Lurene Lois Connor

IN MEMORY OF: Lurene Connor Serving Location: CRAIN FUNERAL HOME – MURPHYSBORO 1421 Walnut Street, Murphysboro, Illinois Lurene Connor lived between July 19th, 1938, and March 23rd, 2023. She was born to Genevieve and Vernon Michels in McLeansboro, IL and grew up on a farm in southern Edwards county near Albion, IL. She is survived by her son, Mike Connor (Denise), brother Lawrence Michels (Patsy), sister Debera (Richard Kleinshmidt), and lots of family scattered around the country, all of whom will miss her very much. She was many things, but most visibly she a pianist and organist, a schoolteacher of forty years, philanthropist, a thimble and nativity collector, and a prolific gardener. She was always looking for ways to help people she met from merely giving encouragement to helping cars, houses, and education assistance directly and indirectly. She leaves behind many students, clubs, organizations, lots of family, and legions of people she cherished and whose lives she touched directly and indirectly. During her working years, she was a teacher in the McLeansboro and primarily the Murphysboro school districts, played the organ and for the United Methodist Church and St. Peter’s churches in Murphysboro, and was a very active in philanthropic activities. Her teaching career started in McLeansboro teaching high school after graduating from Southern Illinois University. After a few years she moved to Murphysboro, IL where most people knew her as the district elementary librarian, handling all the grade schools and middle schools. She spent her final ten years teaching third grade at McElvain school where it was common for former students to try maneuver their children into her classroom. During her retirement years, she was even busier, doing much more philanthropic work, continuing to play the piano and organ for various churches, traveling the country coast to coast and top to bottom going to various conventions, seeing the sights, and visiting people. It also gave her more time to expand her flower beds, covering most of the front yards of hers and neighboring house. Her philanthropic activities include the ESA, a nationwide organization that primarily supports St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and various scholarship funds (www.epsilonsigmaalpha.org). She held various officer positions such as Illinois treasurer and state president and setting up the ESA Second Chance Scholarship fund. Around Murphysboro, she helped with the General John A Logan Museum, the Murphysboro food pantry, the St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary scholarships, the various Murphysboro and Carbondale churches, the Beth Jacob synagogue, and probably quite a few more. Memorials can be made to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary scholarship fund: Attn: Taylor Richelman Saint Joseph Memorial Hospital 2 Hospital Drive Murphysboro, IL 62966 The Celebration of Life service hosted by the family will be 1:00 PM, May 6th, 2023, at the First Presbyterian Church in Murphysboro, IL. The address is 51 Crescent Dr., Murphysboro, IL 62966.

Lurene Lois Connor

July 19, 1938 - March 23, 2023