Peggy Charline Burrus

In Loving Memory of Peggy Charline Adkins Burrus

August 9, 1934 – June 26, 2025

Today we celebrate the life of a woman who wore many titles—daughter, sister, wife, mother, artist, friend—but who lived them all with a sense of purpose, curiosity, and joy. Peggy Charline Burrus was not someone who simply passed through this world. She left her mark on it—through the lives she touched, the art she created, and the love she gave freely.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1934, Peggy was the second daughter of Charley and Willie Adkins, and younger sister to Billie, with whom she shared a lifelong closeness that only deepened with time. That spirit of sisterhood extended through the generations, as Peggy raised three children—Cindy, Penny, and Greg—infusing their lives with adventure, creativity, and a steady sense of home, no matter where they were on the map.

Her early years of marriage to Gene Burrus included cross-country moves, community building, and hands-on homemaking in a time when doing things together really meant everything. From square dance clubs that began in her own basement to raising kids and soybeans side by side with her sister’s family, Peggy knew how to turn a patch of earth into a place of belonging. She didn't just start new chapters—she helped write the whole book.

Peggy’s life journey wasn’t confined to a single place. She embraced change, often calling her travels her “vagabond period”—and she meant it with affection. Whether it was a stretch in Idaho hosting radio shows and managing beauty salons, or traveling across the U.S. selling her celebrated scratch art, Peggy poured her whole heart into everything she touched. Her creativity wasn’t a hobby; it was her language.

Her art spoke when words didn’t. Her “scratch art” became more than just a medium—it became her signature. People across the country came to recognize her work, and many of them became not just customers, but admirers and friends.

In later years, as health and life slowed things down, Peggy didn’t retreat—she adapted. At The Fountains, her energy and warmth lit up the halls. She hosted games, taught exercise classes, and won art contests, always managing to find laughter and company wherever she was.

She wasn’t afraid to start over—whether that meant moving rooms nine times in search of the perfect light, or entering a new marriage later in life. And through it all, her humor, her stubborn spark, and her deep affection for those around her never faded.

Peggy’s final days were peaceful. She had done her wandering, done her making and building, her dancing and raising, her loving and her laughing. Surrounded by memories, her journey came quietly to a close in the early hours of June 26.

But her story doesn’t end there—it lives on in the canvases she filled, the communities she helped build, and most of all, in the hearts of her children, grandchildren, and all those who loved her.

We honor Peggy today not with sorrow, but with gratitude. For a life lived fully. For love given generously. And for the reminder she leaves us with: that even in uncertain times, you can always find beauty, make art, and move forward with grace.