Peggy Vanlandingham (Meemaw) was an independent, strong and loyal woman who loved her family and never held her tongue. She did not light up the room when she walked in, and she wouldn't want us to pretend she did. She was not always a joy to be around, and she did not go gently into that good night.

Oh, but she did claim her space in a world and time when it was not popular for a woman to do so. She demanded that she be heard, she required a seat at the table — and no, she didn't bring her own seat. She expected that someone else bring it for her, along with a couple of Excedrin and a crossword puzzle. She spoke her mind— it would have never occurred to her that her opinion did not matter.

She was born on August 7, 1933, into a home with no electricity, no running water, and an outhouse. Married at 14, a mother at 19. The last of eleven siblings – and the last to leave this world on July 2, 2023. She missed her 90th birthday party by five weeks. Typical, stubborn to the bitter end.

She was harsh in her criticisms, but fiercely loyal to her family. She was salty before it was a trend. She was not perfect, and we should not pretend that she was. But she did teach us strength, perseverance, that our opinion mattered, and we should expect others to respect us. Our job is to take the lessons from her that work and leave the rest. She would want us to improve upon what she taught us and break the cycles that failed us. So, to all the women who knew her, she would say stay salty and think of her.

Lastly, she may be best remembered for her amazing southern cooking--biscuits, gravy, banana pudding and her famous fudge pie (the very same one so many Memphians enjoyed at High Point Pinch -yes, that was her). And so she leaves us all with that recipe, which we hope you enjoy while thinking of her:
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Flour
½ Cup Cocoa
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
1 stick oleo or butter

Sift the sugar, cocoa and flour together. Add the eggs, vanilla and butter in by hand (do not use mixer). Pour into uncooked pie shell.
Cook at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Vanlandingham, daughter, Yavonne Vanlandingham, stepson Keith Vanlandingham Dodge, and her eleven siblings. She leaves behind the strong women she helped raise: Paula Graves (Jim), Theresa Brookshire, daughter-in-law Susan Warden (Richard), and granddaughter Amy Pepke (Mark); her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren Billy Brookshire (Dana), Tyler Vanlandingham (Lizzie), Katelyn (Gracie) Vanlandingham, Kaes Pepke (Bailey), Brenna Pepke, Karis Pepke, Linda King (Stephen), Olivia King, Henry King, Carole Welchel (Jim), and David Dodge (Sindhu); her sister-in-law Rita Vanlandingham, daughter-in-law Diane Dodge. She also leaves a son, Billy Vanlandingham (Mary), and numerous nieces and nephews.