Peggy Joyce (Smith) Culver

Peggy Joyce (Smith) Culver, Olathe, Kansas died June 22, 2017 at Evergreen Community of Johnson County at 84 years old. Celebration of Life for Peggy will be July 8, 2017 at 1:00 pm at Evergreen Community in Olathe, Kansas with Mickey­Leopold Funeral Home handling services.
Peggy was born on November 6, 1932 in Hoxie, Kansas. She was the 4th child of Angus Elgin Smith and Mary Constance (Short) Smith of Hoxie.
Peggy graduated from the Kansas School for the Deaf in 1951. In school, she was a Girl Scout, participated in drama, pep club and was crowned homecoming queen in 1948 and Mid­Winter queen in 1950 during high school. She also performed the National Anthem in sign language in school and other times in later years.
She married the love of her life, Kenneth “Ken” Culver on October 5, 1952 at the Christian Church in Hoxie. They moved to Colby, Kansas where Ken was employed at the Colby Free Press and lived in Colby for 15 years. In 1967, the family moved to Lawrence, Kansas where they lived for 38 years before Peggy and Ken moved to Shawnee, Kansas in 2005. They moved to Evergreen Community of Johnson County on February 18, 2015. Ken passed away February 18, 2016.
Peggy was a dedicated and loving wife for 63 years. She was not only a “housewife”, but an equal partner with Ken. Peggy and Ken were inseparable in their long marriage. She was a dedicated and loving mother to her 3 children, 5 grandchildren and 3 great­grandchildren. She was a Brownie Leader, Girl Scout Leader and Cub Scout Leader for her children’s clubs. She encouraged the children to be involved in music, sports and many other extracurricular activities which she and Ken attended faithfully. Both Peggy and Ken continued to attend many of their grandchildren’s activities. Peggy never failed to give hugs, smiles and the “I Love You” sign! Peggy had always put her family first!
Peggy was an active member of Topeka Deaf Club holding various officers positions, the Olathe Deaf Club and lifetime member of the Kansas Association for the Deaf (KAD). Peggy was selected Mrs. Kansas for KAD in 1989. She was also selected Alumni Woman of the year from Kansas School for the Deaf in 2006. She and Ken assisted with the creation of the first in the nation the Deaf Cultural Center in Olathe Upon the completion of the DCC, they continued to be volunteers for many years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ken, her mother and father, her brothers Sam and Leo, and her sister, Marilyn.
She leaves behind her daughter, Nancy (Mark) Edelman of Boone, Iowa, her son, Dale (Mary) of Shawnee, Kansas and her daughter, Judith (Kelly) Wheeler of Lawrence, Kansas. Peggy has 5 grandchildren, Amanda (Justin) Wright, Kansas City, Keith Culver, Kansas City, Adam (Ami) Edelman, Austin, Texas, Alex (Derek) Merk, Boone, Iowa and Aaron Edelman, Boone, Iowa. She was great­grandma (GG­Ma) to Sawyer Merk, Mila Wright, and Theo Merk. Peggy is also survived by her brother, Robert “Bob” Smith, Huntington Beach, California, and 4 nephews and 3 nieces.
Memorials in honor of Peggy are The Deaf Cultural Center and Evergreen Community of Johnson County both in Olathe, Kansas.
Inurnment will be at Hoxie City Cemetery, Hoxie, Kansas at a later date.
Please sign this guestbook at Obituaries.LJWorld.com.