Born December 18, 1938, in Fort Stockton, Texas, to Frank and Tommie Tatum. Peggy and her family moved to Arizona during her adolescent years. She attended Phoenix Union High School and later-while raising her family-graduated from ASU in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts, followed in 1976 by her Master of Arts (both in Elementary Education).
Peggy taught in Scottsdale Unified School District for more than thirty years and earned numerous awards, including:
-Middle Level Educator of the Year (Arizona Middle School Association)-1990
-Mohave Charro Teacher of the Year-1993
-Desert Mountain Charro teacher of the Year-1997
-Outstanding Educator of the Year (Phi Delta Kappa Scottsdale Chapter)-2001
Peggy's joy in teaching was "seeing kids brighten up and come alive when they're discovering something new."
Peggy is survived by her husband Glenn Zellmer, four sons- Andrew, Ricky (Debbie), Roger (Paula), and Jim (Wendy)-seven grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, niece Jefflyn, Peggy's beloved Newfoundland dogs (Mason and Katie), and ex-husband Jim Eischen. Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, sister Sherry, brother-in-law Art, and sister Candy.
After retiring from teaching, Peggy devoted her time to caring for animals. She volunteered for 20-plus years with Pets on Wheels Scottsdale-serving on the board of directors, and as vice president, president, and president-emeritus. In the process, she completed more than 400 visits to nursing homes, memory care centers, and special events.
With Mason in tow, Peggy ended her visiting career by bringing her joy to patients and staff at HonorHealth Osborn-especially the HonorHealth Military Partnership Training program, which helps train individuals to care for those dealing with combat trauma.
A celebration of Peggy's life will be held at Green ACres Mortuary, 401 N Hayden Rd, in Scottsdale on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 11am.
In lieu of flowers, family members and friends may contribute to Pets on Wheels Scottsdale at www.petsonwheelsscottsdale.org in Peggy's memory.
