Mary B. Peo died on Friday, November 30, 2018, at the Independence House on Mandarin Circle, Lincoln, Nebraska. Mary was born on October 8, 1922, in Canadian TX, and lived on a cattle ranch in her youth. She acquired her secretarial/accounting skills at Chillicothe Business College in Missouri. Seeking to aid the war efforts she moved to Washington DC, where she was employed as a secretary in the Quartermaster Corps. While working there, she met her future husband, Ernest R. Peo, Jr. (Ernie) at a USO function for the troops. Ernie was in the Marine Corps, stationed at Quantico, VA. Mary and Ernie were married October 23, 1943. After Ernie was discharged from the service they moved to Reydon, Oklahoma, where Mary’s parents lived, to farm and raise livestock. In 1949, they agreed Ernie should take advantage of the GI Bill and obtain a college education. This decision led them to Oklahoma A & M (n/k/a Oklahoma State University), where Ernie earned his B.S. degree with a major in Animal Science, and Master’s Degree in beef nutrition, and then to Iowa State University, Iowa where Ernie earned a Ph.D. Degree in swine nutrition. While Ernie was in school Mary provided their family support by working as Executive Secretary for the Oklahoma FFA in Stillwater, and as Secretary to the Department Head of the Electrical Engineering Department at Oklahoma A & M, and as Secretary to the Associate Dean of Iowa State University. In 1956, following Ernie’s graduation from Iowa State, Mary and Ernie moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Ernie was employed as a teaching/research professor in the University of Nebraska Animal Science Department until his retirement in 1988. During this same period of time Mary continued to work part-time most notably as the personal secretary to Nathan Gold, owner operator of Gold’s Department Store. Lately, Mary’s favorite outing was the Dairy Queen, where she enjoyed a hot dog, Coke, and mini peanut butter cup blizzard.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband Ernie; her parents Gus and Mary Trammell; her mother-in-law, Mattie Peo, Sisters, Marguerite (Buck) Spurlin; Francis (Leland) Chandler; a brother, Jack (Luella) Trammell; and a sister-in-law, Edna Peo. Survivors include her son, Rick (Gail) Peo, Lincoln, Nebraska; a brother-in-law Frank (Rosemarie) Peo, West Winfield, NY; grandchildren, Nathan (Yvette) Peo, Corona, California, Jared (Chie) Peo, Nagoya, Japan, and Kelly (David) Berkheim, Omaha, Nebraska; 6 great grandchildren, David, Portia, Liam, Michael, Louis, and Lucas.
No public services. Private family internment will be held at Wyuka Cemetery. Please no flowers. Memorials to charity of your choice.
To the Family, so sorry for your loss. Hope you will be comforted in knowing that Mary has the prospect of being resurrected, healthy (in the flesh), to Paradise Earth just as Jehovah God has promised. In fact , the vast majority will enjoy everlasting life right here on earth as God had intended from the beginning. God’s Kingdom will do this under the rule of Jesus Christ. READ John 5:28, 29, Job 14:14, 15,Psalms 37:29,Matthew 6:9,10, Matthew 5:5 and Revelation 21:2-4