Peggy Castleberry, co-owner of Castleberry’s Hilltop C Charolais in Ninnekah, was recognized recently as the “CattleWoman of the Year.”
Castleberry has been a member of Oklahoma CattleWomen for many years, served two terms as an OCW Southwest District director, and was Vice President of Education for two years, in 2021-23. During her time in that role, Castleberry worked with Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom to provide ag resource kits and ag appropriate books to classrooms across the state.
Due to her leaderships, OCW also has hosted an annual Read a Book Week, where CattleWomen read agricultural books in classrooms throughout the state. Castleberry has also been a longtime member of the Grady County CattleWomen, where she has held several leadership positions, including president.
“Peggy has a heart on fire for educating consumers young and old about beef,” Oklahoma CattleWomen stated on their Facebook page. “During her term as OCW Vice President of Education, Peggy nourished a strong relationship with OK Ag In the Classroom” and coordinated distribution of more than 100 packets of educational materials about beef to Oklahoma classrooms.
The first year OCW provided educational material to pre-kindergarten and first-grade classes, Castleberry said. “This year we covered second and third grades.”
As VP of education, Castleberry “put in the effort,” said Cheyenne Sparks, immediate president of Oklahoma CattleWomen. “She led the charge of education for OCW. She made sure that we had our ag books, she coordinated with Ag in the Classroom, and she was there for everything.”
“I like to work behind the scenes, not out front,” Mrs. Castleberry told Southwest Ledger.
She is a Ninnekah native. “I was born and raised on the north side of the Little Washita, then married and moved to the south side of the Little Washita,” she quipped.
She was employed with the state Department of Human Services in nearby Chickasha as a social worker for 16.5 years, then spent 31 years with Canadian Valley Technical Center as a special needs counselor before retiring in 2017.
Through it all Peggy has helped husband Kirk Castleberry on their ranch. “We grew up together,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for 53 years. And raised two kids.”
The couple has survived a tough 12 months. Kirk had surgery on his back last July and didn’t receive a doctor’s release until this January. Two days later Peggy was severely injured.
“I stayed home from church to help Kirk. I was handling a cow and he had a calf. We decided to take a break, so I started across the pasture – and passed out. I don’t remember a thing about it.” Her neck was broken, and her spinal cord was injured. “I jammed it pretty good,” she said.
Peggy was examined by specialists, but they could find no definitive cause for her blackout, she said. However, she was advised to stop taking some blood-pressure meds “and I haven’t had any trouble since then.”
She wore a neck brace for several weeks and is scheduled for surgery on her neck later this month; sometime later, surgery will be performed on her back, too.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Castleberry is reduced to watching from the sidelines while others perform chores she’s accustomed to doing. What seems to distress her most, though, is that “I can’t ride a horse anymore.” Doctors told her that in her condition, if she fell from a horse she probably would be paralyzed or killed.
Nevertheless, Peggy Castleberry remains upbeat. “I thank the Lord I’m alive. I count my blessings every day.”