Dates:
January 9, 1939 to August 2, 2012
Obituary:
Peggy Crooks of Hot Springs, Arkansas, died on August 2, 2012, at Mercy Hospital, from injuries of a bicycle accident. She was an adventurous spirit. She was involved with caving, back-packing, hiking, paddling, motorcycling, bicycling, almost anything outdoors. She was educated primarily in San Antonio, Texas, finishing her work at Saint Mary’s as a registered nurse. As a youngster she lived in Venezuela part of the time, where her Father was an engineer with an oil company. Peggy did some of her elementary schooling there. She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Madge Calrow; one brother, Fred Larneed; one son, George Mutschler II, two husbands, George Mutschler and Dr. Willard Schwartz. She is survived by her husband of 25 years, David Crooks; a sister, Shirley Caskey; two daughters, Mary Anderson and Amy Warren; three sons, Mark Crooks, Bob and Charles Schwartz; seven grandchildren, Christine Phifer, Jason Vinklarek, Alicia Pham, Justin Anderson; Ian Waren, Caroline Warren, Evan Crooks; one great grandson, Dylan Morgan; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Peggy was active in the Arkansas Canoe Club, Adventure Cycling, League of American Wheelmen, Hot Springs Village Bicyling Group, Ouachita Mountain Hikers, and Volunteers in Mission of the United Methodist Church.
Memorials may be made to Grand Avenue United Methodist Church.
Service:
A family-planned Memorial Service for friends and family will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2012, at the Grand Avenue United Methodist Church, at 10 AM. Family, friends, and fellow clergy families are asked to come and celebrate her life in worship.
So sorry to hear of Mrs Crooks passing. Her & Bro Crooks was good neighbors to me when they lived in Warren. You all will be in my prayers.
Brenda Ezell
As a long time Canoe Club member, of course I knew Peggy – her spririt and determination to stay active and keep learning through the years were always an inspiration to us.
My condolences to the family. I remembered her well when she was in Arkadelphia.
My condolences to the family. I remembered her well when she lived in Arkadelphia.
David,
My deepest sympathies and prayers. I always loved her fiesty spirit!
I met Peggy on one of my first river trips with the Arkansas Canoe Club nearly nine years ago. She helped show this newbie kayaker down the Saline River at Dierks. I’ll aways remember that trip with Peggy because it’s also where I met my husband, Mike Stanley. We enjoyed several more paddling trips with Peggy over the years and will miss her.
It is ironic that I was paddling on that Thursday, helping a 13 (ish) year old young lady on her first kayaking trip. Young Mandy’s enthusiasm was very similar to the energy Peggy always gave off as we tackled some challenging Class II streams. She was always excited by the opportunity to get out on some whitewater. The first place we paddled together was at Dierks, Arkansas, on the Saline River, sometime in the 1980s (?). That may have been her first whitewater run, because afterwards she surprised me by giving me a big hug for inviting her to join the trip. My wife, Jamie, and I paddled with Peggy many times after that. She was a gentle person who took great pleasure in the outdoors; our lives were richer for having known her. Below is one of the few photos I have left of Peggy, owing to a hard-drive crash a few years ago. We were paddling on Gulpha Creek in Hot Springs, just a few blocks from her home.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2217821450055833389EtKKfH
Mike & Jamie Coogan
after Peggy paddled that creek.
Thank you for the picture. We went to a Christmas party after Peggy’s float that afternoon and she had plenty to say about her wonderful experience.
Thank you for the great picture.
Thank you for the great picture. She loved every moment of it.
Brother David, our condolences, prayers, and love go with you in your time of loss!
David, we are so sorry for your loss (God’s gain). We love you and will keep the entire family in prayer.
Cindy and Gary Jackson
I paddled Peggy for the first time in 1993 or 1994 at Dierks. She took a swim in very cold water, but came up beaming, and ready to go again. She was in several of the kayak classes that I assisted in. She was always very enthusiastic & reminded me of a Timex watch “Takes a lick’in & keeps on tick’in. I once told her that I admired her & wanted to be just like her. I will really miss her & my heart goes out to her family for their great loss.
David,
Our heart goes out to you. You made many memories together. Just think, she is now in heaven on the best float trip of all. May God comfort you.
David, I was both stunned and saddened to learn of Peggy’s accident and death. I can hear her voice and laughter and the good times we shared when you served as our pastor. Peggy was truly a free spirit, marching to the beat of her own drummer and enjoyed God’s beautiful world to the fullest. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 May these words comfort you during this difficult time.
Martha Blancke