Peggy Jean Blanton

Peggy Jean (Lechner) Blanton, of Kearney, passed away on Monday, August 26 at the Emerald Nursing and Rehab facility in Cozad. She was 65. Funeral services will be 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney. Memorial donations are suggested to the Alzheimer's Association and are encouraged in lieu of flowers. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services. Born to William (Bill) and Ruby Lechner on November 16, 1958 at Good Samaritan Hospital, Peggy was the youngest of two daughters. In her youth, Peggy followed in her father’s footsteps as an avid and talented photographer. As a yearbook and newspaper staff photographer, she took pride in visually documenting the daily lives of her fellow students at Kearney Senior High School, where she was a member of the Class of 1977. Peggy was also an accomplished amateur swimmer. Her best event was the breaststroke and she won numerous medals and ribbons as a competitor for the Kearney Swim Club. On June 13, 1979, Peggy married Richard (Rick) Blanton, her childhood crush and the paper boy that broke her dad’s window. With Rick stationed in Germany, the couple briefly lived abroad and were married in Copenhagen, Denmark. The young couple soon returned to Kearney to begin their life together and start a family. They had two children, Jared and Katelyn. Peggy had a lifelong passion for gardening and she found beauty in every plant. Each spring, she looked forward to feeling the thawed soil between her fingers and meticulously planning the vegetables and flowers that would adorn her garden that season. She was famous with her neighbors for the bounty of cucumbers and tomatoes that she delivered to them each year. Peggy turned her love and skill for gardening into a career. She was the local horticulture specialist at the Buffalo County Extension Office, where she earned Master Gardner and Arborist credentials, and wrote a regular gardening and plant advice column in the Kearney Hub. Peggy also felt a deep connection to the past. Her fascination with how previous generations lived day-to-day inspired her hobby of collecting and selling antiques. She was a fixture on the local auction scene and at Goodwill, sold antiques on eBay, at the Kaufmann Centre building, and even owned her own antique retail space in Downtown Kearney. She also spent many hours researching her own family’s genealogy and documenting their lives through her many scrapbooks. Peggy loved dogs. She was active in leading the local 4-H Dog Club, teaching Kearney’s young people how to train and handle dogs. In her final years, Peggy’s mind frequently found its way to the fond memories of the many family dogs that enriched her life, including Jack, Faith, Cooper, Rossie, and more. Peggy was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She took pride in her family and children and loved to laugh with her many friends, especially her lifelong best friend, Jackie (Pritts) Lewis, who was with her right until the very end. Peggy is preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Ruby; and her sister, Debrah Lechner. She is survived by her husband, Rick; son, Jared and his wife, Elizabeth; daughter, Katelyn and granddaughter, Piper; and sister-in-law, Marcia Elliott.

Peggy Jean Blanton

November 16, 1958 - August 26, 2024