Obituary of Peggy Lee Harlan

Peggy Lee Wells Harlan was born on October 25, 1948, in Payette, Idaho, to Lyle and Helen Wells, the youngest of three daughters. She passed away peacefully at her Boise home on May 17, 2021, surrounded by family.  Peggy enjoyed growing up in the small town of Payette and had a happy childhood.  She loved clothes and fondly recalled getting a new outfit, complete with hat, gloves, shoes and purse, every Easter. She delighted in exploring her neighborhood, playing in her playhouse, and spending time with her grandmother who lived nearby. 

Peggy graduated from Payette High School in 1966.  She married Steve Cole that year and their son, Sean, was born in 1967.  After graduating from BSU in 1971, she taught elementary school and later worked for an educational publisher as a sales representative and consultant. 

Peggy had a great sense of fashion and created her own unique style.  She loved vintage clothing, beautiful jewelry, especially her mother’s diamond ring, and had a special weakness for shoes.  One of her great pleasures was dressing up and going out on the town with her husband Dan.  With her adorable figure and gorgeous long blond hair, she was a standout wherever she went.

Peg and Dan liked to travel, with Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, their favorite annual destination.  They went to Europe and recently visited Egypt where they cruised down the Nile to view the pyramids.  They also enjoyed many motorcycle trips to Glacier National Park, Redfish Lake, and other locales in the northwest.

Throughout her life Peggy enjoyed summers at the family cabin on Payette Lake.  When younger she spent hours at the beach and on the lake in the family ski boat.  As an adult, the cabin was the summer home for she and Dan as well as her sisters and their husbands. She loved decorating the cabin’s porch with beautiful flowers and adored watching hummingbirds flock to her feeder. Peggy and Dan relished taking their boat to a special cove where they played backgammon and watched the osprey feeding their babies.  Peggy loved strolling through Charlie’s Garden, admiring the beautiful flowers, fountains, and ponds. Another favorite activity was picking huckleberries and making huckleberry jam and cobbler.  A special time each day was cocktail hour when she gathered with family and friends for snacks, drinks, and conversation.

Peggy was always warm and welcoming to family, friends and whomever she met along the way.  She liked engaging with people and learning about their lives. She and Dan loved to entertain and were gracious hosts.  Family was very important to her and she looked forward to summer visits at the cabin by her son, Sean, his wife Chimena and their families. In recent years she initiated and organized special trips with her sisters to Sun Valley and Las Vegas. She was a true and loyal friend and maintained many lifelong friendships.  An annual special visitor at the cabin was her dear friend Melanie whom she had known since grade school.  They spent hours sunning on the dock, picking huckleberries, visiting thrift shops for treasures, and viewing the lake from the deck at Shore Lodge. Peggy recently took up mahjong and enjoyed playing with her friend Judy and their group in Boise.  She was active in Boise Chapter AQ of P.E.O.  Throughout her life she embraced a strong spiritual connection to the Christian Science church.  Peggy was an extraordinary person who lived life on her own terms.  She touched many lives and will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her.

Peggy is survived by her husband Dan,  son Sean Cole (Chimena), stepdaughter, Tenille Harlan, grandson Alex  Cole (Krista),  great grandchildren, Aiden and Koen Cole, step-granddaughter Aubrey Cortez (Michael), step-greatgrandchildren Ashlynn and Elizabeth Cortez,  and sisters Gerry Wilson  (Jim)  and Susan Mather (Bob), along with cousins and many nieces, nephews.

A celebration of life will be scheduled for a later date.