Obituaries

On Thursday, June 4, 2020, Peggy Erickson Grooms went home to be with the Lord.

Peggy was born in Mexia,Texas. She and her mother shared the same birthday. Growing up she was really active in school and was a member of the Press Club, F.H.A., flag bearer and played the clarinet in the band. Peggy was also nominated and a part of the Homecoming court her senior year. She graduated from Mexia High in 1949. While helping her then husband through college she got a job as the Head Secretary for the coaching staff at the University of Texas in Austin. She got promoted and became Coach Darryl Royals’ personal secretary. Her life would never be the same. Anyone that knew her then or today would say that she was one of the Longhorns biggest fans. Burnt orange was her favorite color and she wore it as much as possible and in her later years she could be seen driving around in her burnt orange car.

She moved to Sherman in 1968 with her former husband and had 3 children: Chris, Kim and Rob were the love of her life. She was very involved in all of their lives as Cub Scout den mother, PTA mom, and Camp Fire leader. She loved to drive carpool and pick up her kids friends in her silver station wagon, thus being named “The Silver Streak”.

While her younger kids were in elementary school, Peggy and her friends started a business called: Gifts from the Sea. They had a store front in Collinsville for many years until she moved to California briefly for a year. After moving back from California, Peggy worked for 15 years at Texas Instruments in government contracts. She also worked for Dillards in the shoe department.

Peggy was a very active member of First United Methodist Sherman. She served and chaired on many committees of the United Methodist Women. She could always be found at church helping with special events like the Fiesta Feast or singing in the church choir. The church was her home. She loved her Climbers Sunday school class and gave many lectures on the history of church hymns. Her legacy at the church can be seen every Christmas when the giant Christmas tree is placed in the Sanctuary. This tree is full of the many hand made chrismon ornaments she helped make in the early years of the United Methodist Women. She was also the inventor of the year-round Christmas tree. You always knew which house was hers as you could drive by and see the tree in the front window any day of the year.

Peggy was very active in the Sherman community. If there was a need, she was there to volunteer. Her hands were rarely still. Some of the many groups and organizations she volunteered for were: Friends of the Sherman Public Library, Grayson County Home Hospice and CASA of Grayson County.

Peggy is preceded in death by her parents, Irene Pulley and Chris Erickson and her son Chris Grooms. She is survived by her daughter Kim Williams and grandaughter Clover, her son and his wife Rob and Cathy Grooms and her grandsons, Witt, Charlie, and Sam; and her brother and his wife Charles and Kay Erickson and niece Angie Erickson.

She is also survived by her best friend Bobbie Carroll, her daughter and son in law Angie and Robert Frost, granddaughter Ashley Frost, her dear friend and former neighbor Jo Etta Woodall and daughter Pennie Benson and many countless friends.

A service celebrating her life will be held in the fall at First United Methodist Sherman.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Methodist Church, 401 N Elm St, Sherman, TX 75090 (903) 893-6514.