Obituary of Neva Belle Peacock
Please share a memory of Neva to include in a keepsake book for family and friends.
Neva Belle Peacock
June 16, 1932 - January 24, 2021
With heartfelt love and sadness, we announce the passing of our dear mother, friend, and inspiration, Neva Belle Peacock, on January 24, 2021, peacefully in the comfort of her home with family by her side. She was in her 88th year.
Born on June 16, 1932, in Alfalfa County near Boltry, Oklahoma, to Jacob and Ruth Wedel and raised in a Mennonite tradition on a rural farm with her five siblings. This strong foundational upbringing instilled in her a lifelong love and dedication for her Christian faith. The Wedel family relocated to Enid, Oklahoma, where Neva attended high school, graduating from Enid High in 1950. Upon completion, she launched her life journey, forging ahead determined in her petite spitfire fashion, landing her first job with the Champlain Oil Company working as an administrative assistant.
During this same time, she met and fell in love with her future husband, Keith Peacock. A proud member of the military stationed at Vance Air Force Base during the Korean war. Keith was also the star pitcher for the Vance baseball team, where Neva and her friends would regularly and happily attend the games. This love and joy for the sport continued long into her life. After a courtship, Keith and Neva married, and her journey continued when they moved to California, landing in Glendale where their first child Mark Charles was born. A relocation to Mission Hills, California, continued with her family creation, followed by son Derrick Stephen, sister Dawn Ruth, and son Shawn Eric.
Neva was the rock of the family; she worked hard most of her life in her chosen field as a legal secretary, starting her own independent secretarial business. She was quite proud of helping many local attorneys with in-demand legal secretarial work. She always was bringing in a steady paycheck while her husband Keith was the dreamer of the family. He did many jobs while attending various higher education schools, with Neva supporting him in various pursuits. The Peacock Cafe restaurant in Silver Lake and the family horse venture, breeding and training Arabian horses are just a couple of examples of the eclectic fabric woven in the Peacock household and held together by Neva. She happily and fully gave herself in all of these various family pursuits while being the firm hand on the wheel of her very own steadfast business venture, creating a stable constant of dependence for her family. She also supported her husband Keith when he decided to go to seminary school and later become a minister for a short time. Her number one priority was always her family, and the unconditional love she gave set an excellent example of a caring mother and devoted wife. Not to mention her enduring love for animals, most recently her cats, Scavenger, the neighborhood vagabond, Tiffany, Speckles, and Snoopy, who miss her presence dearly.
Neva's love for another sport, basketball, started when she was relatively young, playing for her church league, which cultivated into being a true avid sports fan for her entire life. She loved to watch her favorite local teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dodgers, plus never missed an Oklahoma Sooner football game. She was an astute reader enjoying the daily newspaper and the various books and magazines she had an affinity for collecting.
After Neva's husband Keith passed in 1997, she continued working her secretarial business for several more years until a much-deserved retirement when she enjoyed traveling and making some cross country road trips with her daughter Dawn. Revisiting her sweet Oklahoma, she also enjoyed attending her Enid High School reunions, which brought her much happiness in reacquainting herself with her old friends. Neva was also very close to her four brothers Ed, Ray, Marvie, Rodger, and sister Deloris. She enjoyed communicating with them regularly, whether it be a phone call across the miles or a handwritten letter.
Neva possessed a deep faith, being very socially active in her church, nurturing many friendships she was close to throughout her life. If any of her friends had moved away, the same heartfelt gesture for staying connected through talks and written composition continued over the years. A kind and giving woman throughout her life, it was this outstanding quality that endeared her to her family and friends. Neva lived her life by the Golden Rule. By this creed, Neva and her husband Keith raised and set an unforgettable example for their children to follow in their own lives.
Neva is preceded by her parents Jacob and Ruth Wedel, her brothers Edwin and Ray Wedel, and her husband, Keith Peacock and survived by her brothers Marvie and Roger Wedel and sister Deloris Wedel Fouquet, children, Mark Peacock, Derrick Peacock, Dawn (Peacock) Ziegler, and Shawn Peacock plus her grandchildren, Jonathan and Heidi Ziegler, Amy Peacock, Abigail Peacock Woodford, and Michael Peacock.
Family and friends of Neva will sadly miss her, and her legacy will be carried forth by the people who knew her best for years to come. Rest in Peace, our dear Neva Belle.
A Private Graveside Service with immediate family will be at
Oakwood Memorial Park and Cemetary
22601 Lassen St, Chatsworth, CA 91311 (818) 341-0344
Date: February 17, 2021
Time: 1 PM
Officiating: Reverend James Cliffe
Instead of flowers, donations in honor of Neva can be
made to the Alzheimer's Foundation or Grace to You
Share Your Memory of
Neva