Peggy was born and raised in Manitou, Manitoba.  Life on the farm was difficult.  Little Peggy was only four years old when her mother left town with her eldest child and left behind her husband and two youngest children.  Peggy’s father eventually re-married and it was Peggy’s responsibility to cook and do the housework for her dad and brothers.  Soon to follow were 3 half-siblings (Chuck, Jimmy and Joan). Peggy could not wait to leave home.  After completing grade 11, she moved to Winnipeg with her best friend Shirley Ridley.  In 1949, she met Keith Richards and they were married on June 27, 1952. 

 

Peggy got an office job at Sovereign Life and then Lake Shipper.  She quickly got a side job as a dance instructor at Arthur Murray’s,  but it did not last long as once she completed the training, she was asked to remove her rings when teaching male customers.

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Things were about to get better when her best friend, Shirley, married Keith’s best friend, Al Duffy.  The foursome danced at the legion every Friday and played poker every Saturday.  Every fall they would host a Grey Cup party for at least 15 years.

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Three kids – Karen in 1956 – Derry in 1958 – and Jeff in 1966, returned Peggy to the task of looking after the household.  Keith travelled western Canada for his job, leaving Peg to raise the children mostly on her own.  But good news – Peggy could not believe it when her mother-in-law took her side in an argument about how much to spend on “back-to-school” clothes.  Peggy had a new found ally and they remained life-long friends. 

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The family enjoyed summer  vacations every year renting a cottage – mostly at West Hawk Lake and sometimes Petersfield.  Peg loved relaxing in the sunshine and spending time on the beach.

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Another plus – Peg was never interested in the game of golf.  At 95 pounds, she could not hit the ball far.  But when her father-in-law retired, he lost all his golfing partners.  So Peg joined him so he had someone to golf with.  She got quite excited when she hit a long putt.  She got to really enjoy the game.

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Keith and Peggy spent 16 Februarys in Corpus Christie, Texas and ten Februarys in Las Vegas.  In both locations, she loved to golf.  Keith would play 9 holes in the early morning – return to the hotel – and go for another 9 holes with Peg.  When they were done, Peg would gamble to her heart’s content.

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Peg enjoyed time with all three grandchildren, Jason (born 1981), Brianne (born 1984) and Brooke (born 2000).  I’m sure they all have special memories of Gramma Peggy.

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In the early 90's, Peggy found line dancing.  She was hooked from the start.  She was dancing two or three times a week for many years.  Everything revolved around her dancing – no other activity would ever take priority over dancing.  She made many new friends – some of which are here today.

In the last few years, Peggy suffered through many health issues, which eventually caused her to stop dancing and golfing.  She enjoyed visits with her great-granddaughters – Chevelle (born 2012) and Arya (born 2016).  Most weeks, she continued to visit the casino.  That was the only activity that she could still manage.  It was entertainment that got her out of the house.

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Throughout the years, Keith supported and adored Peg.  He went out of his way to ensure that she continued to enjoy a comfortable, fulfilled and happy life.