Wanda Lou Brill

Wanda Lou Davidson Brill passed from this life on Saturday, October 11, 2025. Born August 31, 1932, to Albert and Christin Cockrum Davidson in her paternal grandparents bedroom about five miles southeast of Kirksville, Missouri. She was a birthing class study, at the cost of $5.00, for a group of students of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, which originated in Kirksville and still continues there. At age five, with parents and brother moving back to that country home with no inside bath, running water, and electricity only, but it was a wonderful home. After marriage at 17, our first apartment had electricity, a bath shared with four apartments, had wonderful running hot water, a bathtub, and central heat. Educated in grades 1-8 at Radical Ridge Country School, graduating from Kirksville Sr. High in 1949, and years later attended Gem City Business College in Quincy, Illinois, receiving the equivalent of an Associate Degree in Legal Sec. Certification. This education was used for the rest of her work life with the longest positions at Quincy College, Indiana State University, and Columbia House in Terre Haute, Indiana. Over 20 years at Motorola in Quincy, Illinois was her employer for the years of raising her family, but was sold in 1975 requiring further education. Wanda married Samuel J. Rhodes on November 6, 1949, and they raised their four children in Quincy, Illinois. After his passing of cancer, she married Joseph Martin Brill who relocated from Franklin Park, Illinois. Singing was always a joyful part of her life beginning with a group of Adair County Missouri country chorus of all the grade school 1-8th grades. Saturdays gathering at the Adair County Court House in a large court room, a wonderfully talented piano player and director before a group attended Saturday afternoon movie of the week. She once took a difficult piano piece from her to play through so she could understand the timing and work on playing it on her own at home. Always allowed to take lessons when, and as long as she wished, take a break and resume if and when she wanted. Piano was her friend, no pressure, just pleasure. Continuing much later in a folk group, Malachi, along with her older daughter. This group led by George Major and his wonderful guitar and arrangements. We lived in Quincy, Illinois at that time and we performed at many civic groups, festivals, and Christmas programs. Moving to Marshall, Illinois, she and her husband sang with the Trinity Methodist Church Choir. After the passing of her youngest daughter, Cynthia, they moved membership to Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, Terre Haute, Indiana, in 2005. Even though her children scattered as they followed their life plans, keeping in touch once a year at Thanksgiving wherever we currently made our home became a family reunion for all who could attend. How precious all those times were. Due to her husband not feeling well at the time of her 60th High School reunion in 2009, her daughter Terri who had moved to Terre Haute due to ill health agreed to accompany her on this four day journey. Such a wonderful time was shared spending two nights midway in Quincy with old friends and also family of her granddaughter Kara and her two children, Miranda and Elyza. Wanda was preceded in death by her parents; brother Rodney Davidson and his wife Nola, and their daughter Linda Martin; daughter-in-law Rosemary Rhodes and their unborn child; nephew Joseph Horwath; husband Samuel J. Rhodes in 1972; daughter Cynthia Karen Goode in 2005; daughter Terral Lynne Steele in 2010; most all of the Rhodes family contact was lost after 1972. Survived by her husband Joseph Martin Brill; son Steven Rhodes (Cathy of Carterville, Illinois; son Gregory Mark Rhodes (Donna) of Glen Ellyn, Illinois; daughter Misty LaVorgna (Richard) of Cape Coral, Florida; daughter Melissa Rhodes of Fort Myers, Florida; grandson William Rhodes (Lillie) of Northern Indiana; Kara Baker of Jefferson, Texas; 9 great-grandchildren; 8 great great-children; sisters-in-law Marion Horwath (Robert), Dolores Brill of Chicago, Illinois area; brother-in-law Art Brill of Paris, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews. Always eager to dine out, she loved her family with all her heart, cherished her home, and loved her yard and flowers as long as she could care for them. The most deeply held joy was helping serve funeral meals with the team at our church, counting that as the most sacred offering to those families and our Lord. When health would no longer allow that service, it was such a loss to her life. She and Joe counted it our hobby to search for the best bargain buys for 14th and Chestnut Food Bank of the week, Samaritans Purse boxes sent around the world, Happiness House, Virgina, and homeless and other programs that came into being. Loving to take part in Life Group, Sunday School, once being a member of Mothers With Broken Hearts and Compassionate Friends after the loss of her daughters, sharing with counterparts of this group. As cremation has been chosen, a memorial is planned at Mount Pleasant Church on Saturday, November 15, 2025 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Service is to begin at 1:00 p.m., officiated by Pastor Dennis Ticen, Pastor Rick Swan, and Pastor Aaron Wheaton. At this time, friends and family are invited to gather and to visit and share a special memory. As your gift to her memory, please pay it forward with a simple act of kindness. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Wanda Lou (Davidson) Brill, please visit our floral store.