Peggy Lou (Kelley) Wagy, 52, passed away Jan. 7, 2008, due to a pulmonary embolism.
Peggy Lou (Kelley) Wagy was born May 20, 1955, in Portsmouth, Va., she was the first of two children born to Shelby Joe Kelley and Rosa Mae (Smith) Kelley. Peggy’s parents divorced when she was young and she was raised by her paternal grandparents, Marion and June Kelley, in Chester. Peggy (she preferred Peggie as the spelling of her name) received her formal education in Chester and was a 1973 graduate of Chester High School. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula for a year before returning to work in Chester for a couple of years. While in Chester she met her husband Clay Wagy and the two were married in 1979 and settled in Mandan, North Dakota. The couple had two children, Christopher and Nicole before the couple was divorced. Peggie lived in Colorado for a time, then moved back to Chester in 1986 and had a third child, Kelley, in 1988. In 1989 she moved to Havre and attended Northern Montana College, then she moved to Billings, and later to Oklahoma. She settled in Lincoln, Neb., where she passed away Jan. 7, 2008, due to a pulmonary embolism; she was 52 years old. During her youth in Chester she was involved in Rainbow Girls and later Royal Neighbors. In school she was very active in drama and choir and enjoyed track and field. She always loved art and took classes while attending NMC. She enjoyed watching sports, especially football, and became a die-hard Husker fan when she settled in Nebraska. Peggie liked to bake, draw, knit and cross-stitch in her spare time. However, Peggie’s favorite activity was a good “gotcha” joke; anytime and anywhere! In Lincoln, Peggie was very involved in the Northern Lighthouse Church in Lincoln and her potato salad and deviled eggs were always a favorite at any gathering. However, her life was her kids and grandkids! All three of Peggie’s kids lived near her in Lincoln, and she had 10 grandchildren. She spent a lot of time with the grandkids and loved them dearly. Every call to relatives or friends would include an update, good or bad, on everything the crew was doing. Photos accompanied every letter; and often came with nothing more than a note explaining the photos and who was in them. Peggie had health problems for many years. She was diagnosed with a lung ailment in 1989 and fought weight problems her entire life. She took it all in stride and just continued to “do her thing” as much as possible. Peggie was cremated and a service in celebration of her life was held Friday, Jan. 11, 2008, at Northern Lighthouse Church in Lincoln, Neb. Peggie was survived by her children: sons Christopher (Sarah) Wagy and Kelley Robin of Lincoln; Daughter Nicole Wagy of Lincoln; grandchildren: Mylijah Thompson, Mateo Lewis, Miah Lewis, Melias Mason, Alexis Soderstrom, Grant Soderstrom, Madilyn Wagy, Zyhmia Wagy, Calysta Wagy and Isabelle Gibbler, all of Lincoln; brothers, William (Anne) Smith of Tallahassee, Fla., Charles “Mike” (Nancy) Moore of Muskegon, Mich., Scott (Susan) Kelley, Henry “Skeeter” (Judith) Moore of Chesapeake, Va.; sisters, Diana “Peanut” Grimes of Portsmouth, Va., and Shellie (Carol) DuBois of Acton, Mass. Peggie had six uncles and aunts on her father’s side, some of whom were more like brothers and sisters: Jim (Bobbie) Kelley of Helena, Lewis (Romy) Kelley of Colorado Springs, Colo., Amy Smith of Chinook, Bonnie (Gary) Eppers Of Fort Benton, Dorothie Overlie of Chester and, especially the youngest, Ray (Kareen) Kelley of Lodi, Calif. She was also survived by her stepmother, Shirley Kelley, and by numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews. Peggie was preceded in death by her father, Shelby “Joe” Kelley; mother, Rosa Mae Smith; “Mom and Pop,” June and Marion Kelley; Grandma and Grandpa Smith and a grandson, Shai-Prieze Wagy. Aspen Cremation and Burial Service of Lincoln handled the arrangements (To view this online obituary or email condolences, please visit Aspen Cremation & Burial Service’s website www.aspenaftercare. com).
