Peggy Plate, 90, of Oskaloosa, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at The Cottages in Pella.
Charlotte Ann “Peggy” Plate, daughter of Louis H. and Lela May Jones, was born on June 20, 1936, in Montezuma, Iowa. Peggy was a determined, resilient woman whose strength and perseverance carried her through life’s greatest challenges, and whose love for her family, her many interests, and her Iowa Hawkeyes brought her years of happiness.
At just 16 years old, Peggy contracted polio, a devastating illness that left her paralyzed from the neck down. In 1952, she spent time in an iron lung as she fought for her life. Through extraordinary determination and hard work, Peggy slowly regained her mobility, although she continued to feel the effects of the disease in her right leg throughout her life. Her recovery was a testament to her remarkable spirit and her will to persevere, qualities that would serve her well throughout the years.
Peggy attended Barnes City High School and graduated in 1953 as the salutatorian of her class. With only four students in her graduating class, there was certainly less competition for the honors, but Peggy was proud of her accomplishment! Following high school, she completed 10 months of secretarial training at A.I.B. in Des Moines.
On August 27, 1954, Peggy married the love of her life, Glen Albert Plate, at the Christian Church in Barnes City, IA. Together, they made their home in Oskaloosa, where they raised their two children and built a life filled with family, friendships, and countless memories. Peggy devoted herself to her family while also building a successful career selling Stanley Home Products for more than 30 years. Through her work, she enjoyed meeting people and making connections that often extended beyond business into lasting friendships.
Family was always at the center of Peggy’s life. She loved visiting with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and valued the time they spent together. She had a special talent for preserving family memories, especially through scrapbooking. Peggy created a personal scrapbook for each of her grandchildren, carefully filling the pages with newspaper clippings and mementos documenting their lives. She presented each scrapbook to them upon their high school graduation, giving them a thoughtful and lasting keepsake of their childhood and accomplishments. These treasured books reflected how closely she followed her family’s lives and how much pride she took in each of them.
Peggy also had a lifelong love of dolls. Her collection began with a simple corn husk doll and grew over the years into a collection of hundreds of dolls, gathered from a variety of places, including garage sales. She enjoyed finding new additions and took pleasure in caring for and dressing her dolls. Her creativity extended to making doll clothes herself, even using a treadle sewing machine to create outfits for her collection. Her son, Mike, carried on the tradition by purchasing a Holiday Barbie doll for her each year. Eventually, Peggy passed those dolls along to her granddaughters, who delighted in playing with them. What began as a personal hobby became another special way for Peggy to share her interests and create memories with the next generation.
An avid reader, Peggy enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, including visiting with friends and family, playing games, and keeping her competitive spirit sharp. She especially enjoyed card games and BINGO and was always ready for a little friendly competition. She was also a proud Iowa Hawkeye fan and loved watching basketball, particularly when Caitlin Clark was playing. Family members quickly learned that conversation could wait until the game was over. When Caitlin was on the court, Peggy’s attention belonged to the basketball game!
Peggy’s strength and determination were evident again in June 2012, when she and Glen survived a horrific, near-fatal car accident near Jefferson City, Missouri. Once more, Peggy faced a life-threatening ordeal with the same fighting spirit that had carried her through polio as a teenager. Her survival was another example of her remarkable will to live and her resilience in the face of adversity.
Peggy was a faithful member of Gateway Church of the Nazarene in Oskaloosa, and over the years had helped lead various things, including Junior quizzing, Sunday School teacher, and Women’s Bible Study. Her life was defined by perseverance, devotion to family, a love of collecting and preserving memories, and an appreciation for the people and activities that brought her joy. She leaves behind a family enriched by her example, her stories, and the many thoughtful ways she showed her love.
Her family includes her children, Marcy Bryan of Oskaloosa and Mike (Kathy) Plate of University Park, Iowa; nine grandchildren, Melissa (Dennis) Vasconez of Ottumwa, Michelle (Corey) Holland of Pella, Matthew (Melanie) Bryan of Oskaloosa, Nick Thompson of Oskaloosa, Ashley Bryan of Oskaloosa, Amber Thompson of Victor, Iowa, Shelby Talbert of Victor, Iowa, Megan Plate of Oskaloosa, and Jeremy (Vanessa) Plate of Oskaloosa; 14 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Margaret Plate, Darlene Plate, Ivan and Mima Plate, Robert Plate, Howard and Elaine Plate, many nieces and nephews and many faithful friends.
In addition to her parents, Peggy was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Glen; her son-in-law, Denny Bryan; her sister, Gwenda (Melvin) Walker; her brothers, Bill (Janice) Jones, Earl Jones, who died at the age of six; brothers and sisters-in-law, Gene Plate, Gloria Plate, Larry and Sally DeGeest, Leonard and Joyce Plate.
Funeral services for Peggy will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, October 26, 2026, at Gateway Church in Oskaloosa, with Pastor Andy Watts officiating. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at Langkamp Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa, with the family present from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. to greet relatives and friends. Burial will take place at University Park Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Legacy Thrift (Formerly Bibles for Missions) or Gateway Nazarene Church of Oskaloosa.
