Peggy Esser

Margaret (Peggy) Esser, age 82, Clark, died early Monday morning, April 24, at the United Living Center in Brookings where she had resided since early April.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 12, 2017 at 11AM in the St. Michael's Catholic Church at Clark with the Reverend Dan Smith celebrating and The Reverend Bob Krantz con-celebrating. Visitation will be held in the St. Michaels Parish Hall from 9:30 until service time on Friday the 12th.

Burial will be on Saturday, May 13,  at 10:30 AM with The Reverend Paul Josten officiating in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery at Howard.

She was born Margaret Patricia McAdaragh, becoming known as "Peggy", on July 1, 1934 to Mary (O'Hora) and Phillip McAdaragh. Peggy was raised in DeSmet, SD until she was a teenager. As a teenager, she moved away from her family to be a caretaker for the Krantz family and a student at St. Agatha Catholic School in Howard, SD.

Peggy attended Mount Marty College in Yankton, SD where she received a teaching certificate. She taught in a one room schoolhouse for a few years.

She married Dick Esser on January 8, 1955. They had two daughters and lived in Howard, SD for many years. They moved to Clark in the early '60s. In the early 1980's, she became the head cook for the Clark School system and served in that capacity for 30 years. She enjoyed returning to school in the fall because she was doing what she loved, cooking and interacting with the students.  Children played a very important role in Peggy's life.

As busy as she was with her family and school, she found time to cater many events in Clark. Peggy was famous for her scrumptious potato salad.

She loved decorating for the holidays, playing cards, cooking, baking, and doing crafts. She thoroughly enjoyed time with neighbors and friends. Peggy adored her family, especially during the holidays.

Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Dick and her brothers John, Dick, Lawrence, and Paul.

She is survived by her daughters, Vicky (Jim) Barr in Florida and Tammy (Ron) Ashby in Virginia; grandchildren, Maggie (Trey), James (Charlene), Justin, Marissa, and Jarrett; great-grandchildren, Emma, Avery and Sullivan. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Betty and Gloria McAdaragh in South Dakota; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral arrangements are with Furness Funeral Home of Clark where there is an online registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com.