Peggy Nimmo Walter
Peggy Nimmo Walter was born on Aug. 19, 1924, in Union County, the daughter of Muriel and Ray Nimmo, and died on Sunday, March 1, 2020, at her home.
Her husband, Adolph W. Walter III; a sister, Betty Jo Wilkins; a brother, Howard Nimmo; and her parents, preceded her in death.
She attended Sunday School at Big Creek Baptist Church. She attended elementary school at Friendship, a one-room country school.
She graduated from Anna-Jonesboro Community High School in 1941, and was employed that summer by the Anna State Bank.
In the fall, she entered MacMurray College for women at Jacksonville, which she attended for one year.
In August 1942, she was admitted to the Kings County School of Nursing in Brooklyn, N.Y. During her affiliation at that institution, she served as a part-time cadet nurse recruiter, and spent six months at the Halloran General Army Hospital on Staten Island as a member of the Cadet Nurse Corps. Graduation from nursing school was in June of 1945, when she received an RN.
She was baptized in the chapel at Halloran General Hospital by an Army chaplain in August 1945.
In August 1945, she married Adolph W. Walter III at the Little Church Around the Corner (Church of the Transfiguration) in New York City.
The atomic bomb ended the war, and after living a few months at Lompoc, Calif., life began in Anna, Illinois.
She and her husband had three children, Barbara, Marsha and Patrick. She served the community for 10 years as education chairman for the American Cancer Society, earned the Red Cross nurses pin by teaching home nursing classes, did private duty nursing, served as president of the Davie School PTA, was an active member of the Band Parents Association, served as president of Delta Theta Tau sorority, was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and after joining the Anna Methodist Church in 1946, taught a high school Sunday School class and assisted many years in Bible School.
In 1965, she helped her husband establish the Carbondale KFC, which later became Walter’s Foods Inc. She managed the store for eight years.
During that period, she was named Business Person of the Year by the SIU Business Fraternity and was elected to the Board of Directors of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce.
She served as secretary-treasurer for the corporation for the next 12 years and was also secretary-treasurer for Adwalt Inc., a private holding company, for five years.
Walter’s Foods Incorporated operated KFC franchises with retail stores in Anna, Carbondale and Murphysboro.
She was a co-founder of the Tri State Advertising Co-op for Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri franchisees and held the office of secretary-treasurer of that group for 10 years.
In 1975, Gov. Carroll of Kentucky named her a Kentucky Colonel. She was awarded a life membership in the Kings County Hospital Alumni Society and the Missouri Military Academy named her to the President’s Society.
After retiring in 1985, she served three years as financial secretary for the Anna United Methodist Church, was an active member of the Beta Alumni chapter of Delta Theta Tau, and the Thursday and Monday Social Clubs.
She and Adolph traveled extensively, visiting all of the continents except Antarctica. The onset of multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow) in 1993 caused a major change in lifestyle.
In March 2012, she was recognized by the Union County Historical and Genealogical Society, along with two other honorees, as a Union County Woman of Achievement.
In her time at home, she cooked, quilted and kept a flower garden, did the family bookkeeping, managed investments and played bridge with friends.
She leaves three children, Barbara Jahn, of Medellin, of Colombia, South America, Marsha Walter of Anna, and Patrick Walter and wife Lisa of Lexington, Ky.; three grandchildren, Jeremiah Jahn, Kaitlin Walter and Andrew Walter; two great-grandchildren, Phoenix Evan and Magdalene Jahn; and two stepgrandchildren, Kathryn and Emily Schart.
Visitation will be Monday, April 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Family Life Center at the Anna United Methodist Church.
Memorial services follow at 1 p.m. in the church sanctuary; the Rev. Richard Sullins will officiate. Private internment will follow at the Anna Cemetery in Anna.
Memorials can be made to Anna United Methodist Church or to Hospice of Southern Illinois. Envelopes will be available at the church or at Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro.
To view the obituary or to leave an online condolence for the family, visit www.crainsonline.com.
Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro is in charge of arrangements.