Obituary of Margaret Peggy Newman

Mrs. Margaret Newman, age 87 passed into heaven on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. Mrs. Newman who lived in Auburndale, Florida until her confinement to Consulate Nursing Home where she was referred to by friends & family far and wide as Miss Peggy. Miss Peggy was born January 3, 1927 in Diffy, Georgia (near Bainbridge) the sixth child of Daniel and Sophia Griffin. She lived in and around Diffy for 16 years until she met her husband to be, Rudolph Heckman, during WWII while he was stationed at the Bainbridge Air Force Base in Georgia. He happened to visit the church where Miss Peggy attended at age 16. Mr. Heckman swept Miss Peggy off of her feet and they were married in Bainbridge, Georgia. After WWII Mr. Heckman took Miss Peggy back to Hamburg, Pennsylvania where he was born and had grown up. Miss Peggy immediately became a hit with the local Pennsylvania Dutch because of her Christian spirit and her southern style cooking including fried chicken and grits. Miss Peggy was a talented person in cooking, crocheting, quilting and storytelling. Her handmade quilts which she entered into completion won several blue ribbons. She presented a handmade crocheted blanket to every member of her family as a sign of love for each of them. In addition she was a widely loved person by her neighbors and many friends and even became beloved by strangers she met extemporaneously. She loved traveling to many states and various places of entertainment with her family. They started their family first born son David was born in 1944; soon following was another son James then daughter Martha and another daughter Kathy. She and her children left Pennsylvania in the winter of 1962 and relocated to her mother's house in Bartow, Florida where they arrived in December. After establishing herself, Miss Peggy purchased a home in Bartow where she lived with her 4 children. One day in Bartow in 1965 she met her husband to be, Bill Newman. The family except for David moved to Auburndale where they opened as successful drive-in restaurant, "The Chickenette" which became the gathering point for the youth especially on weekends. The business flourished until Mr. Newman passed away in 1973 after that Miss Peggy opened "Grandpa's Fried Chicken" restaurant and then moving on to waitressing at several area restaurents until she settled in at the 'Clock" restaurant in Auburndale where she finished her career. Miss Peggy (affectionately called "Scotty" by her son David because she was Scotch-Irish) was a loving mother, a great neighbor and a true Christian who read her Bible through and through many times over. She was preceded in death by her parents; 1st husband - Rudolph Heckman and 2nd husband - Bill Newman. Miss Peggy is survived by; 2 Sons: David (Laura) Heckman of Valrico James "Jim" (Susan) Heckman of Auburndale 2 Daughters: Martha "Marti" Crowell of Winter Haven Kathy Bishop of Winter Haven Sister-in-Law: Joan 6 Grandchildren: Angela, Amanda, Keri, Kevin, Matthew & Sarah 3 Great Grandchildren: Caden, Kaitlin & Jarrod 4 Step Grandchildren: Jaz, Rachael, Susan & Zachary 1 Step Great Grandchild: Landon 2 Nephews: Frank & James 2 Nieces: Beverly & Deborah