Martha Gertrude “Peggy” Lee Chetwood, 93, was born in Culdesac, on Wednesday, March 11, 1932. She passed away Feb. 17, 2026, with her loving husband of 73 years by her side. She was No. 9 of 11 children born to Leslie H. Lee and Mary E. Sloan Lee. She was nicknamed ‘Peggy’ as a baby by her sister and it stuck. Her parents raised her in a loving home and the bonds of family were at the core of what was most important to her.
Born during the Great Depression, she knew many hardships from severe poverty and the painful separations from her parents and siblings. The stories she shared of her young life were heartbreaking but would not define her. Those times gave her uncommon fortitude and a positive acceptance of life’s challenges. During difficult times she would often say “I’ve been through worse!”
Kamiah High School band and the Kabaret Dance Orchestra introduced her to playing the clarinet and saxophone. This created a love of music that she carried throughout her life. She was the harmonizer when she sang and enjoyed duets with anyone. Quite active in school, she was on the school newspaper staff, a flag twirler, in the Kubette Spirit Club, a Campfire girl, Idaho Girls State Treasurer and a yell queen.
Waitressing and working behind a soda fountain counter were her least favorite jobs. She went on to work for Twin Feather Mills as a bookkeeper. During that time she was a contestant in the Miss Lewis County Pageant and was sponsored by her employer. They purchased a Rose Marie Reed swimsuit for her and it was her prized possession. She also worked at J.J. Newberry’s in Lewiston for a time. Her earnings helped her get some much needed dental work and buy her first car, a 1951 Buick Special. It was her first in a lifelong string of Buicks. She simply would not consider any other make.
Peggy caught the eye of many young men, but none more so than William “Bill” Chetwood. Bill sold his clarinet to buy Peggy’s engagement ring and they were married June 22, 1952. Life quickly changed in the next five years with the addition of four children while living in Portland, Ore., Camp Pendleton, Calif. and back in Lewiston. Peggy continued her bookkeeping skills for Bill’s dental practice in Lewiston, designed her new house on Stewart Avenue and perfected her homemaking skills, dubbing herself “Martha on Stewart.” She taught herself numerous other skills from sewing clothing and quilts to making multi-tiered wedding cakes. She also took classes at Lewis-Clark State College to learn furniture refinishing and reupholstering. Her passion was chiefly on display when entertaining family and friends with her warm hosting style and gourmet cooking. She was an avid flower/vegetable gardener, always displaying her bounty on the dining table. She delighted in sharing her prowess, without being boastful.
Despite a diagnosis of lupus in her early 30s, Peggy did her best to remain active, especially with her children. She was a Room Mother, Den Mother, Campfire leader and 4-H helper. She volunteered with the Community Concert Series for many years, Beta Sigma Phi sorority, LCSC concert band and served as an election polling registrar. A family joke was that her “mad money” was from serving on jury duty. It was a well-kept secret how much she actually earned, but it always covered whatever she wanted to indulge in.
Peggy and Bill filled their empty nest with adventuring including canoe portaging in Canada, motorcycling from Idaho to California, a four-month trip to see America by fifth-wheel and lots of globetrotting. Moss did not grow under their feet in retirement, but Peggy was always most content in her home.
Camping, backyard parties and huckleberry picking were on her list of favorite activities. Peggy was all about creating memories. She earned a jewel in her crown in 1977 when she and her sisters hatched a plan to have a reunion with their extensive family. Peggy’s organizational skills, fun ideas, unwavering devotion and ability to pass the torch, have kept the Lee Family Reunion happening ever since.
Peggy always made holidays special. The tradition of drawing names and hand-making a gift to be given on Valentine’s Day started when her kids were young. She was always pulling a party together. Later in life, with the realization that her Easter and Christmas brunches were getting harder to gather the growing generations together, she went looking for another way. Thus, she, revived her Valentine’s Day party with the handmade gifts for exchanging. Noting that it was all about the process, not the end product that counted, she kept the event going annually for many years.
Peggy was most generous with her love, time and talent. Her sweet disposition was evident to the end. She loved the role she played in her husband’s and family’s lives. She generally kept any sadness to herself and didn’t wallow in disagreeable experiences or her illness. Listening was her superpower and she would always give you her undivided attention. She has left us with a big holes in our hearts, but gave us beautiful memories to help fill them.
Preceding her in death were her parents, eight of her siblings and their spouses. Surviving her are her husband Bill, children Tim Chetwood (Sandy), Jody Koller (Randy), Cindy Button (Dan), Lynn Ridinger (Mark), eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, sisters Shirley Frank, Barbara Solt (Denniss) and numerous nieces/nephews and the true friends who are like family.
The family acknowledges the loving hearts at Brookdale Senior Living and Ascend Hospice (Misty) for the kindness and care in taking care of Peggy in her final years. A service will be announced at a future date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Ronald McDonald House in Spokane and Shriners Hospitals for Children in Salt Lake City.
“A heart is not judged by those you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” — L. Frank Baum
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