Grace Nettie Shoemaker

Grace Nettie (McClannahan) Shoemaker was born on December 19, 1923 at home in South Dixon Township to Samuel and Myrtle McClannahan. Grace passed away on December 12, 2024, at Serenity Hospice & Home in Oregon, IL. She married Orville Eugene "Gene" Shoemaker, Sr., on October 7, 1939.
In her younger years, she took in neighbors' laundry and ironing as well as doing wall papering for neighbors' homes. She gave home permanents and cut hair as well. Grace loved to sew - often doing mending and sewing for neighbors and friends. She also made shirts for her kids and dresses and curtains for herself and others. Grace handmade quilts for her family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Grace also enjoyed knitting, crocheting and needlework. She passed her love of how to do these crafts down to younger generations by teaching some of her family how to do these things as well.
Grace played the piano, organ, guitar and mandolin and would play and sing with her sister, Cecile Jones; brother- in-law, Art Shoemaker; and sister-in-law, Mary Stouffer.
Grace was a 50+ life member of the Dixon Moose Lodge.
Grace worked at the old Lee County Nursing home for a number of years while also taking care of her mother and father until they passed. She worked at the Dixon State School, which, in turn, became the Dixon Developmental Center and later became the Jack Mabley Center, from where she retired after 15 years as a mental health tech. Following her retirement at the Jack Mabley Center, she was asked by the administrator of the facility to return and do the sewing and mending for the center. She worked until she had problems seeing well enough to thread the needles. Grace later worked for the Viking Sewing Shop and also for the Dixon Telegraph.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Orville E. "Gene" Shoemaker, Sr., on April 15, 1973; her son, John F. Shoemaker of Warner Robins, GA, on May 26, 2019; her parents, Samuel and Myrtle Howard (Kalebaugh) McClannahan; siblings, Marian (Clifford) Johnson, Cecile (Russ) Jones, Edward J. Kalebaugh, Orville (Grace) Kalebaugh, John (Dode) McClannahan, Lucille (LeRoy) Kreger, Herbert (Lucy) McClannahan and Betty Jean McClannahan.
Survivors include sons, Orville (Sharon) Shoemaker, Jr., of Dixon, and Gary (Debbie) Shoemaker, of Dixon; daughter-in-law, Ann Shoemaker of Warner Robins, GA; grandchildren, Wendy (Steven) Miller, Michael (Sandra) Shoemaker, Jeffery (Amy) Shoemaker, David (Becky) Shoemaker, Doug (Angie) Shoemaker, Stacy (Dustin) Kness, Shelia (Lee) Gainous, and Keith Shoemaker; 16 great-grandchildren; 28 great-great-grandchildren; one great-great-great-grandchild; sister-in-law, Ruth Anderson; and brother-in-law, Paul Stouffer.
A Visitation will be held from 9:00 am until the time of the Funeral Service at 11:00 am on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at Preston-Schilling Funeral Home in Dixon, with Rev. John Kalebaugh, of the Refuge Church in Amboy, officiating. Burial will be to follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Dixon.
Memorials may be directed to Serenity Hospice & Home in Oregon, IL.
Arrangements were completed by Preston-Schilling Funeral Home in Dixon.
Condolences may be sent to www.prestonschilling.com. To send flowers to the family of Grace, please visit our floral store.