SEDONA, Ariz. - Peggy P. Schlichtemeier, 71, of Sedona, Ariz. passed away Feb. 11, 2021 after a short battle with Leukemia.

A private family service will be held at a later date.

Peggy was born May 4, 1949 in Lincoln, Neb. to Russell and Jean Reinig, the second of 11 children. She married the love of her life, Ernie Schlichtemeier in 1979.

Survivors include her husband, Ernie; his children, Rick Schlichtemeier, Terri Koster and Julie Sitzmann; six siblings, Kathy (Dave) Dixon, Robert (Evelyn) Reinig, Paul Reinig, Mary (Wes) Carlton, Dan Reinig and Jeri (Bob) Bierbower; one brother-in-law, Gary (Nadine) Schlichtemeier; one sister-in-law, Norma (Gus) Knollenberg; three grandchildren, Elizabeth Hopkins, Danielle Mulcahey and Ryan Mulcahey; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.

She was preceded in death by her parents and four brothers, Mike Reinig, Charles Reinig, Dave Reinig and Tom Reinig.

Peg graduated from Pius X High School in Lincoln, Neb. in 1967, and then pursued a degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Following that, she moved to Taiwan for a year before returning to the U.S. and working for Goodyear as a manager in their quality control department. There, she met the love of her life, Ernie Schlichtemeier. After marrying, they began the numerous worldwide residences where Goodyear assigned Ernie. She was a devoted wife and looked at every move as an opportunity to make their new location better than it was before they arrived. She left her mark in Newton, Kan., Marietta, Ga., Canal Fulton, Ohio (where she volunteered as activities director of a nursing home and taught at a prison), Mendota (where she opened her own business, Kids’ Stuff, and was very active in the Jr. Women’s Club), Chatham, Canada (where she learned to speak French), Sao Paulo, Brazil (where she learned to speak Portuguese and Spanish), Lincoln, Neb., Norfolk, Neb. (where at age 44 she drove to Vermillion, S.D. every week to earn her Master’s degree so she could teach at the college level, which she then did at Wayne State College, Wayne, Neb.), Ching Dao, China (where she learned Chinese, was editor of the ExPat newsletter, and was a leader in a group that raised money for children’s school supplies), Raleigh, N.C. (where she again taught at the prison), Almaty, Kazakhstan (where she learned to speak Russian and was the chairperson of the Business Department at KIMEP University), back to Ching Dao, China, (editor of the ExPat newsletter again) and then Quinta, Ecuador (where she taught English). After retiring, she and Ernie settled in Beaufort, S.C., where she was a political leader who recruited volunteers for the voting polls. Their final stop was in Sedona, Ariz., where she was very active in the Sedona Women’s Club and Rotary Club. Additional international travels included Australia, Thailand, Greece, France, Egypt, Argentina, Peru and Mexico, to name a few.

Peg was a road rally navigator, first mate sailor, scuba diver, water skier, snow skier, excellent seamstress and a tireless volunteer. Perhaps her most lasting legacy was the development and creation of First Books of Beaufort, S.C. and Verde Valley First Books in Sedona, Ariz., which put new books into the hands of over 1,300 preschool-aged, at risk children to date, and is still growing. She lived by her favorite quote from Mother Teresa: “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.”

Memorial contributions are suggested to First Books of Beaufort, P.O. Box 291, Port Royal, SC, 29935. Condolences may be left for the family at www.greersmortuary.com.