Peggy Fick

Peggy Fick

1939 – 2023

BATTLE CREEK - Peggy Ortman Fick, 83, of Battle Creek, Iowa, passed away on Friday, July 28, 2023, at the Willow Dale Wellness Village of Battle Creek, Iowa.

Per Peggy’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Battle Creek, Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com.

Memorials in Peggy’s honor may be written and sent to the First Presbyterian Church in Battle Creek, Iowa.

Margaret Georgene “Peggy” (Bentz) Fick was born on Oct. 11, 1939, to John and Margaret (Wranek) Bentz in Gregory, South Dakota. Peggy’s father, John, passed away in 1951 when Peggy was 11. Her mother married Ruben Esterling in 1953 and he was a stepfather to Peggy, her older sister Patty, and younger brother Robert “Jimmy” Bentz.

Peggy’s first love and fiancé was Ray Supik, an only child, whom she was to marry after her high school graduation and become a rancher’s wife. Ray died suddenly of cancer. Ray’s parents, Joe and Eleanor Supik, purchased a car and paid for Peggy to attend Southern State College in Springfield, South Dakota and remained active in Peggy’s life. Peggy met LeRoy Ortman while attending college in Springfield and they were married on Aug. 11, 1959, after graduating with teaching certificates.

Peggy taught elementary school at several school districts in Nebraska and at Battle Creek Elementary in Iowa. LeRoy and Peggy moved to Battle Creek, Iowa, in 1965. They were blessed with three children: David, Donald, and Laura “Suzie.” The couple parted ways in 1988. Peggy married her high school classmate and rancher Syd Lindquist in 1988 and returned to living in Gregory, South Dakota, at the Duhling Ranch. Sid passed away of cancer in 1998. Peggy returned to Battle Creek and for a short time was married to Harold Fick.

Peggy was a special one-of-a-kind lady. She was known for her good looks, high heels, red lipstick, great cooking, party and bridge hostess talents, and holiday decorating inside and outside the house and at the First Presbyterian Church in Battle Creek. She loved Battle Creek and lived out the town’s motto of “Big in Heart” by her volunteer work in the church and community, especially the elderly by visiting them, taking care of their yard work, cooking for them, giving them rides to appointments, and inviting them into her home for holidays so they wouldn’t be alone. She enjoyed having huge flower gardens, lots of kitties, and was a competitive bridge player. Peggy was a longtime volunteer at Willow Dale Care Center, regularly visited residents who didn’t have family in the area, and was happy living out her final years there with great care and great food provided by her Willow Dale Care Center Family.

Left to cherish her memory and miss her great cooking are children Dave Ortman of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Don Ortman of Columbus, Nebraska, and Suzie (Mark) Priebe of Gravette, Arkansas; grandchildren Andrew Ortman, Breah (Taran) Nystrom, Blake (Catie) Ortman, and Colton Ortman-Priebe; great grandchildren Bently and Corbin Ortman, Adalye Nystrom, and Matthew Ortman.

She was preceded in death by an infant grandson Ryan Ortman.

Services: Private family Celebration of Life will be held at a later date

Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home • Battle Creek • 712-365-4446