Peggy Sheffel

Peggy Ralston Shelton Sheffel, who passed away on Saturday, July 7, 2012 at Brewster Place Health Center, was born on June 23, 1918 in Mankato, KS to Katherine Bess (Chilcott) and Lester Ralston. She graduated from Topeka High School and graduated summa cum laude from Washburn University, where she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority, the honor societies Nonoso, Mortar Board, and many other organizations.

She worked various jobs to put herself through college, most notably at The Menninger Clinic, where she was mentored by Dr. William Menninger and became a full-time employee after graduation. At Menninger's she established an education program for patients and met her first husband, occupational therapist Charles F. Shelton. They married in 1942. During the years of their marriage she was a homemaker, raising their four children. After his death in 1960, she returned to Washburn to gain certification in secondary education. She taught English for one year at Holliday Junior High and at Topeka High School from fall of 1962 until spring of 1983. Over the course of several summers, she took her children to Boulder, Colorado, where she earned a master's degree from the University of Colorado. At Topeka High School her classes included World Literature and British Literature and she was one of the first teachers in the then-relatively new field of English as a Second Language. In addition she was a class sponsor and the sponsor for the American Field Service.

After being a widow for thirty-six years, in 1996 she married her dear longtime family friend Irving Sheffel, and on April 6, 2012 they celebrated their sixteenth wedding anniversary. They shared many friends and interests, including a love of travel, and they enjoyed many memorable trips. She felt blessed to share her sunset years with Irv.

She was a member of the League of Women Voters, Church Women United, First Presbyterian Church, Delta Gamma Alumnae Assn., Daughters of the American Revolution and many other organizations.

She is survived by her husband, Irving Sheffel; a sister, Carol Schumann, Vero Beach, Florida; a son, Michael W. Shelton (Pamela) of Tulsa, OK; three daughters, Katherine Krider and Mary Madden (Tim) of Topeka, and Sara Cocolis (Angelo) of Shawnee; ten grandchildren, Elizabeth Krider, Miranda Madden and Charles Madden of Topeka, Molly Krause (Robert) of Lawrence, Nicole Kelly of Olathe, Alexa Scarlett of Prairie Village, Emily McGinnis (Casey) of Dallas, TX, Melissa Bergkamp (Michael) of Overland Park, Zachary Shelton (Dorothy) of Stevens Point, WI, Gabriel Shelton (Jennifer) of Brighton, England, James Dowell (Oana) of Madison, WI, and Benjamin Dowell of New York City; nineteen great grandchildren and one great-great grandson.

The most important goal in her life was to create a big loving family, something she lacked growing up. She loved being surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandson and all the spouses, and she died knowing that she had accomplished her goal.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow at Penwell-Gabel Cemetery. Peggy will lie in repose at Penwell-Gabel Mid Town Chapel after 2:00 p.m. on Monday and visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 817 SW Harrison, Topeka, Kansas 66612, or Topeka High School Historical Society, 800 SW 10th, Topeka, Kansas 66606.