Louise Joanne (Pierre) Connell (1933-2017)

CONNELL, PIERRE, OERKWITZ, JACOB, WILEY, FREY, MORRISETT, MCKINNEY

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 1/6/2018 at 11:02:34

Obituary from The News-Gazzette, Champaign, Illinois.

Louise Joanne Connell of rural Seymour died Sunday (Dec. 3, 2017) at Arbor Rose in Monticello, with her family at her side after an eight-year battle with Alzheimer's.

Louise was born on March 10, 1933, in Morgantown, W.Va., to William H. and Alice (Oerkwitz) Pierre. She graduated from Ames High School in Ames, Iowa. She attended the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., and graduated with a degree in applied art and design.

On Aug. 2, 1954, she married Richard Connell in Ames, Iowa. She and Rich moved back to the family farm in Storm Lake, Iowa. As a city girl, each day on the farm was a new adventure for Louise. After a midnight fire destroyed the dairy operation, the family moved to Earlville and then Bloomington.

Louise was a wonderful homemaker and loved taking care of her family and her home. She was a talented seamstress, making many of the children's clothes and even making daughter Katie's wedding dress.

Gardening was her passion. She had a large vegetable garden as well as beautiful flower gardens. She also enjoyed cooking, reading, quilting, refinishing furniture and decorating.

She is survived by her husband, Richard; two daughters, Laurie Jacob of Urbana and Katie (Wendell) Wiley of Lafayette, Ind.; three grandchildren, Erin (Nick) Frey, Ben (Julia) Wiley and Andrew Jacob; two great-grandchildren, Micaiah and Lilia Frey; and two sisters, Mary (Lloyd) Morrisett and Nancy McKinney.

She was preceded in death by a son, Scott Connell; a son-in-law, Jeff Jacob; and her parents.

Visitation will be at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 501 W. State St. in Mahomet, from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. Funeral services will be at the church at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, with the Rev. Joseph Hogan officiating.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be made to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, P.O. Box 109, Mahomet, IL 61853, or the Mahomet Helping Hands, P.O. Box 254, Mahomet, IL 61853.