Obituaries: Obituary: Wilma Mae McPeek
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| Wilma Mae McPeek |
March 11, 2008
Wilma Mae Carroll McPeek, 84, of Montgomery, NY, has traveled on to that better place on March 10, 2008, at the Elant Care Facility in Newburgh, N.Y. after a long illness.
Born November 5, 1923, in Hohenwald, TN., McPeek was the second of eight children born to Arch Wilburn Carroll and Pauline Kelsey Carroll, both deceased.
Also predeceasing her are five brothers: John K. Carroll, James W. Carroll, Arthur B. Carroll, Fred W. Carroll, William F. Carroll, and sister: Minnie E. Carroll Turner, as well as her son; Randall Lee Couey, Jr.
She was widowed twice. Her husband, Randall L. Couey, Sr., died in 1946 and her second husband, Edison McPeek, from whom she was long separated, died in 1995. Nieces Cheryl Edwards and Patricia Shreiver and nephew Scott Carroll also predeceased their aunt.
Surviving are her very dear sister, Grace Lee Arnold of Little Rock, Arkansas, loving daughter, Kathryn Couey Holt of Salisbury Mills, N.Y., beloved grandchildren; Jay M. Holt and Sharon, of Cornwall, N.Y.. Amy Holt McCabe and Daniel, of Upper Saddle River, N.J., Amanda B. Holt, of Newburgh, N.Y. , Alan L. Couey and Lorraine, of Oklahoma City, OK., and Michael B. Couey and Louise, of Walden, N.Y. cherished great-grandchildren; Lindsey, Melanie, Zachery and Emilyanne Couey, also John Thomas, and Michael B. Couey, Jr., Nicholas Holt, and Maggie, Emma, Cassie and Anna McCabe.
Also surviving Mrs. McPeek are sisters-in-law Muriel Eddy, of Gainesville, Fl., Frances Carroll and Joan Carroll, of Ohio, and her aunt, Gladys Carroll, of Milan, Tenn.
In addition, she leaves many, many dearly loved nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and nephews, cousins and dear friends throughout the country.
Wilma, aka: “Gal“, “Willie” and “Gramma” grew up on a farm in Tennessee during the depression with her seven siblings and, along with her sisters and brothers, worked hard to help with the crops and farm work, sometimes driving the tractor.
The family moved to Wickliffe, Ohio in the late 30’s where they lived briefly and Wilma proudly became a piccolo player with the Wickliffe High School Marching Band. Moving again, she graduated in 1941 from Berea High School in Berea, Ohio.
During WWII she and her mother worked as a “Rosie the Riveters” at the Cleveland Bomber Plant, and after a brief stint at Berea Hospital in food service, she began her long career at Berea City Hall.
Beginning as city hall’s switchboard operator, she retired in the early 1980s after 30 years with the city of Berea as Service Director. She then held a brief position with the Berea City Shade Tree Commission. As Deputy Service Director, and then Director, she was in her element and loved her years of service to her home community. The City Council and municipality gave her a lavish retirement dinner complete with a special “resolution” declaring “Wilma Day” throughout the city.
She was an avid traveler and enjoyed driving all around the country pursuing her interest in family genealogy research and especially loved her trip to England and Germany with her sister-in-law, Joan Carroll.
After a serious illness, she retired and, in 1995, moved to New York to be near family. She then enjoyed sewing, crafts, gardening and spending time keeping in touch with family, especially her adoring great-grandchildren.
In a real sense, her life came full circle here, for she was born in Tennessee because her ancestor, James Lawson (born 1758 in County Cork, Ireland) migrated there after his discharge in Poughkeepsie from Washington’s army with which he had fought as a private in the battles of Monmouth and Stony Point.
One hundred and sixty six years later, her brother John Kelsey Carroll was a pilot in the Flying Tigers and flew B24 Bombers over the Burma Hump. Brothers Jim and Fred were in the army, Arthur was in the Marines and Bill was a Church of Christ minister while sister Minnie was a nurse.
For many years Mrs. McPeek was an active member of her church in Berea, Ohio. She enjoyed many years organizing picnics and reunions for church and family and always remembered to have games and prizes for the little ones. For a few years she published and distributed a Family Newsletter called the “Carroll Chronicles“ in which the large and spread out family could keep in touch, share milestones, recipes, jokes, poems, philosophy and anecdotes. It was a great success for a number of years and has been missed.
As a patriot, Mrs. McPeek was very proud that she had relatives in the armed services in every major military operation since the Revolution.
Her son Randall (Bud) Couey, US Air Force, was laid to rest in 2005 in the Veteran’s cemetery in Goshen, NY.
Visitation will be on Thursday March 13th from 6 to 9PM at Quigley Bros. Funeral Home, 337 Hudson St. Cornwall-on-Hudson NY .
Service will be at 10:00 am on Friday 3/14 at Quigley Bros. Funeral Home, Hudson St. Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to www.hospiceoforange.org or www.USO.org service organization.
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