Peggy Dunkel, 96, of Vincennes, Indiana, passed away on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana. She was born on December 2, 1929, in Vincennes, Indiana, the daughter of Virgil and Louise (Gremore) Staley. Peggy married Virgil Rose August 22,1949. They lived in several states while Virgil was in Medical School, settling in Ohio to start a family. After raising her children, Peggy returned to Vincennes in 1980, missing her hometown. She married Laurence Dunkel, from Mt. Carmel, December 11, 1998, and moved to St. Francisville, Illinois, and after twenty-two years of marriage, he preceded her in death on March 26, 2021.
Peggy enjoyed a full and vibrant life centered around the things she loved most. She had a passion for golfing; proudly scoring a hole-in-one her very first year. She also found joy in dancing, listening to music, visiting the casinos, and playing bingo with her beloved Fox Ridge family. Peggy began her career as a nurse, compassionately caring for polio patients during a time when such work required extraordinary strength and dedication. Following her retirement from the Executive Inn Gift Shop, she devoted herself to caring for her mother and selflessly served as a caregiver to several local seniors. Peggy will be remembered for her quick wit, infectious sense of humor, warm and caring spirit, and a beauty that radiated from both inside and out.
Peggy will be remembered by her son, Michael Rose and wife, Angie of Wooster, Ohio; daughters, Jamie Glaefke and husband, Jon, Rebecca Rose and husband, Jim Hranko, both of Boulder, Colorado; seven grandchildren, Angela Sarno, Justin Howell, Jamon Howell, Kate Hranko, Nikki Austed, Michael Smith, and Rachel White-Ware; three great-grandchildren, Cash Wallenbrock, Scarlet Wallenbrock and Cooper Howell; brother, Jack (Rose Anna) Staley.
Peggy was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Laurence Dunkel; sisters, Virginia Imogene (Pete) Woodall, Wilma (Bill) Peach, and JoAnn Daugherty.
A Graveside Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, February 20, 2026, at Saint Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Mount Carmel, Illinois, where Peggy will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband, Laurence.
Keepes Funeral Home is serving the family with the arrangements. To view Peggy’s tribute wall, and leave condolences for the Dunkel family, please visit www.keepesfuneralhome.com
