Having an estate plan in place provides an opportunity to preserve your legacy and use your finances to make a lasting impact on others. And that’s exactly what Mary Elizabeth Peck planned for as her estate made a very generous donation to Farmer Veteran Coalition earlier this year.
Mary Elizabeth Peck—or M.E. to all who knew her—passed away on March 21, 2019. She was a lifelong resident of Roxbury, Connecticut, and had a very successful 27-year career at the UCONN Health Center where she started as a pathology tech and retired as head of the laboratory.
Mary was also the daughter of Esther (Voytershark) and Staff Sgt. John MacCallum, a B-17 waist gunner assigned to the 525th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. John flew 11 combat missions on the ‘Tenny Belle’ during World War II and left for the war before Mary was born. Unfortunately, on his 11th combat mission, John was killed in action on April 11, 1944, along with nine others on board the ‘Tenny Belle’, when they crash-landed while returning from a bombing mission to Sorau, Germany.
According to Mary’s obituary, her uncles, Bud and Timer, owned and operated a dairy farm in Roxbury, CT, where she spent a great deal of time helping out. And Mary was dedicated to her home and garden and was very proud of the numerous ribbons she won at the Bridgewater Fair for her vegetables and preserves.
We are honored to receive this generous donation from Mary Elizabeth Peck and are proud to carry her family’s legacy of service which will live on through our farmer veterans.
To read Mary Elizabeth Peck’s obituary, click here. And to learn more about Staff Sgt. John MacCallum, click here.
If you’re interested in making a planned donation, please contact us at support@farmvetco.org.
