Margaret Anne Hemmens "Peggy"

Margaret Anne (Peggy) Hemmens, age 65 of North Aurora, IL passed away peacefully at her home Wednesday, March 14, 2018.  Peggy’s long struggle is over and she has now found peace and comfort. 

Peggy was born on November 25, 1952 in Bath Maine, the daughter of Norman and Joan Blais.  She spent most of her life in the western suburbs of Chicago, graduating from Glenbard West High School in 1970 and Illinois Benedictine College in 1973.  She married the love of her life, Tim Hemmens, in 1977 and raised a beautiful family while living in Aurora.

Peggy had an energetic, outgoing personality and she participated in many activities in both high school and college.  She was also blessed with a sense of artistry and creativity that she put to work to the benefit of many. Upon graduating from college, she worked for several years as a counsellor at a center for abused and neglected girls.  She then took a position as an elementary school teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School where she found her true calling.  Peggy was ahead of her time in emphasizing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) to her 4th and 6th grade students and created many innovative and award-winning teaching techniques.  One of the most ingenious was “The Skeleton in the Closet”, where after examining a simulated crime scene, students used measurement, fingerprint analysis and chromatography to solve the crime.  She presented this exercise at a math/science/language arts workshop attended by over 100 teachers from the Rockford Diocese where it received much praise. She was regularly approached by former students now grown and with families of their own who described the strong and lasting impression she had on their education.

Peggy’s artistry was on full display when she won top prize in a contest sponsored by the Aurora Public Library system to design a mural for their Bookmobiles; her winning entries were emblazoned on the sides of the bookmobiles for over 20 years. Creating artwork for others was something she loved, and her beautiful ceramic pieces and paintings have been proudly displayed in the homes of many of her extended family and friends for decades.

Peggy was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and her family was always the center of her life. It was that devotion that fueled her long and courageous battle with Type 1 Diabetes.  She  persevered through the debilitating effects of this terrible disease with grace, optimism and humor that inspired all around her. 

Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, Norman and Joan Blais, father-in-law Carrol Deiters, brother-in-law David Deiters and nephews Chris Clark and Joshua Leatherman.  She is survived by her husband Tim Hemmens, her daughter Kim Trujillo and husband Joel, three cherished grandchildren, Lexi, Nicholas and Sophia, four sisters, Kathi Clark-Colton and husband Gary, Susan Parnham and husband Chuy, Patricia Blais and Denise Blais, a brother Richard Blais and wife Debbie,  brothers-in-law Rick Deiters and wife Michelle and Bob Deiters, sister-in-law Vickie Sitterding and husband Steve, mother-in-law Mary Ann Deiters, and a very large contingent of relatives and friends. 

A celebration of Peggy’s life will be held on Sunday, March 18 at Dieterle Memorial Home, 1120 S. Broadway, Montgomery IL.  Visitation will be from 2:00-5:00 PM with a service at 5:00 PM.  In lieu of flowers the family suggests a contribution to Fresenius Kidney Care of Batavia or Seasons Hospice. For directions and guest book visit www.dieterlememorialhome.com, ph 630-897-1196

“When someone you love becomes a memory,

 the memory becomes a treasure”