Margaret Eppley

Margaret “Peg” (Humphrey Brown) Eppley, 86, of St. Joseph passed away Saturday, June 25, 2011 at The Willows in St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Service will be held 11:30 A.M. Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph with pastor Gordon Barry officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery. Friends may visit from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. Monday, June 27, 2011 at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Association, Stevensville United Methodist Church, Hospice at Home, or donor's choice. Those wishing to share a memory online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Margaret was born in Benton Harbor on January 19, 1925 to George and Zula May (Valentine) Humphrey. She is survived by her husband, Donald Eppley and her three children Robert E. Brown, Jr. (Janice), of Venice, FL and Susan Collier (Eldon) of Berrien Springs, MI and Jeffrey W. (Patty) Brown, of Duluth, MN, step-children, Mike (Corliss) Eppley, Paula Vogie, Thomas (Cindy) Eppley of St. Joseph and Jennifer (Eric) Wright of Saline, MI, ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. On September 6, 1947 Peg married Robert Edward Brown, of Watervliet. They both attended Michigan State University and returned to Benton Harbor after graduating. They both enjoyed singing barbershop style music, Bob in SPEBSQUA and Peg in Sweet Adeline's. This love was especially passed down to Susan. Peg began her teaching career in 1964; teaching 1st and 2nd grades at North Lincoln Elementary School and at E.P. Clarke Elementary School. Peg was widowed in 1974. One of her many loves was singing in the choir at her church; Stevensville Methodist. It was here that she met Donald Eppley; the 2nd love of her life. They married on April 9, 1988. Together they enjoyed singing in the choir, playing golf and cards and spending time with their children and grandchildren. They also volunteered for many years at Memorial Hospital in St. Joe. Peg will be greatly missed by her family, friends and former students. She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings; Maurice Humphrey, Helen Noffke and Donald Humphrey and granddaughter, Tracy Lindsley.