Lillian Korous

Lillian Korous
Jacksonville - Lillian Ruth Korous, nee Gischke, passed away on October 22, 2025, at her home.
She was born in Chicago on May, 19, 1939 to Walter Paul Gischke and Marta Emma (Exner) Gischke, naturalized United States citizens from Germany. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband James George Korous, Jr, and sister, Dorothy Ingrid Gischke, who died at age 12 in 1942.
Surviving is one son, James Walter Korous (Frances) and grandsons Andrew, Nicholas and Lucas Korous and one daughter Jill Susan Kording (Brian) and grandsons Gabriel (Kaitlin) and Jakob (Devon Sherwood) Kording.
Lillian graduated as Salutatorian from Carl Schurz high school in Chicago in 1956. She attended MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, and graduated Cum Laude in 1960.
She was granted a four-year Cartwright Scholarship while at MacMurray, and majored in Chemistry. After graduation, she held a job as chemist at UOP. Inc, in McCook and Des Plaines, Illinois, for all of her working years. She took some time off to concentrate on her family, but returned to UOP as time and circumstances permitted. She and her husband Jim took early retirement in 1993 and moved from their family home of 27 years in Downers Grove, Illinois, to a lake home near Pana, Illinois. It was then that Lillian concentrated on fine art, a love since her early years of drawing as a child. She entered many art contests while living in Pana, and had three art shows while living again in Jacksonville, Illinois in her later years. She taught art at the Jacksonville Senior Center and at Knollwood Assisted Living Center in Jacksonville. She was an active member of Faith ELCA Lutheran Church in Jacksonville. She was a literacy tutor, an avid gardener, an Illinois Money Management Volunteer for Prairie Council on Aging, an advocate of life-long learning and loved new information, current events, and reading. Above all Lillian's family was her life, and they will dearly miss her presence.
A visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Williamson Funeral Home in Jacksonville. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Faith Lutheran Church in Jacksonville. Burial will take place at Irving Park Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 1, 2025. A small visitation for family and friends near Chicago will be held at Rago Brothers Funeral Home from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 1, 2025, located at 7751 Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60634. Williamson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be left online at www.airsman-hires.com.