We are sorry to announce that Eleanor (Wilcox) Jokisch ’54  passed away on Thursday, August 2nd, 2018.

After her time at Illinois Wesleyan, Eleanor worked for the University of Illinois Home Extension Service in Morgan and Cass Counties. She married Reginald Jokisch on Nov. 26, 1960 at her childhood church, New Salem Methodist Church near New Berlin. They settled in Virginia, Illinois, where they lived until 2012 when they moved to The Plains to be near their grandsons. Last November, they celebrated 57 years of marriage.

She was a long-term member of the Virginia, Illinois park board, and joined the Kiwanis Club of Athens when she moved to the area. She was particularly proud of her volunteer service at Memorial Hospital in Springfield, Illinois and at OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, where many people in the area were greeted by her warm smile and jovial attitude. She loved following her St. Louis Cardinals, University of Illinois athletics (and adopted Ohio Bobcats), gardening, flowers, birds, reading, playing bridge, baking and most of all taking care of her family, especially her grandchildren (and watching Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy!). She was the biggest fan at her grandchildren’s sporting events. She had a strong Christian faith and was very active in the Lutheran Churches she attended. She taught Sunday school, chaired a committee for a building expansion and was a Congregational Nursery Roll Coordinator.

Everyone who knew Eleanor appreciated her kindness, thoughtfulness and upbeat and encouraging attitude.

Read her full obituary here.