Peggy Gerstenberg

After a hard fought battle with cancer, Peggy P. Gerstenberg passed away on August 20, 2022. A funeral service for Peggy will be at Cook Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home on Thursday August 25th at 11:00 am.

Peggy Powell Gerstenberg was born on October 26, 1940, in Oconee County, South Carolina to Dewey and Sue Powell. She was the second of three children. Peggy lived in Oconee County during the early years of her life, and attended elementary and high school in Oconee County. She had many aunts and uncles in the general area of South Carolina. Dewey was an independent automobile mechanic and Sue was a mill worker. It was said that her dad kept her car tuned well enough to outrun most other cars in the county (including the local law enforcement cars). Peggy joined the workforce early in life, not only to help the family with expenses but also to buy the clothes and cars that she liked.

After her education in the local area, since life was not productive or exciting enough, Peggy packed and moved to Dallas, Texas. She landed a job with a car rental company. Peggy worked her way up to be manager of five car rental locations in major Texas cities, including Houston and San Antonio besides Dallas and Fort Worth. After getting settled in, she invited her mother and younger sister to come live with her in Dallas.

A single man whom Peggy dated in those early Dallas days had two young daughters, Vicki and GiGi Hoskins. For a few years Peggy acted as their mother, influential in their upbringing long after their father’s death. Vicki and GiGi were to become lifelong friends of the family. In 1970, Peggy met Bob Gerstenberg and a romance began with marriage not far behind. Peggy and Bob had settled into a new residential area in Colleyville, Texas. At age 37, Peggy delivered her first born, Bobby, Jr., named after his dad. Another son, whom they named Barry, was born 14 months after Bobby.

In 1986 Peggy and Bob started their own commercial microfilming business named Precision Micrographics, in Austin, Texas. In 1999 they added a second segment to their document conversion services, Centex Com, Inc., involving computer output microfilm. Peggy kept all the books for both of these companies, plus managing production for Precision’s services. Centex Com had its own manager and was able to capture all of the commercial computer output microfilm business in Austin, plus holding contracted State of Texas business for 19 years. In 2001 a third segment involving electronic document conversion was added. The combined businesses were entitled Precision Micrographics and Imaging. Gradually microfilming usage diminished as customers changed to newer computer system and Centex was discontinued.

For 38 years now, the combined company has been operational in north Austin, with remarkable employee longevity (some for over 30 years). Peggy, you are largely responsible for these successes and we thank you for that.

As an example of how imaginative and resourceful Peggy was, when Bobby and Barry were three and four years old, Peggy enrolled them in swimming lessons. Since the swim teachers would not allow parents to be present during lessons, Peggy would leave as requested, but sneak back to the wooden fenced enclosure and find a knothole. Thus she could observe the boys’ progress. Peggy said she enjoyed being a stay at home mom until Bobby and Barry were second and third graders. During those early years, she became closely associated with their school activities, helping in classrooms and field trips. She volunteered weekly in the school office.

Being the smallest of the three sisters Peggy developed the attitude that most conversations or comments would lead to challenges. When Peggy formed her opinion on a subject she expressed herself in a most convincing and determined manner. Peggy loved traveling and water sports. She was happy with a fishing pole in her hand and especially when she was joined by her two sons. She enjoyed boating on several lakes and rivers in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Arizona. Years spent on Toledo Bend Lake in her Chris Craft Day Cruiser offered much to talk about. After settling down in Austin, most of the boat time was spent on the Colorado River and its Lakes.

Peggy was preceded in death by her father, mother, many aunts, uncles and cousins in South Carolina. She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Robert Gerstenberg, her sons Robert, Jr (Bobby) and Barry, her sisters Becky Gaillard (Gerald), as well as Brenda Broberg (Harlan). Two nephews and a niece and all of their children always came first in Peggy’s attention. She was a God-fearing person and tried to treat people fairly. She was devoted to both her parents and Bob’s parents. She was a member of the Baptist church, and lent support to many charities in the Austin area. Thank you, Peggy for all of the loving and caring years you gave us. You always saw to it that we had everything we needed on a daily basis. You worked hard to help your family feel comfortable, giving things to others while you did without. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation in her honor to your favorite charity.