Marilyn Peabody

Marilyn Peabody

September 29, 1935 – March 19, 2024

Marilyn Cripps Peabody Knote was born to Myrtle and Gregory Cripps at home in Whitney, NE on September 29, 1935, and passed away on March 19 at the age of 88 at Pioneer Manor in Hay Springs, NE.

The celebration of life will be held Saturday, April 6 at 11:00 am at the Chamberlin Chapel in Chadron, NE. Burial will be at the Whitney, NE cemetery following the service. After the internment, there will be a reception at the Chadron Senior Center at 1:00 pm. To honor Marilyn, please wear teal or pink because these were her favorite colors.

Marilyn grew up in Whitney and Hay Springs. She was the eldest of 5 children. Her younger siblings are Sharon Mizner (Malvern), Dorine Daniels (Paul Failla and Neil Daniels), Bernard Cripps (Sharon) and Suzie Cain (Mark DeKraai). Marilyn went to school in Whitney through the eighth grade. She moved with her family to Hay Springs in 1949. Marilyn graduated from Hay Springs High School in 1953. She cooked on a farm south of Hay Springs for the Mattson family. She enjoyed sewing and playing piano with her family and at church.

Marilyn married Tom Alvin Peabody on July 21, 1953, in her parents’ back yard. They moved to Great Bend, KS and had their first daughter, Lynnette Clapp (Lyle) in 1954. They moved to Cushing, OK and had their second daughter, Nancy Phan in 1958 and third daughter, Lynda Smith in 1961. Next, they moved to Guymon, OK and had their son, Richard Peabody (Katie) in 1962, and their fourth daughter Mari Lynn in 1964. Mari Lynn passed at 4 days old. Marilyn and Tom moved to Lamesa, TX for a few years and then moved back to Hay Springs in 1967. They eventually moved into Marilyn’s childhood home to raise their children. Their youngest son, Greg Peabody (Katrina) was born in 1972.

Marilyn and her family were members of the Church of Christ in Chadron. Her husband, Tom Jr, was the preacher for many years. Tom also worked at the REA for many years.

Marilyn and her family worked with her husband’s parents, Sally and Tom Peabody Sr, at the Dairy King from 1969 to 1976. She also worked at the Coast-to-Coast Hardware store from 1984 to 1996.

Marilyn was a Girl Scout leader from 1982 to 1991 and was the cookie distributor for their area. She was also part of the TOPS group for several years. She loved her cats, genealogy, watching Days of Lives and Nascar, and collecting things.

Marilyn and Tom celebrated 55 years of marriage. Tom passed in 2008. Marilyn traveled to visit family and friends over the next few years. In 2016, she married Darrel Knote. Darrel passed in 2018 and Marilyn moved to Prairie Pines in Chadron. In 2022, Marilyn moved to Pioneer Manor in Hay Springs where she enjoyed her final days.

Marilyn is survived by her siblings, brother-in-law Roy Peabody (Sharon), her children, her stepsons Thomas and Wayne Knote (Amanda), 14 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren, 8 great-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.  

Marilyn is preceded in death by her parents, Tom’s parents, husbands Tom Peabody Jr and Darrel Knote, daughters Mari Lynn Peabody and Lynnette Clapp, son-in-law Lyle Clapp, daughter-in-law Katrina Peabody, brother-in-law Bill Peabody, sister-in-laws Jane Demuth and Patricia Ringwald, and nephews Danny, Joe, and Jim Peabody.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate food donations for the reception or donations to the American Heart Association to honor Marilyn’s husbands.