Obituary of Peggy Lois Esterline

Peggy Esterline was born January 23, 1935 to Lucille and C. D. Altman in Hornersville, MO. She is survived by her sisters--Ella Altman, Polly Johnson, and Barbara Crane; and her brothers--Gary (Barbara) Altman and Jerry (Arnida) Altman. Also by three sons--Rick (Marsha) Esterline, Ray (Debbie) Esterline, and Howard Esterline; and three daughters--Charity (John) Alva, Tracy Scott, and Melissa (Roger) Anderson. She is survived by 18 grandchildren, 20 plus great grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter. Raised on a farm with 3 sisters and 5 brothers she was no stranger to large families. Still, it came as a surprise to many when at the age of not quite 24 she made the decision to marry Howard, a widower with 4 children. Apparently, Peggy's father questioned this decision. She recently told the story (which none of us kids had heard before) of her dad asking her, "He has those 4 kids. Have you thought about what you're gonna do with those kids?' She replied, "Well sure! I'm gonna take them down to the river and toss them in." This was her wicked sense of humor. She went on to say, "Ask a stupid question and you will get a stupid answer. What do you think I'm gonna do with them? I am going to raise them and love them as if they were my own" And she did that. Over the next 10 years Howard and Peggy welcomed 4 more children to love. Peggy loved Jesus and she loved her family. She was an amazing cook and was always willing to try something new from fondue in California to chimichangas and fry bread in Arizona. She had a generous heart. There was always room for one more at her table and in her home. Strangers quickly became friends as her warm heart and generous spirit drew people to her. Many times people underestimated her intelligence and her ability. One person who didn't was her pastor, Jerry Johnson who went on to become one of the Nazarene General Superintendents. She was his church secretary in California, and over the years whenever they met, he would always ask, "How's the World's Greatest Secretary?" She was sharp as a tack and always pushed her children to "use the brains God gave you" because she wanted them to be the best versions of themselves. Peggy Esterline, Mother, went to meet Jesus on the morning of June 16th, 2021. She was surrounded by loving family.