Peggy Rea, who cheerfully and memorably played dozens of TV "character roles" where she was called by endearing nicknames like "Angel Food Cake," died Saturday at her home in Toluca Lake, Calif., of congestive heart failure.

She was 89 and known to a wide range of television fans from her roles as Cousin Lulu on "The Dukes of Hazzard," Rose Burton on "The Waltons," Ivy Baker on "Step By Step," Jean Kelly in "Grace Under Fire" and Cousin Bertha on "All in the Family."

She also acted in several movies, including "Grumpy Old Men" and "In Country," and she played Eunice Hubbell for two and a half years in a touring production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" that starred Anthony Quinn.

While Rea's television career didn't really take off until she was in her 40s and she never graduated to lead roles, she had a talent for giving strong personality to supporting characters.

On "The Dukes of Hazzard," Cousin Lulu Hogg was the "good" member of the scurrilous Boss Hogg family.

She stood up to Boss, agitated for women's rights in Hazzard County and recognized that Bo and Luke Duke, Boss's perennial nemeses, were much better people than Boss was.

Still, Boss was family, so she and Boss cared for each other. They also shared a robust appetite, which is how he came to refer to her by warm endearments like "Angel Food Cake," "Marshmallow" and "Chick-a-Bit."

Born in Los Angeles, Rea started in show business as a secretary at CBS radio.

She got to know the writers for Lucille Ball's show and quit to try theatrical acting. She played in the Cole Porter musical "Out of This World" on Broadway before joining the "Streetcar" tour.

She returned to Hollywood in 1953 and played several different characters on "I Love Lucy," which was by now a TV show.

One of her roles, as a bridge partner for Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance, popped up again 45 years later when she played the bridge partner in the 1998 Lucy reunion" show.

Her early TV work also included roles on Phil Silvers's "Sergeant Bilko," and the rest of her resume reads like a history of the first 50 years of television, from "Gidget" through "The Golden Girls." She was a member of Red Skelton's troupe in the 1960s.

Jim Beaver, who appeared with Rea in "In Country," called her "a dear lady" and "a real sweetheart."

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Since when was she "Cousin" Lulu?

RIP--enjoyed her on the Dukes.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

89, not too shabby. Nice long life. 70 would be a miracle for myself.
She seemed like a good lady. R.I.P. Peggy

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"