Margaret Louise (Clark) Hauk, better known as Peggy, was born to William and Myrtle (Johnson) Clark, on June 3, 1930, in Wall, South Dakota. She was the oldest of six children. She lived on the family farm southwest of Wall until they moved to Wall in 1936. She attended Wall Schools, graduating in 1949. After getting her teaching certificate from Black Hills Teacher College, she taught at the Plainview School northeast of Quinn.

Peggy married George Hauk on June 7, 1950. To this union four sons were born: David, Douglas, Wendel “Dan”, and Duane. There were four cornerstones to Peggy’s Life. These cornerstones included her family, her gardens, cooking, and enjoying kids, especially her grandkids.

Peggy loved her garden and her flowers. One of her favorite stories was about the summer she raised a 27 pound cabbage. Of course, water was always scarce in the house and outside. If there was a choice between doing the laundry and watering the garden, the garden won. What a blessing it was when rural water finally came. Before that water came, Peggy and Frank and Joy (George’s parents) put cedar trees in the shelter belts and planted and nurtured aisles and aisles of tulips between the rows of trees. They kept everything watered somehow. Summer after summer, her hollyhocks brightened the brown and sun-filled landscape. As time went on, she was continually interested in everyone’s garden even though she no longer had one of her own. “Have you ordered your seeds yet? What is being planted and where?”

Peggy was a wonderful cook and people flocked to her table for fried chicken (never mind the messy stove), vegetables drenched in real cream, and a meal complete with conversation. She knew that food made with love and flavor was a joy to the folks around the table and the best remedy for loneliness, grief, and most other human conditions.

George and her four boys were everything to her. All her considerable energy was expended to make their lives more interesting, more pleasant, and more fun. Her “family” expanded to include kids, brothers, sisters, in-laws, out-laws, and everybody in-between. All children were important to her. In her opinion any day was a good day to go fly kites, go fishing, walk down the lane to the cottonwoods, or just talk, if it involved kids.

Housework did not hold a candle to kid stuff. Children were never extra work for her; there would be time to “dung out” when kids were gone. Who else had coveralls in ten different child sizes, so no kid went out to play in the cold without protection and no kid had to worry about their own clothes. Who else kept a large basket filled with small candy bars that were never counted, just enjoyed? Who else baked the biggest and most delicious sugar cookies in the world? Who else NEVER complained about mud being drug in, coats littering the floor, or small farms and all the equipment needed, on the living room floor? Nobody! And every child knew it and loved her for doing those things. Nearly every child she knew learned to drive on the little field between the house and the largish mud puddle to the east of the house. What a great place to gain some skills without fear. And the puddle was a muddy and shallow place to practice swimming and enjoy the mud!

Situations that would have caused consternation in other places raised a grin of understanding at Peggy’s house. “How else are they going to learn?” she would remark. When things got tough, her continual reminder was, “Now children, remember we are from hardy pioneer stock.”

Her front step was continually littered with kittens. It seemed that all the mother cats knew her nature too, and brought their children to her. As her children and kids of that age grew older, they were like the mother cats. They brought their children “home” to her, bringing joy to all.

In her later years, one of her biggest joys was going to the Hills to the “family’s” cabins. The good times continued with new kids, new stories, and sharing the old, great stories.

One of her favorite phrases was, “Now George, you know I love you dearly, BUT…” That phrase always brought a grin to everyone within hearing distance. All of us who had the blessing of her life will continue to hear her voice in our hearts and minds, bringing us joy forever.

Survivors include three sons: Doug (Fay) Hauk of Philip, Dan (Cindy) Hauk of Wall, and Duane (J'Nai) Hauk of Quinn; a daughter-in-law Roxanne Hauk of Quinn; grandchildren: Mike (Tracy) Hauk and their sons Jaxon and Jhett; Lisa (J.D.) Wendt and their children Jaelyn, Macey, Taylor, and KC; Tyler Hauk; Brennan Hauk; Rachelle Hauk (Casey Elshere) and their children Ashlynn, Lainey, and Cade; Amy (Dallas) Madsen and their daughter Paisley; Dana (Michael) Luedeman and their children Mikaylee Joy, Daniel and Margaret; Allen (Lauren) Hauk and their girl Tinsley; and Jordan Hauk; two sisters Evelyn Rush of Anchorage, Alaska, and Matilda "Tillie" Meyers of San Jose, CA; two sisters-in-law: Kathy Clark Furrey and Sharon Dodge; and a host of other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband George on December 18, 2010; son David Hauk; parents; brothers John and William "Bill" Clark; and sister Patricia Schmidt.

A memorial has been established to the Haakon County Prairie Transportation. Cards and memorials may be sent to P.O. Box 434 Philip, SD 57567.

Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, at the Rush Funeral Home in Philip.

Memorial services will be held 1 p.m. Friday, April 7, at the American Legion Hall in Philip.

Private family interment will take place at a later date at the Masonic Cemetery in Philip.