Shirley Maxine McCormick (91) of Stewardson

Shirley Maxine McCormick, 91, of Stewardson IL, passed away at 1:30 am Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 at the Lakeland Nursing Home in Effingham IL.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thurs. Jan. 21, at the United Methodist Church in Stewardson, with the Rev. Kathy Lewis officiating. Burial will be in Stewardson Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wed. at Lockart-Green Funeral Home, Stewardson. Memorials may be made to the United Methodist Church.

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Shirley was born Aug 2, 1924 in Mattoon IL, the daughter of Enos Lowal and Beulah Dayle (Crandall) Ragon. She was preceded in death by her husband (Arlyn Willis McCormick), son (Daryl Gene McCormick), brother (Lowal Duyane Ragon), sister (Dona Jean Coy), and son-in-law (Jim Clapp, Jr.). Shirley’s family moved around frequently as a child, living in Sikeston and Oran MO, Dearborn and Pontiac MI, along with Mattoon, Trilla, Neoga, Decatur and Toledo IL. Shirley married the love of her life in 1945 at Sikeston, MO. After Arlyn returned from the war, they stayed briefly in Shumway but finally settled on a farm outside Stewardson. Shirley informed Arlyn that it would be the last home she would live in; and it was - for almost 65 years. Shirley had a great many interests, including horses, quilting, playing cards, square dancing, playing piano and singing. She enjoyed many winters at the RV park under the warm Florida sun. She loved to travel and spent many vacations pulling a camper across the U.S. She was a farmer, a Sunday School teacher, a school bus driver, a member and leader in the United Methodist Women, a Stanley Home Products salesman, a machinist at Caterpillar, and a riveter at General Motors, to name just a few. Most of all, Shirley never knew a stranger. She loved to tell tales of her childhood.  She enjoyed sharing family history.  She was proud of her family.  She was a social butterfly, and always wanted to have a good time. She had an unwavering faith and confidence in God.  She packed a full life into 91 years and will be missed by many.

Shirley is survived by her daughter Dayla (John) Gentry, of Neoga, IL; 5 grandchildren: Clint (Jodi) McCormick of Stewardson, IL; Kimberly Clapp of Champaign, IL;  Audra (Reggie) Eisenhauer of Midlothian, TX; Daryn (Lisa) Clapp of Mattoon, IL; and Mark McCormick of Corpus Christi, Texas; and 6 great-grandchildren : Trista, Shelby, Kyle and Reagan McCormick, Miles and Mitchell Clapp.