Margaret Ann Thomas, 85, of Wellsboro, PA, peacefully passed away in the early morning of Sunday, March 1, 2026, at her home. “Peggy” was born on February 26, 1941, in Millville, NJ, the daughter of the late Lillian Louise (Rehmann) and Winfield Robinson Parker, Sr. She married F. Ardell Thomas on August 22, 1964, in Millville; they celebrated 61.5 years of marriage together!
Peggy attended Wood School and graduated from Millville High School, where she played piano, flute, and piccolo; her bandmates named her “Peggy Parker the Piccolo Player.”
Peggy’s lifelong commitment to her faith in Jesus began in childhood, when her mother carried Peggy and her sister on one bicycle to church every Sunday. At Central Baptist Church, she was nurtured and encouraged to grow into a leader. While still in high school, she played the piano for and directed both the junior and senior choirs. Pastor Everett Crimmings recognized her intelligence, talent, and dedication and helped her find scholarships for college; this, along with working at glass factories and selling farm vegetables, allowed her to attend Eastern Baptist College (now Eastern University) in St. David’s, PA. Peggy graduated in 1963 with a degree in English. She taught writing and literature and was a guidance counselor in several communities in southern New Jersey.
Peggy and her husband eventually settled in Wellsboro, PA. There she devoted herself to family and service to the community. For example, Peggy started a group called “Just Older Youth” (JOY) for senior citizens to gather for fellowship and activities. For decades she directed the junior choir and annual musicals at her church; hundreds of children learned to sing and act through her efforts! She often organized groups of children to sing at the Shared Home and nearby nursing homes, bringing joy and care to the residents. From 1998-2021, Peggy organized biennial trips of 25-50 volunteers to the Dominican Republic to provide medical care and build schools and medical facilities. She was dearly loved by her colleagues and the children in the DR, who respectfully called her “Mother Hen,” for her infinite care for all. Peggy believed it is our duty and honor to care for God’s earth. In the late 1960s she helped write a pamphlet on ways we can make changes in our homes emphasizing restraint, recycling, and restoration. She quietly manifested this throughout her life, influencing her children and community.
Peggy was a vegetable farmer growing up and raised her children on home-grown food. However, her pride and joy were her extensive flower gardens. She rescued native flowers from areas about to be destroyed and transplanted them to safe places at her home; she nurtured hundreds of garden varieties, regularly extending her gardens to new plots. Under her care, the farm became a living tapestry of colors, ever shifting as the seasons changed. She shared her flowers with her extensive gardening network, friends, and family, so her flowers continue to flourish all around the country!
In addition to her husband, Ardell, Peggy is survived by her children, Arden E. Thomas, Jeff A. Thomas (wife Tania O’Donnell), and Shelly L. Thomas; foster daughter, Pam L. Seeley Sharp; grandchildren, Orion P. Thomas Bernier and Leo S. Thomas Bernier; and brother, Winfield R. Parker, Jr. She was preceded in death by her parents, her dear sister, Ginger L. Wilson, and brother, Neal V. Parker (wife Betsy Parker). Her close friends include Peg Nottingham, Nola Gaynor, Elke Bowman, Marion Bowers, and Kathy Hindman.
Family and friends are welcome to pay their respects Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 12-2 pm at the Wellsboro First Baptist Church; a Celebration of Life will follow at 2:00 pm. A private burial for the family will be at Shumway Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please honor her memory with a gift to support the Friends of Colegio Moriah www.colegiomoriah.org. To share a memory or condolence with her family, visit www.tusseymosher.com.
