Peggie Skipper

Mary Virginia Kelly Skipper, aged 102 and a half, currently of Lake Charles, Louisiana, died on July 27, 2009. “Peggie”, “Toter”, “Mother”, “Grandmother”, the much nicknamed and invariably charming, affable and generous Mrs. Skipper, was born in Longview, Texas on December 27, 1906. Except for her time in Dallas at Southern Methodist University, she lived in Longview until she was 88 years old, after which she moved to Lake Charles to be in closer proximity to family. She was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church, first in Longview and then in Lake Charles. Mary Virginia was born to LeGrande D. and Cacy McCullough Kelly. Her grandfather, G. A. Kelly, founded the Kelly Plow Company which was an important industry in Longview’s history. During her time in Longview, among many other busy pursuits, Mary Virginia was involved in the Shakespeare Club, the Greenbriar Garden Club and the Greenshire Women’s Club. The majority of her volunteer time, however, was devoted to the First United Methodist Church of Longview where she was active in many different roles which ranged from teaching Sunday School to being a Trustee. She served the United Methodist Women on the local, district and national levels in a variety of ways including President, Vice President, Secretary of Missionary Education, and District President. She was honored when their cookbook was dedicated to her, not only for the above service, but for the yearly baking of hundreds of loaves of Orange and Apricot Bread for the Garden Sale Fiesta. She continued her association with the U.M.W. at the First United Methodist Church of Lake Charles, and she was a member of the Col. Ware Sunday School class. Peggie was always a gracious hostess and was well known for her parties held both at home and at the church. For many years, she hosted an annual Halloween party for all the neighborhood children and their friends. In Lake Charles, she loved to host the Christmas parties for church groups and for the Kappa Delta sorority, so she could share her extensive collection of Santas. She entertained every summer for over twenty years at her cottage in Boothbay Harbor, Maine where she lived down the street from her younger brother, Verner, and his wife Margie and their children and grandchildren. Some of her Longview friends and family who got to share in her enthusiasm for the cooler summers of Maine and her sense of travel adventure included Dorothy, Alvin, Sam and Andy Khoury; Jo and Herdy Cupit; Liz and Jim Lockhart; and Jacquelyn Jameson and her family. Mary Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Dozier T. Skipper, Jr., and her two brothers, LeGrande Kelly and Verner E. Kelly. She is survived by her daughter Caroline Skipper Hollins of Lake Charles and her son LeGrande Kelly Skipper and his wife Dawn of Lufkin, Texas, her two grandchildren Kelly McCullough Hollins and his wife Gwyn of Decatur, Georgia and Virginia Hollins Webb and her husband Patrick of Lake Charles. She is survived by two great-grandsons, Arthur Alexander Hollins and Harper McCullough Hollins. Peggie had many dear friends including Judy Mayo of Lake Charles. Chris Hagstrom with his wife Susan and their four children, Josh, Jenny, Jake and Jaclyn, survive Peggie as her “adopted” family in Longview. Her funeral service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Longview at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 1. Burial in Greenwood Cemetery will follow the service. Visitation will be on Friday, July 31 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Rader Funeral Home. A memorial service in Lake Charles will be held at a later date. Donations in honor of Peggie may be made to the First United Methodist Churches of Longview, Texas and of Lake Charles, Louisiana.