Peggy Buck:

Proud Mother and Grandmother  

Peggy Susannah McCormick grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her high school yearbook makes it clear that she was a born leader, listing over a dozen activities including editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, Future Nurses, Speech Club, Student Council and National Honor Society.

Peggy’s high school sweetheart… Byron Grant Buck, also had a long list of activities… football, golf, basketball, Math Club and National Honor Society. They were clearly movers and shakers at their school.

Peggy and Byron were soulmates… made for each other.  While they attended different colleges their first two years out of high school, they managed to visit each other every other weekend.  And write letters!  Peggy still has the collection of “love letters” from those two years. What a treasure.

In 1964 they got married in a ceremony that Peggy remembers well.  When she was to repeat the words “until death do us part” she took a deep breath and said instead… “forever.”  And she meant it.

The Bucks had two children, Byron II and Susie. Peggy was an RN, working as an ER and pediatric nurse.  When the children were young, they moved to Huntington, WV, where they lived for 17 years.

Peggy gave up her nursing career to stay at home with the kids.  And to help Byron make specialty switches that he invented and made by hand in their garage… a lucrative side business Byron had established and Peggy was able to further expand.  The success of this business provided the Bucks with superb opportunities to educate the kids and to travel. 

Byron adored snorkeling and Peggy loved to sail so they often headed for the South Pacific or the Caribbean to enjoy each other and their love of the ocean.

Next move for Peggy and Byron… Texas, together with daughter Susie and her young twins.  Tough times followed for Peggy as her husband, Byron, and later her daughter, Susie, died in Texas.  And so Peggy continued child-rearing … helping to raise her daughter’s twins, Britt and Brianna.

For support, Peggy moved with the twins to Washington, IL, to be near her son, Byron II and his wife Ruth.  Peggy was still quite young… and broken hearted.  It was the grandchildren that kept her going.

Peggy still had a full “Bucket List” of the world wonders she dreamed of seeing… but had no one to travel with.  Gathering up all her fortitude, she traveled to New Zealand.  Being frugal, she arranged to share a room there with a total stranger!  As it turned out, roommate Carol was a true blessing to Peggy.  She provided much needed support for Peggy during difficult days as she mourned her husband. Carol and Peggy happened to live 100 miles from each other in Illinois.  And they became the best of friends and traveling companions over the next 15 years.

Peggy’s “bucket list” is now complete!  Click here to read about some adventures she and Carol enjoyed.

Peggy is proud that she has been able to travel the world as well as having visited all 50 states. Traveling with her six grandchildren has always brought her much joy.  Rule number one – the very first trip taken with grandma was always a trip to Washington, DC. Clearly Peggy loves that city and all its treasured museums, monuments and memorials.

In January, Peggy made an inspirational trip to Washington with her twins and son Byron II. Her dear brother, David E McCormick, a Colonel in the Air Force, was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington.  As part of the funeral service, Peggy read the 23rd Psalm from the Bible that was presented to her brother and his wife by their church in Indianapolis when they were married.  Peggy also has the Bible that she and Byron got when they married at the same church in 1964.       

Talk to Peggy and you will quickly learn how much she loves her family and her six grandchildren.  She was overjoyed to learn recently that her grandson, Christian, a straight A student graduating from high school, is planning to attend the college where his grandfather, Byron, got his degree, Rose Poly Technical Institute… now called Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.  It is where Peggy and Byron lived the first two years of their marriage. Peggy has such exceptional memories of the school and the years with Byron in Terre Haute, IN.

Peggy has lived in Islamorada for several years now. She is a regular at Sunday services at the Methodist church and enjoys many of the church activities: church lunches, game night and she helps with the preparation for communion.  Watch for her on Sunday mornings and be sure to tell her how much you appreciate the story of her life.