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Jane Eileen
Manthe Knepler
KEWANEE - Jane Eileen Manthe Knepler, 93, of Kewanee, formerly of New Berlin, passed away Sunday, August 18, 2013.
A Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Thursday, August 22, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Kewanee. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services at the church. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in New Berlin, Ill., at 2 p.m., Thursday. Memorials may be directed to St. Mary's Catholic Church in New Berlin. Rux Funeral Home in Kewanee is in charge of arrangements.
She was born September 8, 1919, in Essex Twp., Stark County, Ill., the only child of Fredrick Herbert and Jennie Lorrene (Atkinson) Manthe. Jane was reared in Elmira and graduated from Kewanee High School as Salutatorian in 1936. She attended Illinois State Normal University in 1936-37 and taught in various rural schools including Sangamon County. In 1960 Jane received her BS in Education from Illinois State University in Normal and received her MS in Geography from ISU in 1964.
Jane married John Raymond Knepler on December 13, 1941, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lawton, OK. They both retired from the Rockford school system in 1975 and John preceded her in death on May 27, 1980.
She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Kewanee and its Altar and Rosary Society. She was a lifetime member of the Kewanee Historical Society, Stark County Historical Society, the Henry and Stark County Genealogical Societies, the Illinois Geographical Society and a member of the Henry/Stark County Retired Teachers Association. She loved to travel and was proud to have stepped foot on all seven continents.
Jane is survived by cousins, Helen (Richter) Freeburg and Phyllis (Richter) Elliott, both of Kewanee, Adelia (Peters) McRell of Hillsdale, Ill., Elma (Peters) Wooley of Lynn Center, Ill., Frances (Peters) Craine of Geneseo, Freda (Peters) Dorris of Orion, Ill., and Anna (Peters) Vincent of Cambridge, as well as friends, Larry and Sharon Perkins and family and the Matrons of the Whiting Home, Carolee, Carole, Darlene, Shirley, Ruth and Bonnie. This obituary may be viewed and private condolences left at www.ruxfuneralhome.com.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
2 Entries
Jo Ann Knepler-Adcock
August 20, 2013
I was in 2nd grade at the old Boylan School in South Rome, IL in 1947-48 &she was our teacher. It was a 1 room school located where the sign for Caterpillar's Mossville plant is located. She was a great lady n taught us well. May God bless n keep her inHiscare! Sharon Huett Richmond
Sharon Huett Richmond
August 20, 2013
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