Sermon Tone Analysis

We gather today to mourn the loss of Peggy Bundy, but we also want to celebrate her life.

Peggy was a vibrant and energetic person, and even as we grieve today, we want to remember the person and the blessing she was.

In the Bible we read these words,

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.

We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.

9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.

We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed….18

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.

For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

(2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 18, NLT)

Today, we have hope even as we grieve; the hope of God’s promise that this is not the end of the story, but that there is life even beyond the grave.

That is the comfort to which we cling today.

Will you pray with me?

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for Peggy’s life, even as we grieve today.

Today we ask that you would grant comfort and peace to these family and friends as they grieve.

Help us to hold tight to the hope that through Jesus, we can live even though we die.

Please guide this service today, we ask in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Peggy Joanne Bundy, was born September 23, 1958 in LaHarpe the daughter of Glen L. and Shirlene (Foster) Jones.

She grew up in the area and graduated from La Harpe High School.

On January 5, 1980 she married Verg Bundy at the Old Bedford Church near Blandinsville, Illinois.

They later divorced.

She worked for several years at Methode in Carthage.

Later, she worked as paraprofessional for the LaHarpe School District and lastly worked as a CNA for many local nursing homes.

She loved the work she did in these places, and truly enjoyed caring for others.

She enjoyed camping, riding motorcycles, being outdoors, traveling, dirt track racing, and especially the recent family trip to Florida.

She loved her grandchildren, and seemed to accept anyone as part of the family, regardless of whether they were blood or not.

She passed away on Monday, December 12, 2022 surrounded by her family at home.

Survivors include her mother: Shirlene Jones of LaHarpe; one son: Brent (Michelle) Bundy of LaHarpe; two daughters: Amanda Andries (Andy Boone) of Keokuk, Iowa and Ciji Bundy (Kelly Hughes) of LaHarpe; eight grandchildren: Dylan and Misty Maloney, Braxton Cordell, Melany Bundy, Bailey and Dominic Bundy and Nevaeh and Zabrina Hughes; one great-grandchild: Bentley Maloney and one on the way; one brother: Terry (Jean) Jones of LaHarpe and two sisters: Teresa Boone and Joni (Jim) Imthurn all of LaHarpe.

She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, cousins and her cat: Bella.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents; father: Glen and one nephew: Zachary Jones.

SONG— My Wish for You

Eulogy

Peggy Bundy was a person with a drive, a fire, and a zest for life.

From what I’ve gathered from her family, she has been that way from the beginning.

Even as a child, Peggy seemed to always be on the move.

Being the oldest child, she often felt as though she was the boss, and would tell the others what they needed to do.

At the same time, she did her best to care for the others as well.

When Joni was born and Shirlene was still recovering and unable to do much around the house, Peggy decided to pitch in by helping out with the laundry.

She threw the clothes in the washer to get clean…along with a fair amount of bleach!

Needless to say, while the sentiment was good, the execution left much to be desired.

When her parents would leave, Peggy would be in charge of the rest of the kids.

She was diligent in caring for them, though Teresa remembers that one of the tasks they were usually given by their parents before they left was to clean up the house.

Teresa would try to clean diligently, but never seemed to figure out how to get it all done in time, so she usually got in trouble.

Peggy, however, had figured out how to beat the system.

She just stuffed everything into a closet somewhere, so it looked clean.

So mom and dad were happy, and she still had time to do what she wanted.

As she got older, Peggy had a bit of a rebellious streak in her.

Her mom caught her smoking at the school and threatened her with getting her hair cut off if she didn’t stop.

(She didn’t stop…and still had her hair!)

She didn’t always run with the best crowd in those days either.

Terry remembers going with his dad to look for her sometimes.

She wasn’t afraid to get into a fight if she had to—even if it meant she got her nose broken.

Apparently, when her mom and dad borrowed a car for a test drive, Peggy decided she needed to take it out herself…and unfortunately backed into another car in the process!

While Peggy did become a responsible adult, her ornery streak never truly left.

I’m told that her 50th birthday party was quite the event, complete with kegs and keg stands…and eventually a visit from the police!

While she was a bit ornery, she was also a fierce friend.

If I understand it correctly, Kenny Foster once fell into the water, and Peggy didn’t hesitate and immediately jumped in after him to get him to safety.

Those closest to Peggy knew she loved them.

She absolutely adored her family.

In recent years, she loved having all the grandkids around, and loved to host Christmas so they’d all be together.

As her own kids were growing up, she was always looking out for them and trying to make memories, even in the simple things.

The kids all remember how much she loved to go to Keokuk in her big blue station wagon for groceries.

When the bridge closed for the flood of ’93, she didn’t know what to do with herself since she couldn’t go to Keokuk anymore!

While she was fun, the kids also knew not to cross their mom.

For example, they all knew that when mom whistled for you to come home at night, you better get home quick!

She was always looking out for the kids.

Amanda tells the story of when she was getting ready to give birth to Misty, they ran out of gas on the way to the hospital.

They had to walk to go get more so they could get the rest of the way there.

Being before cell phones, they weren’t able to call Peggy and tell her what happened.

When she didn’t get a phone call from them saying they’d arrived at the hospital, she decided to call the hospital herself!

It was only later that she learned what happened, but she wanted to make sure everything went smoothly for her daughter and granddaughter.

She took good care of her siblings even after they were grown as well.

When Joni was pregnant, she would often take her for a walk to go get tacos in the hopes of getting her to go into labor.

When Joni had surgery, Peggy was always there for her.

When Zach had his seizures, Peggy would be sure to stay with him at the hospital.

Lots of people knew her as “Aunt Peggy”, and not just her nieces and nephews.

Since she didn’t seem to know a stranger, she could quickly become friends with almost anyone.

When she worked at the school, she developed a special bond with her students.

The same was true with her patients when she worked as a CNA.

Even once she was grown Peggy never lost her zeal for life.

She loved to be in the sun and get a tan.

If the sun was out and you drove past her house, there would be a good chance you’d see Peggy outside trying to soak up the rays.

Even this past summer, when she was still quite sick, she loved going to the beach with almost the whole family.

She loved making memories with the kids and grandkids.

Almost all of them will never forget the sound of Peggy yelling, “I’m gonna pet that dog!” Her excitement was contagious.

She had lots of things she loved doing.

She loved playing all sorts of different card games, either with others or by herself.

She loved the beauty of South Dakota, and the beauty of Florida, but also loved being back home.

She loved her animals, even training one of her cats to use the toilet rather than the litterbox.

She loved Native American culture and her house was decorated with all sorts of Native American-themed items.

She was famous (at least locally) for her potato salad.

She also loved cashews…but hated when one of the grandkids would go through a can of mixed nuts and pick them all out!

Peggy enjoyed riding motorcycles with pretty much anyone who would give her a ride.

She loved going to Redneck Rally, but when another driver wrecked Misty, they weren’t sure they were going to be able to keep Peggy from going after her.

If there is one thing I think everyone who knew Peggy knew about her, it was that she loved life, and she loved her family.

She was the kind of person you could rely on to be there in your time of need, and to make whatever you were doing fun—even if it was something mundane.

As we look at Peggy’s life, her example should teach us a few things.

· The importance of loving those closest to you and looking out for them

· The value of laughter and making the best of whatever situation you are in