Our mother, Peggy Pauline Manuel (Sorti) Pachino Howell Northcott, completed her life on January 5th, 2025 at 1:40 p.m. at the age of 94, due to complications from influenza A.

Peggy was born March 26th, 1930 during the Great Depression to Flora (Beam) Artman (Bickal) and ED Manuel (Sorti) in Oroville Washington. She joined her siblings, Cloyd Artman, Audrey Artman, and Eva Bickal.

Mom married Dad, James Howell, in 1946 and had three children, Brenda (1948), Debora (1950) and Ron (1951).

Peggy attended school in Oroville. Times were hard during the Depression and mom began working at a restaurant at the age of 12 for meals and with her outgoing personality at age 16 she began working at the local theater in Oroville in the ticket booth; The GI’ s used to pay for tickets with foreign coins and mom liked to collect them. Mom really liked popcorn. She would pop brown paper grocery bags of popcorn to take to the drive-in (Pow Wow) theater. They would have one in the front seat of the car and we would have one in the back; oh yes, we would eat it all!

Mom later worked as a fruit packer at Day’s warehouse. She became a very fast packer. The girls liked to have fun at times and would put a paper tail on each other. Mom’s best feat was placing a tail on the owner, George Day Sr. Later, she worked at the bank (now Umpqua) in Oroville. Peggy worked as a meat wrapper at the Cascade market for a number of years and later in Prince’s store in the clothing department.

Mom divorced and remarried in 1969 to Edward Northcott, they retired and moved to Chesaw where they opened their custom meat-cutting business. You could always count on a crock pot full of stew made of meat from local beef, venison, or elk from local hunters. Mom and Ed became snowbirds landing in Quartzsite, Arizona each winter. There they met dear friends George and Joy Ingstrom and they would search the desert for gold and just have fun. Mom and Joy would make crafts and crochet during the hot winter days.

Ed soon passed away and mom, knowing her neighbor Chris Colbert (his parents having passed away) became companions helping each other out, plus looking after their horses, going to town (Omak, Tonasket, Oroville) for grub and such. In Mom’s last years, Chris Colbert’s unwavering care allowed Mom to carry on for years even after several strokes. Son and wife (Reneé) took Peggy into their home where grandkids and great-grandkids could come visit, talk and play cards – mom liked to play pinochle the best! Mom needed more care and we moved her to North Valley Extended Care in Tonasket in April 2024.

Peggy was preceded in death by her brother, two sisters, nephew and both husbands. Mom leaves her three children, Brenda Hand (Wenatchee), Debora and Pat McHale (Vancouver Washington) and Ron and Renée Howell (Wenatchee); niece, Sandra O’ Brien McManus (Sealte); nine grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren.

Her ready smile, wicked sense of humor and infectious laugh will be missed.

We miss you, Mom. Love you. Good Journey.

Bergh Funeral Service & Crematory is in care of arrangements.