Antoinette "Nan" Wetzel

ORY OF: Antoinette “Nan” Wetzel Serving Location: CRAIN PLEASANT GROVE-MURDALE FUNERAL HOME 31 Memorial Drive, Murphysboro, Illinois Today we gather to honor and celebrate the life of Antoinette Wetzel — known to many as Mrs. Carl Wetzel, to her nieces and nephews as Aunt Nan, and to us, most tenderly, as Grandma Wetzel and Mom. Antoinette was born in Buffalo, New York, and her life was one marked by courage, devotion, and a deep love for family. She attended college in Kenmore, where she specialized in purchasing — skills that would later serve her well as she made homes in more places than any of us can count. Her heart for family showed early. When her sister Jacqueline — an Army wife with three young boys and a newborn — needed her, Antoinette didn’t hesitate. She packed her bags and moved to Puerto Rico to support her sister. There she took a job as a nanny, and fate introduced her to a young Army medic named Carl. They married, and from that moment on, they built a life of partnership, service, and adventure. Antoinette and Carl returned to the States, where she worked in downtown Philadelphia to support him through nursing school. When Carl entered anesthesia school and later the Air Force, they began a journey that carried them across the United States and Germany over more than 20 years of military life. With every move, Nan was the quiet force that made it look effortless. She packed our lives with precision, created a warm, stylish, organized home in what felt like days, and made each new place feel safe and familiar. Where others saw disruption, she saw a chance to build again — with grace, patience, and love. She was the backbone and the heartbeat of our family — our communicator, our connector, our gentle historian. She remembered every birthday, every holiday, every anniversary, every special occasion. If there was a celebration of any kind, she was part of it — and she rarely arrived without something in hand. Sometimes it was laundry detergent, sometimes a knick-knack, sometimes her famous sticky buns — but always, it was love. Nan had a gift for noticing the details. Whatever we were interested in, she learned about it. Whatever hobby we pursued, she supported it — not from a distance, but with enthusiasm, ideas, and the most thoughtful gifts. She taught us that the joy of giving outweighs the joy of receiving, and she lived that truth every single day. Life gave her many chances to complain — and she rarely ever took them. She woke up each morning determined to make the most of the day before her. Even in the nursing home, she was beloved. She asked for little, thanked everyone for everything, and radiated gratitude and kindness. Her life was her family. She loved deeply, showed up always, and never stopped thinking about us. She was our quiet strength, our steady compass, our comfort, and our example of what it means to live a life rooted in generosity, resilience, and grace. Today we grieve, because her absence is as profound as her love. But we also give thanks — because her legacy lives in every one of us. In how we show up for each other. In how we love. In how we give. We will carry her in our stories, in our traditions, in our laughter, and in the countless ways she shaped us without ever asking for credit. Thank you, Mom — thank you, Aunt Nan — thank you, Grandma Wetzel — for a life beautifully lived, for love freely given, and for teaching us, by example, that the greatest gift we can offer is ourselves. We will miss you always, and we will love you forever. Survivors include one daughter, Beckie (Scott) Fluegel of Murphysboro, Illinois; two sons, Scott (Debbie) Wetzel of Texico, Illinois and Bart (Susan) Wetzel of Hillsboro, Illinois; eleven grandchildren, Laura (Curtis, Sr.) Hubbard, Bradley Diedrick (Abbie Wesley), Lindsey (Casey) Lumbert, Sara Fluegel (Collin Heseman), Lauren (Chase) Pledger, Kristin (Corey) Woerner, Tyler Wetzel, Josh Wetzel (Alexandria Narez), Emily (Eric) Fuchs, Austin (Kelly) Clark, and Dillon (Elizabeth) Clark; nine great-grandchildren, Caybren Hubbard, Curtis Hubbard, Jr., Liam Diedrick, Zoe Diedrick, Rorie Diedrick, Autumn Clark, Jayden Clark, Peyton Clark, and Milli Pledger; two sisters-in-law, Barbara (George) Kline of The Villages, Florida and Alice Kissinger of Pitman, Pennsylvania; one brother-in-law, Thomas Wetzel of Sunbury, Pennsylvania; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Along with her parents and husband, Carl L. Wetzel, she was preceded in death by brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Roy Kissinger, Robert and Jacqueline Anderson, and Gwen Wetzel. Private Services were held with entombment at Pleasant Grove Memorial Park Mausoleum. Crain Pleasant Grove-Murdale Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Antoinette "Nan" Wetzel

February 25, 1930 - November 8, 2025