Peggy Carlson, 99

Peggy Louise Carlson was born on February 17, 1926, to Louise Marie (Graesing) Wagner and William Martin Wagner. She passed away peacefully at age 99 in Woodstock, Illinois, after a lifetime of love and service to others. Peggy was a longtime resident of Crystal Lake and Woodstock, Illinois.

Peggy attended Woodstock schools, where she was a friend to everyone and excelled academically. In high school she was chosen as May Queen, Prom Queen, and Homecoming Queen before being named Valedictorian of her senior class.

In 1948, Peggy married Don Hansen and together they built a life centered on family, hard work, and community service.

Peggy’s passion was caring for others. Inspired by her cousin Mildred Nagle, she chose a career in nursing. Peggy trained and graduated from the Methodist Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota, which was the nursing school for the Mayo Clinic. During her training, she recalled often seeing the famous Mayo brothers in the hospital. As part of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, Peggy answered the national call to train and serve as a civilian registered nurse during World War II.

Peggy devoted 43 years to nursing including Head Nurse at Woodstock Community Hospital, as a Charge Nurse at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, and earlier worked in private duty nursing. Known for her professionalism and compassion, she became a mentor to many young nurses and formed lasting friendships through her work.

After retiring from nursing, Peggy began actively volunteering through the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Her volunteer efforts included delivering Meals on Wheels several days a week, driving people to their doctor appointments, and visiting nursing homes where she actively led residents in learning and playing games.

Throughout her life, Peggy opened her home for Bible studies, game days, and social activities. Her gifts for welcoming and connecting people, hosting, and helping everyone feel included and at ease brought her great joy and a sense of community over the years. On game days, she would set up 3 or 4 tables and have 10-18 people over, often teaching newcomers the rules so everyone could participate. She especially liked and was skilled at Rummikub.

Athletic and energetic by nature, Peggy actively pursued many outdoor activities and sports. She rode horses, played tennis and golf, swam, and enjoyed hiking in nature. She also taught her children plant identification and an appreciation of the wonders of nature. Additional interests included downhill and cross-country skiing, Fred Astaire ballroom dance classes, and waterskiing.

Peggy loved birds and enjoyed feeding them and had an impressive ability to identify almost all the eastern bird species. She also took great pleasure in flower gardening and her blooming, colorful garden was a spectacular welcome as you drove up her driveway.

She loved sharing her vacation spot by the Wisconsin Dells with family and friends and cherished time spent at Lake Geneva for family gatherings.

Peggy was a devoted supporter of her kids and attended countless children’s sporting events and activities. She and Don were active members of the local school sports booster club and often hosted large gatherings to celebrate the efforts of local student athletes.

Family was at the heart of Peggy’s life and a source of deep comfort and joy. Because she was an only child, she cherished being warmly included as a loved member of the large extended Hansen family throughout her life, even after the early death of her husband Don.

When faced with hardship, Peggy always demonstrated resilience and faith in God, finding ways to remain optimistic and positive while focusing on the good she could do and finding her way forward.

Her faith guided her life and she expressed it through her actions. Peggy played piano for Sunday school, volunteered through her church and in the community, and practiced what she believed out in the world. She was a longtime member of the Woodstock Methodist Church during her youth and years raising her family, and later became a part of the Hope Church and the Evangelical Free Church in Crystal Lake.

Peggy maintained close relationships with many friends that she had known since childhood and continued forming new friendships throughout every chapter of her life. In nurse’s training at Kahler, she met her dear and best friend for life, Donna Wussow. They remained in contact and shared their lives by writing, phoning, visiting each other with their growing families as often as they could for their entire lives.

Peggy leaves behind a loving family including her children: Sandy Schuett of Redlands, California, Linde (Joe Lukas) Hansen-Lukas of Beverly Shores, Indiana, Tom (Linda) Hansen of Woodstock, Illinois, and Donna (Bob) Scymanski of Hamden, Connecticut; her grandchildren: Beau Schuett, Brianne (Robb) Turner, Erik Lukas, Neal Lukas, Jason (Leah) Lukas, Amy (Keith Bond) Lukas, Jay (Crissy) Hansen, Jeremy (Michelle Stark) Hansen, Katie Hansen, Courtney (Will) Creighton, Eliot Scymanski, Emma (Ralphie Sylvester) Scymanski; her great grandchildren: Genevieve Schuett, Evangeline Schuett, Analiese Schuett, Braxton Schuett, Sophie Turner, Trey (Brittany) Casper, Gage Hansen, Callie Hansen, Aiden Parsons, Sawyer Creighton, and Dani Creighton; and her great-great-grandchildren: Beckam, Kaden, Blakely, and Ryker Casper.

She is survived by her sisters-in-law Dorothy Nichols, Char Hansen, and Karen Wuchte, her brothers-in-law Bill Hansen and Larry (Sheila) Hansen, devoted friend Natalie Weber, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, first husband Don Hansen, father- and mother-in-law Mark and Gertrude Hansen, second husband Jim Carlson, son-in-law Wal Schuett, brothers-in-law Bob Hansen, Ron Hansen, Robin Nichols, and Jim Hansen, and sisters-in-law Lindy Hansen, Ruth Hansen, and Marilyn Hansen.

Peggy will be remembered for her generosity, strength, faith in God, and the many lives she touched through her care, kindness, and lifetime of support.

A celebration of life service will be held for Peggy on Feb 7 at her church. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. and the service at 12 noon at: The Evangelical Free Church of Crystal Lake, 575 E. Crystal Lake Ave, Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Memorial gifts may be given in Peggy’s name to The Evangelical Free Church of Crystal Lake at the same address