Peggy Hayes

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, September 6, 2008 at the Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home, Decatur at 11 :00 A.M. A private burial service will be held following the Celebration of Life at the Mechanicsburg Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Peg asked that donations be made to Oak Grove School, Decatur, Illinois, where she spent 30 wonderful years and had so many great memories. Peg was born October 6, 1947, in Springfield, Illinois to Howard and Phoebe Earles of Dawson. She attended grade school and Tri-City High School in Dawson, Illinois. Peg received a B.S. in Education from Illinois State University and a Master's degree in Education from Eastern Illinois University. She taught elementary education for over thirty years in the Decatur Public Schools, retiring in 2002. Upon her retirement, Peg and Jerry moved to Green Valley, Arizona and built a home in Quail Creek where they had planned to enjoy their retirement. Peg enjoyed golf and other social activities and made lots of new friends. Jerry and Peg maintained their love of their "Illini" sports and were members of both Tucson Illini Club and the Green Valley Illini Club. Both in Decatur and Green Valley, Peg was an active member of P.E.O., a philanthropic charitable organization that raised money for young women to attend college. She dearly loved her P.E.O. sisters. Peg is survived by her husband of 20 years, William J. (Jerry) Hayes of Green Valley, Arizona; brother, Ross Earles and friend Juanita Hall of Springfield, Illinois; and brother, Wayne and his wife Roxella Earles of Dawson, Illinois. She is also survived by her loving step-families: Debbie and Rob Miller and children Max and Marguerite of Chicago, Illinois and Jeni and Brian Vaughan and children Emma and Norah of Skokie, Illinois. She is further survived by nieces and nephews: Dave and Cinda Earles of Mechanicsburg, Dale and Gail White of Niantic, Gary and Pat Earles of Tolono, Karen and David Schinneer of Springfield, Cathy Kearney of Money, Mississippi and their families. She will surely be missed by her many friends in Decatur, especially Judy Thistlethwaite and Sandy Peterson, as well as her many friends in Quail Creek, Green Valley, Arizona. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister-in-law Betty Earles. "
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