Peggy Sue Ranger

Peggy was born July 29,1931, the second child of 5 to Elizabeth (Brockman) and Thomas Jackson in Alton, Illinois. They moved to Michigan and lived in several towns, eventually settling in the Holly area. Peggy graduated from Holly High School in 1947 at the age of 16. There is a family story which she loved to share how she stood on the roof of the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island during her senior class trip! Although Peggy had the dream of becoming a math teacher, money and circumstances made her take several secretarial and bookkeeping positions. She was at one time or another a taxi cab driver in Holly, a bus driver and a secretary at Holly Elementary School. She moved her younger sisters Bonnie and Frances and her brother Charles into her home and became their surrogate mother. Peggy moved to Waterford in 1959 and married the love of her life Leonard Ranger in 1960. Both brought children from their first marriages-Lynette and Ronnie for Leonard and Susan for Peggy- to create an early blended family. In 1961 they were delighted to have a daughter Jean. The 60’s were filled with camping trips to Canada in their Apache pop-up trailer. Peggy worked in Birmingham and eventually became the personal assistant and bookkeeper to 2 retired GM executives. She prepared many tax returns over the years, kept books for Rips Restaurant, and took care of Mrs. Zella Goad, who became more of a friend than employer. She and Leonard were able to take a wonderful Alaskan cruise and trip to Hawaii together. They loved to go to Tigers baseball games. They moved back to Holly in the mid-80s and Peggy rejoined the Holly Presbyterian Church. In 1992 Leonard passed away from lung cancer and Peggy started a new phase of her life. She organized fundraisers for the American Cancer Society. She began the Relay for Life in Holly and a cancer fundraiser for Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc. She continued to travel to Australia with her niece Frances and Italy with her brother Charles. Peggy was a numbers person and meticulous. She loved all her children and she was loved in return. Her 92nd birthday was happily celebrated on July 29 with family, flowers and cake. Upon her death on August 10, she had lived a full 92 years and 12 days. She was pre-deceased by her husband Leonard, sisters Betty Lou Klempp, Bonnie Sue Pelton and brother Charles Jackson. She is survived by her daughters Susan Williams (Richard) Weinert, Jean (Dane) Bertram, step-daughter Lynette MacKenzie and step-son Ronald (Grace) Ranger; grandchildren Elizabeth (Blue Davis) Weinert, Claire (Alex) Zoma, Josh Bertram, Ryan (Holly) Bertram, Meghan (Robert) Zalewski and John (Kate) MacKenzie. She is also survived by soon-to-be 16 great grandchildren and her youngest sister Frances (Joe) Kitowski and many very special nieces and nephews. Visitation with the family will be Wednesday, August 16 from 2-8 pm at the Dryer Funeral Home, 101 First Street, Holly. The funeral service will be at 11 am on Thursday, August 17 also at Dryer Funeral Home. Burial will be at the Crestwood Cemetery in Grand Blanc. Memorials may be made to Holly Presbyterian Church or St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Peggy Sue Ranger

July 29, 1931 - August 10, 2023