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Margaret "Peg" Francis 1922—2018
Margaret "Peg" Francis passed away April 29, 2018. Born near White Lake, Wisconsin on February 1, 1922, to Cleo Gertrude VanHorn Finger and Ernest Otto Finger, the second of seven children. On December 25, 1943, she married Donald Francis, a few days before he shipped out in the Navy. Together they raised a family, David Joseph (deceased), Joan Leslie (Gays Mills), Steven Paul (deceased) and Ruth Ann (married to Jim Puralewski, in Dodgeville). Don Francis died in 2012. After the war, Peg and Don lived in many towns throughout the Midwest, including Oakfield, Hebron, Footville, and Algoma, Wisconsin; Brooklyn, Bloomington, and West Lafayette, Indiana; Bloomington, Minnesota; Oregon and Rockford, Illinois. They settled in Rockford, Illinois in 1969. Peg received her Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Development and Education from Northern Illinois University in 1972. She was head teacher at the NIU Lab School. She directed the Orten Keyes Day Care Center for several years during the 1970's. She worked at DCFS, helping families find the resources they needed to care for their children, from 1979 to 1989. She retired in January 1989, just in time to help out with her new grandchild, Joseph Francis Puralewski (Los Angeles), and doted on her additional grandchildren as they arrived; Jacob Francis Puralewski (Chicago), Rachel Francis Puralewski (Madison) and Hannah Francis Puralewski (Dodgeville). Peg and Don loved camping and took a trip south, stopping at Big Bend National Park and Goose Island State Park in Texas, each winter starting in 1990. In addition to helping people throughout her working career, Peg was an active member of Christ United Methodist Church, and volunteer within the community. She and Don were co-founders and coordinators of the HoneyPot Food Buying Co-op, starting in the late 1970's. She loved gardening and helped other gardeners through the U of I Extension Master Gardeners Program. She volunteered for the Northern Illinois Blood Donors, encouraging others to give blood. Before she moved to Wesley Willows, she and Don were regular volunteers, coming on Thursdays, to help the less mobile people there get to appointments.
Peg's life will be celebrated at a Memorial Service at the chapel at Wesley Willows, 4141 N Rockton Ave, Rockford, IL, at noon Saturday, May 19, 2018. Memorials may be sent in care of Ruth Ann Francis, 5680 Griffiths Rd, Dodgeville, WI 53533.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
1 Entry
Jodell Gabriel (Lofgren)
May 17, 2018
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