirk; Madie J. Newcomb, Noah Moss, and Madie E. Moss. Great grandchildren Connor Stone; Carsyn Stone. Siblings Sharron, Marylynn, Gail, Joe, Pam, Billy, and Lynn; and many in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends and family too numerous to list but not forgotten. Peggy is reunited with her father George McInnis, mother Mary Corey, and granddaughter Whitney Summerlott.
Friends can visit Peggy's family at Graceland Fairlawn Funeral Home on Monday, February 12th, 2024. Visitation will begin at 4pm, and services at 5pm. Dress comfortably with a splash of purple if you have it. In Peggy's memory donations may be made to The Good Samaritan Inn, 920 N. Union St, Decatur IL 62522, or Dove Inc., 302 S. Union St, Decatur IL 62522, or any charity that seeks to better the lives of “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,”.
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