Margaret (Peggy) Hedley died March 17, 2014, at Sun Terrace Assisted Living in Prosser, Wash., at the age of 90.
She was born in Mountain Grove, Mo., on Aug. 17, 1923, to Evan and Mildred Chase. After graduating from Mountain Grove High School in 1941, she attended Southwest Missouri State Teachers College in Springfield, Mo.
On Dec. 9, 1944, she married her childhood sweetheart, Harry Hedley Jr., in the Air Base Chapel in Sioux Falls, S.D.
In 1948, they moved to Yakima and moved to Prosser the following year. Peggy lived there ever since except for five years in Montana, while Harry worked for the Milwaukee Railroad.
The family returned to Prosser in 1956. They opened the Hedley Radio & TV Shop in 1961, and later the Prosser Montgomery Ward Sales Agency in 1966. Peggy became the bookkeeper and payroll clerk for the Prosser School District in 1973, retiring from that position in 1987. She was honored by the Prosser Education Association in 1984 with their “Something Special” award for her many contributions to the school district.
Peggy was a longtime member of the Prosser United Methodist Church, and later the Prosser Central Christian Church. She served as a Sunday school teacher, was active in women’s groups, and served as the financial secretary for many years. She was a member of the Prosser Meridian Club and volunteered as a tutor at Housel Middle School and at Jubilee Ministries Food Bank.
Peggy was an avid Scrabble player and loved crossword puzzles. She loved to read, do needlework and enjoy the company of her cats.
Her husband, Harry, preceded her in death in 1998. She is survived by her children, Susan (Bruce) Preuninger, of Spokane; Michael Hedley, of Prosser; Mary Jane (Brian) Jonas, of Issaquah; and Becky (Chris) Dederer, of Issaquah. She is also survived by four grandchildren, Joel Preuninger, Nick (Colleen) Preuninger, Megan Jonas, and Matthew Dederer; one great-grandchild, Henry Preuninger; and her sister, Martha Jayne Clark, of Mesa, Ariz.
A public memorial service will be held at the Prosser United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Friday, May 2, 2014. A private graveside service was previously held. Memorials may be made to the Lower Valley Hospice or Jubilee Ministries, or a charity of the donor’s choice.