Margaret (Peg) Riffel

Margaret (Peg) Bouchard Riffel passed to the Father’s open arms on December 25, 2024. She was 94 years old.

Peg resided in Ann Arbor, Michigan and previously resided in Saginaw and Alpena, Michigan.

She attended St. Joseph Academy in Adrian for high school. After high school, she attended classes at Siena Heights and St. Lawrence Nursing School. In 1951, she married her high school sweetheart, Charles. She was preceded in death by her parents, Euthrope and Margaret Bouchard, her loving husband Bruce Riffel, her sister, Aileen Jarema and her two great-granddaughters, Hailey and Isabella Shaw.

Peg has three daughters - Kathy (Richard) Genthe, Colleen (Tom) Rabaut and Mary Elaine Riffel. She was blessed with nine grandchildren – Amy (Matt) Brenner, Bruce (Angie) Genthe, Emily (Kevin) May, Katie (Lucas) Shaw, Ryan Genthe, Andrew (Liz) Genthe, Anna (Cory) Schroeder, Paul (Lindsey) Rabaut and John (Sara) Rabaut; 30 great-grandchildren – Carter, Blake, Michael, Carson, Riley, Mason, Emma, Maddie, Nolan, Jack, Harper, Aliza, Liam, Wyatt, Townes, Eli, Madison, Brendan, Kennedy, William, Grayson, Scarlet, Joshua, Jacob, Aiden, Davis, and many nieces and nephews as well as many others who called her “Mom”or “Grandma Peg”.

She was a member of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Saint Stephen’s in Saginaw and St. Bernard’s in Alpena and an active member of the Catholic Family Movement. There always was a prayer meeting at her home and later on, she would host Youth Bible Studies, letting the youth lead the study. Her home was always filled with youth hungering to know more about the Lord.

As her family grew with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she dedicated her life in praying and always being there for them.

Peg always was first a wife and a mother. Her other career was in clothing. She was a Buyer and Manager for a clothing boutique, “Country Cousin” in Alpena. She was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, Cursillo, the Alexis House in Saginaw, the Charismatic Renewal in Alpena and the Word of God in Ann Arbor. Her Catholic faith has always been her foundation. She loved EWTN and would not miss mass in the morning, the Divine Mercy and the daily Rosary. Everyone knew not to call between 3:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M.

Always hungering for where the Lord wanted her to walk, throughout her life, Peg was always giving and looking out and helping the less fortunate. She was always sending meals and food to everyone and many gifts and sharing all she had to give.

Before a grandchild or great-grandchild would leave, she would give them a blessing and ask, “Who are you?” The answer would be loud and very clear, “I am a temple of the Holy Spirit”. One of her other sayings was, “let’s go have fun with the Holy Spirit.”

Peg was a woman of great faith and raised her daughters to have a personal relationship with Jesus. She touched many other lives in her walk with the Lord. You were blessed to have her a part of your life. 

The celebration of her amazing and Holy Spirit-filled life will begin with visitation at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main Street, Plymouth, Michigan on Friday, December 27, 2024 from 3:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. There will be a Rosary Service at 7:00 P.M. to be led by her family.

Visitation will continue on Saturday, December 28, 2024 beginning at 9:30 A.M. until the time of the Funeral Mass beginning at 10:00 A.M. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 47650 North Territorial Road, Plymouth, Michigan.

Those who wish to honor the memory of Margaret (Peg) Bouchard Riffel are invited to consider a contribution to: Acts XXIX, 38695 Seven Mile Road, Suite 110, Livonia, Michigan 48152 Attn: Donations or contributions may be made online at: Acts XXIX