Margaret M. “Peggy” Hill

October 12, 2020 1:35 PM

Site staff

Posted: October 12, 2020 1:35 PM

MADISON – Margaret M. “Peggy” Hill, age 71, of Madison, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, at St. Mary’s Hospital.

She was born on June 8, 1949, in Platteville, the daughter of Glenn and Ruth (Piquette) Polk.

Daughter of a traveling salesman, Peggy ended up growing up in various parts of the Midwest including Decatur, Ill.; Elgin, Ill.; Antioch, Ill.; and South Bend, Ind., before the Polks finally settled down in Fort Atkinson. Peggy graduated from Fort Atkinson High School in 1967.

Peggy married Craig Hill on Sept. 22, 1979, at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. Their first son, Jeremy (Shaila Kuchibhotla), was born in 1983, followed by Hunter in 1985. She was proud of both her sons and all of their accomplishments.

Peggy proudly worked in billing and insurance at Bone and Joint Clinic, and then as a clinic supervisor for Lutheran Social Services for over 25 years, finally retiring in 2014.

She was committed to her sons’ scouting careers, starting as a den mother for her sons’ Cub Scouts Den. She continued on to help both of them achieve the rank of Eagle Scout and build lifelong friendships along the trail, Jeremy with Mike and Hunter with Rob. Her knack with fundraising ideas helped give many scouts access to experiences and adventures they might not have otherwise had the opportunity to participate in.

Peggy was a fan of both the Badgers, frequenting hockey, basketball and football games, and the Packers, feverishly cheering on her “great God nephew,” Dean Lowry.

Peggy loved to travel. She loved her trips with her sisters, originally meeting at their mom’s house to help around the house and have conversations without getting interrupted by the kids. This grew into cross-country trips to visit various family historic/genealogical sites in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Indiana and eventually to the Smoky Mountains and Canada. Ever the slot machine aficionado, most of these trips included a stop in at least one casino along the route, often with enough points for a comped stay.

Peggy also loved her family trips with Craig and the boys, from trips west through South Dakota and Colorado, to regular camping trips to northern Wisconsin, and staying at the Spaith cabin in Lansing, Iowa. When Craig was diagnosed in 2012, they took a two week long “Cancer Sucks” tour with their sons. Starting with a train to New Orleans, then driving along the southern coast of the United States through Mobile, Savannah, Charleston, and Norfolk, to Philadelphia and then New York.

She loved her trips with Craig, to the ’94 Rose Bowl, numerous trips to Vegas, a visit to her nieces in Alaska, and helping fulfill Craig’s bucket list of all 50 states with a final road trip through New England.

After Craig passed, she enjoyed her annual summer trips with her boys. Whether it was in a cabin up north, on a houseboat on the Mississippi, or a road trip down to Memphis and New Orleans, visiting the old Pettit homestead in Arkansas and getting a slice of pie at the Catalpa Cafe and General Store. She was able to check off her own bucket list when she and the boys spent 17 days in Ireland, with stops all across the country, including the memorial of one of her great ancestors, “Staker” Wallace.

There were many more places she wanted to go, but unfortunately COVID-19 put a giant wrench into those plans.

Fortunately, last summer she was able to reconnect with the son she had given up for adoption in 1975, Kopavi Epp of Portland, Oregon. In the fall, she was able to meet and spend time with him in Madison. Even though they had little time together and she wished she had the chance to meet his children, she greatly cherished being able to finally connect with him.

Now “Crazy” and his “Chicky Baby” are traveling the universe together.

Peggy is survived by her three sons; three sisters, Mary (John) Witte, Judy (Gary) Weimer and Anne (Bruce) Andryszcyk; three brothers, John (Nancy) Polk, Jim (Sue) Polk and George Polk; brother-in-law, Paul Streib; granddaughter, Haelyn Epp; grandson, Aidan Epp; and 13 nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband; parents, Glenn Polk Jr. and Ruth Polk; her sister, Theresa Streib; and her niece, Bridget Polk.

Memorial services will be held next spring near her birthday so that we can accommodate the level of attendance we all expect. Please visit peggymhill.com for memorial updates.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family in order to distribute to some of her favorite charities. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson FitchburgFuneral & Cremation Care2950 Chapel Valley Road(608) 442-5002