Peggy Jo Martin McMillan's Obituary
Born January 15, 1936, in Palestine, Texas, Peggy Jo Muston Martin McMillan of Longview, Texas, passed away on January 30, 2021, at the age of 85.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Ronald F. Martin, Sr., and her parents, Ora Mae and Aubra Muston.
Peggy is survived by her husband of 37 years, Lewis McMillan. Left to treasure her memory are her children Ronald F. Martin, Jr., Lana and Ron Hutchison, Linda and Carey Martin, Timothy Martin and Wanda Roberts, sister-in-law/honorary daughter, Elaine Martin, and Robert McMillan; her grandchildren Lauren and Jon Bryan, Amanda and Neil Harris, Emily and Blake Lever, Samantha and Mark Norman, Tammy and Cody Martin, Hunter Martin, Nichole Martin, Shelby and Tyler Leath, Troy Duran, and Colin Martin; seven great-grandsons and six great-granddaughters; beloved sister Sue Latham and her husband Joe; brothers and sisters-in-law Brenda and Walter Martin, Maxine Wheaton, and Cindy and Bill McMillan. She will also be missed by her numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Peggy graduated from Longview High School in 1954 and as the class secretary took great pride in organizing all of the class reunions. She married her high school sweetheart in 1954, but was tragically widowed at the age of 26, leaving her to raise her four young children. Despite this tragedy, she gave her kids the life every young child dreams of; she was a mom to all in her neighborhood and made the best macaroni and cheese. She was enormously proud of her children and all their accomplishments.
She went on to spend 56 years in the oil and gas industry at Machin & Associates, where she was an absolute whiz on the typewriter. She finally retired in May 2020, claiming, “my fingers are tired.” She enjoyed gardening, watching football, baseball, and soccer, and the musical stylings of Elvis Presley. She was a loyal Texas A&M fan. Most importantly, she was a huge fan of whatever her grandchildren were doing; she rarely missed a game, recital, or play. She was an active member of Alpine Church of Christ, where she would always dole out Lifesavers to her grandchildren on Sundays and would like for you all to know she will meet you again in the southeast corner of Heaven.
Peggy was strong and fiercely independent. She loved traveling the world with her family and her dear friends, Juanita Ferguson, Clara Machin, and Nancy Salmon, who were sisters of her heart.
Her children and grandchildren will especially miss her full body chuckle, her twinkly eyes, her deep East Texas accent, her almost militant devotion to her weekly beauty shop appointments, her ability to sense an onion within a 20 foot radius, her type-written checks on special occasions, her cornbread dressing (which no one else has ever mastered), her life-long aversion to the color brown, and her ability to put people in their place with her legendary side-eye. She will be forever remembered for her love of brightly colored clothes, butterflies, and yellow roses.
The family would like to extend their special thanks to Adam Tompkins and Alex Hubbard, for their loving kindness and invaluable care to Peggy & Lewis in recent years.
Memorial contributions can be made to her favorite causes: Alpine Church of Christ Missions Fund (https://www.alpinecoc.org/give) and Camp of the Hills (https://www.campofthehills.org/donate/). The family would also ask that when you plant your gardens in the spring that you remember Peggy, and plant something for the butterflies.
Services will be held in the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home of Longview on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 2 pm. Interment will be private.
A memorial guestbook may be signed online at www.raderfh.com.
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