Margaret Jean “Peggy” McHenry Lepley-Hermann, 94, of Indiana, passed away on Monday, June 27, 2022.
She was born Jan. 9, 1928, the only child of the late Ralph and Alice (Chambers) McHenry.
A life-long resident of Indiana, she lived in their family home on Clymer Avenue
until she graduated college and married her high school sweetheart, Eugene Lepley of
Ernest. Tracing her family tree back several generations in Indiana County – her parent’s
ancestors are buried in the same graveyard at Gilgal Church – Peggy was fascinated by
family bloodlines, often finding unexpected relatives, although distant, among her
friends and acquaintances. She grew up surrounded by extended family – her mother was one of eight children and her father was one of twenty. Relatives were always coming and going, sometimes remaining for extended stays. Even co-workers and friends in need found refuge in the McHenry home. As such, caring for others was a special part of Peggy’s personality and a life-long passion. In 1949 Peggy became the first person in her family to earn a college degree – in mathematics education from Indiana State Teachers College – an unusual STEM major for a female before the phrase was even created. While in school she belonged to the Beta Theta Upsilon sorority.
Her first job was as a math teacher at Oil City High School while her husband,
Gene, finished his degree at Slippery Rock State Teachers College.
In 1954, a few years after their children – Susan and Gene, Jr. – were born, they
returned to Indiana and bought a house on Church Street near her parents newly-
constructed home. She would remain in Indiana for the rest of her life.
While she taught math briefly at Keith School and substituted on occasion, Peggy
focused on raising her children, often alone since Gene was busy teaching, coaching
after-school sports in all seasons, volunteering, and founding the Indiana Jaycees.
She still found time to play bridge and golf and served as a Ruling Elder at
Calvary Presbyterian Church where, until her passing, she was the longest continuing
member – 82 years since her confirmation. She was also a board member at the
Salvation Army and belonged to the PEO service sorority. In the 1960s, Peggy earned her master’s degree in Library Science at West Virginia University as Gene was getting his Doctorate in Education. While there, she collected locally produced paperweights which she displayed in the window of their home. From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, Peggy served as the librarian at United High School in Armagh while Gene was a professor at IUP. Upon their retirement, they spent time traveling, golfing, and sailing the Chesapeake Bay. Several years after Gene’s death, Peggy met and married Robert Hermann, a retired naval aviator, farmer, and IUP professor. They enjoyed traveling, taking ocean cruises, and visiting friends and family. As she aged, Peggy moved into her parents’ home on Church Street before buying a condominium at The Villas at Wolf Run and then living, for her final few months, at The Fountains personal care home.
Peggy had an understandable distrust of years ending in the numeral “9.” She
lost her father, Ralph, in 1979, her husband, Gene, in 1989, her mother, Alice, in 1999,
and her second husband, Bob, in 2009. She broke the string by living through 2019
without incident.
Peggy is survived by her two children: Susan Lepley Miller and her husband,
Harold, of Indiana; Eugene E. Lepley, Jr. and his wife, Pamela of Richmond, VA; three
grandchildren: Evan Miller and wife, Heather; Eugene E. Lepley, III. and wife,
Andrea and Sarah Lepley and husband Chris Opfer; three great-grandchildren: Owen Miller, Lillian Miller and Eugene E. “Eddie” Lepley, IV.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Bernard Coppolo – she
was his second patient in Indiana; Dr. Matthew Klain; her personal caregivers at the
condo; the VNA nurses; and the staff at The Fountains.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 9, 2022, at
Calvary Presbyterian Church. Friends will be received in the church’s Chalice Room
one hour beforehand at 10 a.m. A reception will follow the service. Reverend
Richard Cassel will officiate. It will be live-streamed at www.calvarychurchpa.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to IUP’s Dr. Eugene Lepley
Scholarship Fund at www.iup.edu – the only academic scholarship in the Department of
Health and Physical Education.
To view the online obituary, sign the guest registry or send condolences, please visit
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