Marguerite "Peggy" Kiegerl, 90, passed away on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, warm in her

bed with her family and deacon praying by her side. Immediately following the gospel of John

reading, she took her last breath and went to see Jesus. She was preceded in death by her

husband of over 60 years, Mike, her youngest daughter, Christine, her brothers, George, Eddie,

Harry, Bob, Fred, her sisters, Patricia and Grace, and her loving parents, George and Evelyn. She

is survived by her children, Erna and Matt, her grandchildren, Megan, Kate, Nick, Zack, Alex,

Lauren, Jake, and her great-grandchildren, Ashlyn, Amaya, Sage, and Cayden.

“A woman of faith & song” Peggy "French" Kiegerl was born on April 28, 1936, in

Chicago Illinois. She grew up primarily on the west side of Chicago, in an Irish Catholic

neighborhood with five brothers and one sister; the youngest was stillborn. A devout Catholic

blessed with a beautiful voice, she began singing in her church and school choirs at a young age.

Playing around the neighborhood with her brothers and sister, fishing in the Chicago River,

marching every year in the St. Patrick’s Day parade and visiting the chocolate factory near her

home were some of her fondest memories. Tragedy struck at age 11 when her father died

suddenly from complications of diabetes. Her oldest brother George had also been killed aboard

a submarine, which was sunk by the Japanese during World War II. Unable to care for all the

children alone after the war, her mother sent her to live with relatives. During this time, she

continued to sing not only in the church choir but was asked to sing at Christian revival meetings

held in various places around Chicago. Working as a nursing assistant during her senior year, she

realized she wanted to be a nurse. She graduated from Wheaton Academy, a Christian high school,

attended Chicago Wesley Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, which offered a five-year

program within Northwestern University. Working full-time and paying her own tuition, she

finished the five-year nursing program in four years, joined the nurses' choir, recorded an album

and sang at her own graduation. She entertained hospital patients with her hymns every night.

Working at the hospital as a night nurse, she met her future husband, Mike, who was a student at

the University of Illinois. They went on their first date for steak and the Ice Capades, attended

Chicago Blackhawks and White Sox games together, and enjoyed ballroom dancing. They were

married on November 2, 1963. Her first daughter Erna, was born in 1964, followed by her son

Matt and daughter Christine. Moving to Kansas in 1970 for Mike’s work, she used her nursing

expertise to set up the intensive care unit for cardiac nursing at Shawnee Mission Medical

Center. Following that success, she accepted a position as an orthopedic and neurological expert

in rehabilitation and left nursing to start her own company with her husband. That company,

Professional Rehabilitation Management, became a huge success and allowed her to expand with

other companies, including Healthcare Cost Control, which developed a proprietary system to

audit medical bills. Working smart with persistence, their hard work paid off, and the companies

grew rapidly to hundreds of employees in seven states. They owned a variety of other business

interests as well, including a travel agency, a Thai restaurant, and a software company.

Family traditions were important to her, and she would cook the best secret recipe

chestnut stuffing for everyone each Christmas. Peggy’s strong Catholic faith, passed down to her

by her parents, helped her endure the pain of tragically losing her youngest daughter at age 24.

Her faith never wavered, and she continued to read God's word every day. She instilled that deep

faith in her children and grandchildren. After retirement, she traveled the world with her

husband, noting New Zealand as a favorite destination, and became a master of jigsaw puzzles.

She liked to say of all the experiences she had, her best and favorite was being a wife and a

mother. She lived a blessed life in faith, song, and family. Her legacy will live on, and we will

always remember and pray for her with deep appreciation for the faith and music she gave us all.

One of her favorite hymns to sing includes the lyrics "I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop in

that bright land where we’ll never grow old". We know you’re there now, Mom.

Mass of Christian burial will take place on Thursday, August 6, 2026, beginning at 9:30

AM for the Rosary, and 10 AM for funeral Mass at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, 11311

Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203. A luncheon at the church will be served after Mass with all

invited and welcome, with an interment procession to follow graveside to Mt. Calvary

Cemetery, 15800 S Hwy US-169, Olathe, KS 66061.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Joseph Catholic Church, City

Union Mission Kansas City, Catholic Community Health, or Free Hot Soup Kansas City.