Above / We’re remembering our friend Peg Yonker for the many ways she contributed to this community and how she welcomed others to get involved, too. Here she is pictured in 2006 with “Lone Feather and the Settlers,” the book she wrote and published to celebrate Naperville’s 175th birthday.
Margaret B. (Peg) Yonker, age 93, of Naperville since 1959, died on November 22, 2016.
Peg is survived by her sons Peter (Nancy) of Naperville and James (Candace) of Fish Creek, Wisconsin; her daughters Peggy Ann (Gary) Meredith of El Cajon, California, and Heidi Yonker of Lucile, Idaho; along with her sister Betty of Palatine, Illinois; her eleven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband Norris in 2014, her brother Warren; and her parents, Samuel and Margaret Barnes.
A memorial service will be held at 11AM, Tues., Dec. 6, 2016, at Grace United Methodist Church, 300 E. Gartner Rd, Naperville, preceded by visitation at 9:30AM and followed by a luncheon at the church.
Her complete obituary is online here:Â www.legacy.com.
On a personal note, I’ll always remember the first time I met Peg Yonker, a day or two after I started a job in the PR/Marketing department at Naper Settlement in the spring of 1993.
She was wearing her white tennis togs and had stopped by my office in the then-yellow house (before the re-creation of the Pre-Emption House was finished) to introduce herself just prior to a tennis match at the Naperville Tennis Club. Peg had served as President of the Naperville Heritage Society and was still active in its fundraising pursuits that included the annual Antiques Show and Sale.
As we exchanged pleasantries, she found out that I was a newcomer to Naperville and had joined Grace Church where she was a member. I’ll never forget how she opened her arms and said, “I’ll get you involved in this community.”
Peg, Norris and their four children moved here when Naperville’s population was about 13,000 in 1960—and growing. When our family moved here in 1993, the population was 89,000. Peg was on a mission to acquaint everyone with Naperville’s rich history and to get them on the grounds of the outdoor history museum. She enlisted my help.
Peg also enjoyed portraying early Naperville women during presentations to women’s groups and local students.
Part of my responsibilities in the PR department was community outreach via the Speaker’s Bureau, so I’d book Peg’s programs when she’d present her portrayals, complete in vintage clothing. Hannah Ditzler, a local school teacher, was her favorite and her first person portrayal of a Pottawatomie woman was a close second.
During the early years of Positively Naperville, Peg often called with story ideas. Sometimes we’d meet over tea in her lovely Queen Anne house in the historic district. Then she learned to email.
She was truly a special woman.
—Stephanie Penick
Memorials can be made to Grace United Methodist Church or Naperville Heritage Society or charity of choice.
