Eleanor Means (83) of Effingham
Published on September 28 2020 8:54 am
Eleanor L. Means, 83, of Effingham, IL, passed away on Sunday, September 27, 2020 at Heartland Senior Living in Neoga, IL after an extended illness.
Private family funeral services will be held on Thursday, October 1, 2020 at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. There will be no public visitation due to health concerns. Burial will be in Arborcrest Memorial Park in Effingham.
Memorials may be made to Shumway United Methodist Church, Chrisman United Methodist Church, or donor’s choice. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here.
Eleanor was born on July 6, 1937, in Effingham County, IL, the first child of Carl and Hellen Webb. She attended Effingham schools and then earned graduate and postgraduate degrees from Eastern Illinois University. She taught elementary grade school for 44 years before retiring. Most of those years were in Chrisman, Illinois, but she also taught at East Side School in Effingham during the early 1960s.
As a lifetime educator, she developed lasting friendships with parents, children, and co-workers. Those relationships were cultivated with hundreds, probably thousands, of cards and letters both sent and received by Eleanor. She enjoyed her many years in Chrisman following the progress of her students through high school and college. Taking day trips with friends and summer trips with the Edgar County Farm Bureau group enriched her, and she often related tales of that chapter of her life.
Eleanor was a lifelong and active Methodist. She led youth groups, played the piano, and sang in the choir where needed. Her final membership was with the Shumway United Methodist Church. She also held memberships in the IEA, NEA, and the Edgar County Farm Bureau.
Eleanor is survived by her two brothers, Elwood (Nelda) Webb and Paul (Carolyn) Webb, both of Effingham; niece, Ellyn (David) Holmes of Springfield, OR; and nephews, Buck (Mindy) Webb of Springfield, IL, and Dr. Travis Webb of Milwaukee, WI. She also had several great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins whom she cherished.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her niece, Lori Webb.