Lelia (Whisenand) Place

Lelia (Whisenand) Place, 99, of Compton, passed away Saturday, November 11, 2017, at Serenity Hospice and Home in Oregon. Lelia was born October 8, 1918 in Brooklyn, Missouri, the daughter of Henry and Pearl (Helms) Whisenand. She graduated from Dixon High School in 1937. She married Charles Place May 20, 1938 in Dixon, IL.

Lelia grew up during the Depression and learned a sense of hard-work early on. To her younger siblings, she was a motherly figure. After her marriage to Charles, she became his partner in farming. She tended to the garden, raised her own livestock, drove the tractor, and did just about anything else the farm required. She and her husband enjoyed attending farm sales together as well as traveling, having taken many trips through the years.

After Charles’ death, she worked at Clayton’s Floral in Dixon for many years. Lelia was a member of the Church of the Brethren in Dixon but also attended the Paw Paw United Methodist Church and Reynolds Methodist Church in Ashton. She was also a member of the Lee County Home Extension as well as the Hobby Club, which would meet at the homes of the members. Lelia volunteered at the Shabbona Nursing Home in the crafts and activities department. She was very community minded, volunteering her time and skills (baking and cooking) to benefit others. She enjoyed painting and crafting. She had a vast collection of rocks, minerals, agates, and even seashells. This was a testament to her love of nature and ability to find beauty wherever she went. Lelia always made time for her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She took pride in passing on the skills she had learned to them.

Lelia is survived by her children, Norma Davis of Mt. Horeb, WI and Nancy (Richard) Eggers of Paw Paw, IL; nine grandchildren, Holly Feuling of Platteville, WI, Heather Hansen of Madison, WI, Kristine Meadows of St. Charles, IL, Michelle (John) Hilleson of Lee, IL, Kevin (Michelle) Eggers of Indianapolis, IN, Jason Eggers of Glen Ellyn, IL, Sue (Robert) Bertenshaw of Puyallup, WA, Anthony (Theresa) Eggers of Grimes, IA, and Justin (Rachel) Eggers of Hinckley, IL; twenty-seven great-grandchildren; two brothers, Lawrence (Donna) Whisenand of Atlanta, GA and Ralph Whisenand of Amboy, IL; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Lelia is preceded in death by her husband, Charles; a grandson, Jason Davis; and five siblings, Raymond Whisenand, Henry Whisenand Jr., Eloise Radke, Jewel Wakely, and Robert Whisenand.

Visitation for Lelia will be from 3-7 P.M. Sunday, November 19, 2017, at Torman Funeral Home, 510 Flagg St. in Paw Paw.

A funeral service will be held at 11 A.M. Monday, November 20, 2017 at Reynolds United Methodist Church, 2496 Reynolds Rd, in Ashton, IL with Pastor Seamus Enright officiating. Additional visitation will be from 10-11 A.M. at the church. Interment will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Dixon.

Contributions in Lelia’s memory may be directed to Serenity Hospice and Home in Oregon.

Please visit www.TormanFuneralHome.com to sign the online guest book.