Peggy Anne Jordan Rowland, 85, transitioned from this life after a long illness on August 3, 2026 at her home in Whitesburg, Georgia.

She was born November 21, 1940 in Shorter, Alabama to Robert Winston Jordan and Mary Lee Raines Jordan and raised on the family farm along with her four sisters.

Peggy attended Shorter High School, where she was active in 4-H, cheerleading, tennis and basketball. She was named homecoming queen, voted Most Athletic and graduated as salutatorian of the class of 1959.

In 1960, she was hired as secretary to Guyton Parks, general manager of the Montgomery Advertiser. While at the Advertiser, she met advertising salesman Bob Rowland.

Smitten with the perky redhead, Bob asked for her phone number, and she sassed him. “Go look it up,” she told him. “It’s on the personnel board!” He did, and the couple married on Sunday, May 21, 1961 in a brief ceremony held after church services.

She loved bluegrass, classic country music, Neil Diamond and John Denver, but Peggy emphatically was not a fan of Jerry Lee Lewis, who she called “nasty.” When Bob and Peggy were newlyweds, Bob was asked to escort Miss Alabama to the stage during a public appearance and was rewarded with premium seats to one of Lewis’ concerts. Of course, Peggy accompanied him. At some point during his show, the energetic performer tossed back his pompadour, flinging a spray of sweat onto the immaculately dressed and coiffed Peggy. She never forgave him for it.

Bob and Peggy’s 65-year marriage produced five children and 11 grandchildren, who grew up riding go-karts and mopeds on the trails, exploring the creek and bottoms and having picnics, birthday parties, feasts, barbecues, Easter egg hunts and adventures on the 30 acres of pine woods in Whitesburg the family made their permanent home in 1971. Peggy thrived on the Rowland “farm,” where she raised chickens and grew food, fruit and flowers.

She canned and preserved, sewed and used her farm girl expertise to create a home where there was always plenty of room for one more at the table. Her sweet tea, cakes, homemade ice cream, cornbread dressing and holiday cookies were legendary, and she was never afraid to try something new – including once dyeing her hair green with food coloring for St. Patrick’s Day.

During her children’s elementary years, Peggy wore many hats. She was primarily a homemaker, but she also worked as a substitute teacher and a teacher’s aide at

Whitesburg School. She was a room mom at the school, a team mom for youth sports, and a coach of the county champion Whitesburg Kit Kats youth softball team.

When their children were students at Central High School, Peggy and Bob were always there to support their activities, serving in the Band Boosters and cheering on the Lions baseball team, basketball team, football team, cross country team and anything else they had time for. Even after their youngest child graduated, they enjoyed attending football games and the Super Bowl of Sound.

Peggy stayed active, playing on adult basketball and softball teams whenever she could. She loved the Atlanta Braves and faithfully filled out a scorebook page every time she attended a game at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Her little red transistor radio traveled to every game with her so she could listen to the radio commentary while she watched. Her one golden chance for a foul ended in tragedy when the ball landed in her lap and smashed her radio – and then somebody else grabbed the ball. That radio slept in a kitchen drawer for another decade and remains a family treasure.

The universe intervened to right that wrong in the early ’80s. Peggy’s clock radio was permanently set on WSB, and she awoke to Jim Howell’s voice at 6 a.m. every day. When Jim Howell announced a contest in which winners would team up to play in a celebrity softball game against the Braves’ wives, Peggy of course entered and, much to her delight, was selected. On the day of the event, groundskeepers set up 60-foot bases in front of the regulation MLB bases. The leadoff batter, Peggy hit a solid double but in her excitement ran to the wrong second base bag. She was retrieved by a costumed mascot wielding a giant butterfly net as spectators roared with laughter.

In 1983, Peggy went to work at Kmart in Carrollton, where for 15 years she served layaway customers – many of whom, like her co-workers, became treasured friends.

“Nannie” retired in 1998 and spent countless happy hours with her family, supporting her children and helping her grandchildren learn and grow. After Bob retired, the pair did a bit of traveling, exploring Hawaii, Chicago, San Francisco, Charleston, Branson and Alaska, in addition to regular trips to Gulf Shores with their children and grandchildren. During a trip to the Grand Canyon, Bob feared for Peggy’s life as she inched closer and closer to the edge “so I can see better!”

She was fierce, fearless, selfless and a hard worker until her body failed her. And even when she was bedridden and struggled to communicate, Peggy still found a way to make her family feel loved until the day she had to say goodbye.

In addition to her parents, Peggy was preceded in death by a son, Ben Rowland; a grandson, Clayton Rowland; brothers-in-law Ted Rowland, Bill Rowland, John Milton Ledbetter, and Ronnie Patterson; an infant sister, Connie Sue Jordan; nephews Richard Wayne Patterson and Jon Rowland; nieces Terry Dennis and Nancy Clifton; sister-in-law Chris Rowland; and great-nephew Jonathan Eubanks.

Left behind to mourn her are her husband, Bob Rowland of Whitesburg, who was not only her heart for 65 years but who also nursed her tenderly and faithfully through her final illness; her sisters, Elizabeth Ledbetter of Clarksville, Tennessee; Linda Segrest of Auburn, Alabama; Elaine Johnson (Floyd) of Shorter, Alabama; and Barbara Inman (Homer) of Notasulga, Alabama; her daughter, Rebecca Rowland Leftwich (Gary) of Carrollton, Georgia; and her sons, Richard Rowland (Brenda) of Hiram, Georgia, Robert Rowland of Whitesburg, and Randall Rowland (Ashley) of Newell, Alabama.

She also leaves behind her precious grandchildren, Alex Rowland of Hiram; Caleb Dorsett of El Paso, Texas; Cameron Dorsett (Isaac Carluccio) of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Nicki Veale (Micah) of Kyle, Texas; Savannah Rose Leftwich (Alex Talley) of Winter Garden,

Florida; and Emory Leftwich, Andy Rowland, Asher Leftwich, Maggie Rowland and Jack Rowland, all of Carrollton; and many many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 6 from 5-7 p.m. at Almon Funeral Home. Funeral will be Friday, August 7 at 2 p.m. at Whitesburg United Methodist Church, with Rev. Martha Dye, eulogy, and Dr. Joel Williams, music. Alex Rowland, Emory Leftwich, Andy Rowland, Asher Leftwich, Jack Rowland, Micah Veale and Alex Talley will serve as pallbearers. Interment will follow at Whitesburg Cemetery.

Flowers are appreciated, and donations in Peggy’s memory may also be made to the Alzheimer’s Group of Carroll County, Inc. at alzgroup.org. or mail to PO Box 1273, Carrollton, GA 30112.

Messages of condolence may be shared with the family online at www.almonfuneralhome.com.

Almon Funeral Home of Carrollton has charge of the arrangements.