Pontiac – Margaret "Peg" Therese Garrels, 78, of Pontiac, passed away at 6:02 am, December 17, 2024, at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington.

A graveside service at 12:30pm, Friday, December 20, 2024, at Forrest Township Cemetery. Wayne Kurth will be officiating.
Visitation will be held from 11-12:00pm, Friday, December 20, 2024, at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury.

Memorials may be made to the donor's choice of charity.

Margaret was born March 29, 1946, in Elgin, the daughter of Charles B. and Margeret Deleon Reid.
She married Jim Garrels on April 3, 1987, in Fairbury. He died January 20, 1998.

Surviving are her children, Janet (Doug) LaVarier of Blackstone, Jeff (Sharon) Zapp of Pontiac, Kenny (Pam) Zapp of Fairbury, and Mike (Charity) Zapp of Fairbury; step-daughters, Dawn (William) Harper of Spokane Valley, WA and Brenda Johnson of Benson, AZ; sisters, Judy Grossich of WI, Jean (Keith) Ferre of Decatur, Jackie Gerber of Fairbury, and Theresa (Doug) Reid of Fairbury; brother, Don (Angie) Reid of Kempton; 33 grandchildren; 52 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, four sisters, one granddaughter and one grandson.

Margaret worked at Fosdick's in Fairbury before becoming a CNA working at Fairview Haven Retirement Community until she retired.
She loved camping and fishing with her husband Jim. Her passion was Crocheting people's names for them. Margaret won a blue ribbon for her crocheting of Footprints in the Sand at the Fairbury Fair.
Margaret will be reunited wither pets, Queenie, Boots and Charlie.