Ilene Marie Coffeen

Ilene M. Coffeen, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on July 11, 2025. She was 82 years old.

Ilene was born on June 13, 1943, in Whitehall, Wisconsin, to Edgar and Ila (Linberg) Nelson. She grew up on a farm in Peterson Coulee and attended Blair Public Schools. Driven by a passion for education, she obtained a degree in Elementary Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

From 1964 to 1966, Ilene served in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, an experience that shaped her lifelong commitment to service and cross-cultural understanding.

Ilene raised her daughters in Wisconsin and Kentucky. She spent over 40 years calling Steven Point, Wisconsin, her home. Ilene stayed active in the community as a Girl Scout troop leader and school volunteer. When her daughters were older, Ilene decided to return to work as a school librarian. In 1988, she began working as an Instructional Media Specialist at Weston Elementary School in the D.C. Everest School District. Her love for learning and kind spirit touched the lives of countless students and colleagues until her retirement in 2010. Ilene commuted to Weston with her colleagues and confidants Judi, Sally and Dorothy.

Ilene will be remembered for her gentle strength, her love of gardening and reading, and especially for the joy she found in spending time with her grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her stepmother, Ruth Nelson; her siblings and their spouses Phillip Nelson, James (Diane) Young, Jon Young, Carol (Harry) Rutherford and Debra Nelson; sister-in-law Barbara Nelson and former husband Kenneth Coffeen.

Ilene is survived by her three daughters: Yolanda (Ken) Lloyd, Kristina (Bill) Throckmorton, and Laurel (Ben) Faga; and her grandchildren: Alicia and Gavin (Sydney) Lloyd; Celeste and Sam Throckmorton; and Sophie, Warren, Daphne, and Miles Faga. She is also survived by her siblings Eugene Nelson, Dennis (Linda) Young, Nancy White, Darrel (Cathy) Nelson, Ramona (Elias) Quintanilla, and Renee (Victor) Morales, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

A memorial service celebrating Ilene's life will be held at a later date, to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Ilene's memory to a literacy foundation like Reading is Fundamental, Room to Read or a local school's reading program.