Peggy Nelson

Mary (Peggy) Margaret Nelson-an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mom, professional, and friend-found the peace for which she had been searching on December 18, 2025.
An amazing daughter. Peggy was born to James Allen and Janice (Adrian) Spelich on April 8, 1964. Although born in Chicago, Peggy's parents moved to the town of Peru, Illinois not long after her birth. Aside from LaPorte, Peru was home to her. Peggy loved her mom: talking to her for hours on the phone, making crafts at the kitchen table, and buying her new purses and Santa Claus ornaments every Christmas. And she also loved her dad: making him Christmas ornaments every year, embracing his favorite family traditions, and "tolerating" his love of history and John Wayne on family road trips. She may be getting an earful of the latter as you read this.
An amazing sister. Peggy-always competitive with her siblings-goes ahead of her sister, Michelle (Rick) Cinotto, and her brothers, Jim (Maureen) Spelich, Bob (Bre) Spelich, and John (Amanda) Spelich. Every group of siblings has its drama, but not every group of siblings is loved as completely as Peggy loved hers.
With Michelle and Jim, Peggy treasured the times they spent aiding, abetting, or concealing each other's teenage (or twenty year old or thirty year old or ) mischief. Their teamwork is confirmed by the fact that their families still don't know everything that they pulled off.
And with Bob and John-younger in age-Peggy loved finding ways to be a part of their lives: making salsa with Bob, talking to John about his time at the University of Illinois (where Peggy also attended), and bringing both brothers on her family's ski vacations (in exchange for babysitting services).
Every ounce of love that Peggy gave to her siblings, she also gave to her seventeen nieces and nephews. There was little that Peggy loved more than traveling to family parties to watch bands of toddlers run around, hosting the kids for lake days, and learning how each niece and nephew was doing in school. Undoubtedly, she has spent the last few days catching up with her beloved niece, Emma Rose Nelson, who went ahead of her on this path.
An amazing wife. In 1988, at the University of Illinois Chicago's hospital, Peggy-then a newly minted pharmacist-approached a resident physician for help drawing a patient's blood. Three years later, on October 5, 1991, she married Mark Nelson in Peru, Illinois. The two spent their dating years and early marriage exploring Chicago's bars and restaurants, traveling on vacations (where Peggy slowly and painfully learned how to ski), and cuddling for movie nights. Mark and Peggy eventually moved to LaPorte, Indiana. There, they built a home and family together.
Although time passed, their love for each other never faded. Mark and Peggy never stopped finding time to go on date nights in LaPorte, to take once in a lifetime trips to places like Paris or Istanbul, or to simply drive back to Chicago to try a new restaurant. Even in later years, when Peggy's health was declining, you could find the two climbing mountains, traversing new cities, or traveling long distances to see their kids. Peggy and Mark were not just each other's life partners; they were each other's best friends.
An amazing mom. In 1993, Peggy and Mark had their first child, Mark Jr. And while Mark Jr. insists they could have stopped there, they went on to have their second son, Alex, in 1995; and they completed their family in 1997 with the arrival of their daughter, Kyra. Mark Jr., Alex, and Kyra can't put into words just how great their mom was. They can say this, though: their mom taught them how to live good lives.
· Be thoughtful. Whether her kids were coming home from elementary school or their jobs, Peggy always made sure her kids' (and her kids' friends') favorite snacks were in the cupboard.
· Be encouraging. If her kids were ever nervous about a tryout, an exam, or a work assignment, they dialed up their go-to play: call Mom. And Mom always picked up.
· Be playful. Laughter can add brightness to the darkest of places, and Peggy was her kids' light. No matter the weightiness of the situation, Peggy was there to make her kids laugh and to give that little grin that said, "Yes, that was a joke."
· Be strong. The kids saw their mom in a relentless struggle with her health. And they also saw her fight back. Even in the toughest times, her kids had no doubt that their mom was fighting-not just for herself, but for everyone she loved.
· Be loving. Peggy's kids understand the power that love has-love for one's community, friends, and family. That understanding has a primary source: the complete and unyielding love they felt from their mom. And boy, do they love her back.
An amazing professional. When Peggy spoke about success, she often said a lot about her kids and her husband. She should have said more about herself. After graduating from LaSalle Peru Township High School, Peggy got herself on the fast track to becoming a pharmacist. Not only did she earn her doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Illinois, she did so in style: graduating second in her class in 1988.
After a brief stint with the University of Chicago, Peggy went on to work at LaPorte Hospital for several years, not only working in the hospital pharmacy, but also implementing the hospital's new computer systems.
After retiring from pharmacy, Peggy wanted to occupy her time. She did so by getting a job at her favorite store: Hobby Lobby. For every word she spoke about pharmacy, she probably spoke three about her love of that store. So, if Heaven is in need of someone to dose a medication or to build a picture frame, it's in good hands.
An amazing friend. Whether K or human, Peggy loved her friends. To her furrier friends, Peggy happily gave her time and affection. Kids on School Bus 75 know the sight of Peggy throwing a frisbee to her dog, Otis, as the bus dropped off her kids from Crichfield. And any driver in LaPorte knows the sight of driving past Peggy while she is in a full blown conversation with her dog, Charlie, in the front seat.
To her less furry friends, Peggy shared her joy of life: co parenting with the moms of Tiffany Woods, playing euchre with friends around a card table, and discussing character arcs with her favorite book club. Peggy loved it all. And more than the activities themselves, Peggy loved the people who she shared those activities with.
For those wishing to celebrate Peggy's life, a service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at Lakeview Funeral Home, 247 W. Johnson Road, LaPorte, Indiana. From 12–2 p.m. prior to the service, Peggy's family will host a visitation. And while Peggy loved to spend time gardening with her husband, her family asks that, in lieu of flowers, any memorial contributions be sent to the Yana Service Club, 1621 Roberts St., LaPorte, Indiana 46350.
And for those mourning the loss of Peggy, know that she is not gone. Not really, anyway. Just like she did for those she loved here, she has just gone ahead of us to make sure that, when our time comes and we get to see her again, we arrive to a warm house, snacks on the table, and a big hug.