Peggy Marie Monroe

Peggy Marie (Saari) Monroe was born March 18, 1933 to Enoch and Alice (Harry) Saari at their hobby farm home near Grand Rapids, MN. In 1942, at the age of eight, she moved with her family to Seattle, WA where her parents worked at Boeing Aircraft and Cascade Electric during WWII. After the war, the family moved back to Minnesota. After graduating from high school, Peggy worked at Kramer Department Store in Grand Rapids and later at Northwestern Bell as a telephone operator for thirteen years.

On July 26, 1958, she married her beloved Ervin Monroe at Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids. Together they raised six children. In 1967, the family moved to Milaca after purchasing the Monroe Family Meat Processing Business. They also raised chickens for Jack Frost Co. of St. Cloud (now Golden Plump). The business was a success with help from their children. After selling the business, Peggy worked for the Mille Lacs County in the Abstracting Department of the County Recorders Office for nineteen years. She was a faithful member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Milaca since 1967. Ervin and Peggy were grateful for their wonderful family. She passed away Thursday, March 5, 2026.

She is survived by her children, John (Lori) Monroe, Brian (Debra) Monroe, Sandra (Duane) Miles, Colleen (David) Barksdale, Patricia Then and Tom (Lois) Monroe; grandchildren, Sonny (Tricha) Miles, Corey (Mandy) Miles, Nathan (Jackie) Monroe, Nicholas (Christy) Monroe, Angela (Josh) Deutsch, Rachel Wuellner, Luke (Shannon) Then, Andrea (Marshal) Anson, Sara (Andy) Totzke, Dylan (Kelly) Monroe and Brianna (Grant) Mumm; 18 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; brother, William Saari; also by many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ervin; parents, Enoch and Alice Saari and sister, Beverly Brock.

Funeral services will be held Friday, March 13, 2026 at 11 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Milaca.  Interment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery.  Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.