Penny J. Meyer (64) of Effingham

Penny Jo Meyer passed away peacefully in her home in Effingham, IL on Saturday, September 2, 2023, with each of her daughters holding her hands during her last breath. She had mightily battled metastasized breast cancer for almost seven and a half years, but it was during those years that she had some of her most meaningful life experiences and developed a community of fellow survivors and friends. Her family is relieved that her closest friends and relatives were able to say goodbye during her last days and know that she is no longer in pain.

The visitation will take place at Bauer Funeral Home on Friday, September 8, from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., with the funeral Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church at 1:30p.m. and dinner to follow in the Parish Center. Her burial will be on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in St. Anthony Cemetery. Her daughters request that people avoid wearing black and instead wear pink, yellow, blue or purple which reflect the flowers that Penny requested and the colorful life Penny created. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Relay for Life, FearNothing, or the Woo Hoo Sisterhood which are organizations that support cancer patients and survivors as well as their families. 

Penny was born on April 26, 1959 in Effingham, IL, and was 64 years old. She is survived by her husband, Dan Kruger; her daughter Lauren (Boismier) Sleeper, wife Christine and their four daughters— AJ and Sarah Stoneburner-Sleeper, Olivia and Lily Sleeper; her daughter Alexandra (Meyer) White, husband Nicholas and their daughter Isabelle White. She is also survived by her siblings — Michael Kinkelaar, Kay (Paul) Koerner, and Lee Ann Kinkelaar; her nephew — Jordan (Kristin) Koerner and their daughters Amara, Sienna, and Carly Koerner; her niece Claire (Garrett) Stack and their sons Maclan and Cullen Stack; her nephew Christian/Kit Koerner; a large extended family and wonderfully supportive friends.

Preceded in death were her parents, Carolyn and James Kinkelaar, as well as both sets of her Kinkelaar and Carter grandparents, paternal uncles Leonard and Wilbert, and aunt Lenora; maternal uncles Gordan and Howard Carter, and aunts Martha Barker and Lois Carson. 

Penny Meyer (Kinkelaar) was born and raised in Effingham, IL. She attended St. Anthony Church, Grade School and High School and became a skilled seamstress, making clothes for her siblings and parents. As an avid golfer from childhood, she was on the first high school girls’ golf team that went to the state finals and played throughout her adult life up until her body no longer allowed. After high school, Penny attended Patricia Stephens Career College in St. Louis and Lakeland College to pursue fashion design. Her career took her to Houston, Texas; Toronto, Canada (where she gave birth to her oldest daughter, Lauren); and back to Effingham, designing wedding dresses, costumes for musicals, St. Anthony’s school mascot and Bellettes uniforms, and her daughters’ Halloween costumes, school dance dresses, drum major uniforms, and more. Penny moved back to St. Louis to start her longtime career of medical recruiting: placing physicians from all over the globe into their practices here in the U.S. She gave birth to Alexandra and eventually made her way back to Effingham to start her own recruiting business that led to bringing multiple doctors to the area. It was at her first office location next door to the Heart Theatre where she met Dan Kruger who installed lighting for her. Penny and Dan were friends for over twenty years, and they married on June 26, 2016.

Penny was a devoted mother to her two daughters — attending many orchestra and other music performances for Lauren, play and musical performances for both daughters, as well as tennis and other sports matches for Alex. She coached both of her daughters’ soccer teams through the years and encouraged both of their creative sides as she was a very creative person herself. She loved the arts and was involved in St. Anthony of Padua church’s mass and funeral choirs in Effingham, as well as the Altamont Community Choir. In her younger years, she participated in the F.A.C.E. Community Choir and was in the F.A.C.E Community Theater productions alongside her sister, Lee Ann. Penny was also talented at creating silk floral arrangements and decorating her home for all the holidays. While fall was her favorite season, she couldn’t wait to play Christmas CDs each year. According to her family, Penny was a fabulous cook and baker, especially of her famous cookies and Thanksgiving meals.Her daughters’ friends always reminisce about her hospitality during sleepovers and parties and how Penny’s home was the place where everyone wanted to hang out. Penny brought magic to every event and season.

One of Penny’s biggest passions was volunteering and helping others. She joined the United Way in the 90’s; collaborated with other parents to start St. Anthony’s Youth Group to create opportunities for spiritual growth and fellowship of the church’s public-school students; helped with Blessings in a Backpack; and she got involved with various organizations and groups associated with cancer, some even before she was ever diagnosed. She joined Bosom Buddies, volunteered at Survivor Meals, and even planned a fashion show with Alex to raise money for Relay for Life, an organization she participated in for nearly a decade. Penny established great friendships through these groups and enjoyed many years of playing cards and board games with friends and family up until the last weeks of her life. The hardest part of letting go was knowing that she wouldn’t get to experience the future milestones of her five granddaughters that she was so loving and devoted towards. But she was blessed to have enough strength to celebrate her 64th birthday with them this past April.

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