Nancy L. Lafary, 59, of Prairie City, Illinois, passed away Saturday, February 6, 2021, at 7:39 A.M at her residence.
She was born August 4, 1961, to Chester and Betty (Day) Underwood. She married Michael S. Lafary on March 22, 2003. He survives.
Also surviving are four sons; Brandon (Kendra) Johnson of Prairie City, IL; Jordan (Heidi) Stickle of Austin MN; Tyler (Michele Landry) Stickle of Los Angeles, CA; Dylan Wiseley of Walnut Grove, IL; two grandchildren; Stephoen and Jocelyn Johnson; two brothers, Robert (Nancy Jo) Underwood of Avon, IL; Keith (Diana) Underwood of Abington, IL; and sister Jeanne (David) Serven of St. Augustine, IL; stepchildren, Valerie Ziegler of Morton, IL; Joshua Lafary of Macomb, IL and three step-grandchildren Ava, Logan and Alice Ziegler.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Nancy graduated from Avon High School in 1979. After working in several restaurants in the Macomb area, she moved to Decatur, IL, and worked at Krogers as a manager of the Deli Dept. She returned to Avon in 2002 and worked at Club 41 until becoming a cook for Prairie City Nursing home and later employed at Courtyard Estates in Bushnell, IL in the same capacity.
She enjoyed creating flower and water gardens while also maintaining a large vegetable garden wherever she lived, spending many hours weeding as well as preserving and enjoying the harvest of her labors. She had an overwhelming love for animals. As a child, she had a horse named Rusty that she rode everywhere around the farm she grew up on. As an adult, she rescued numerous dogs, Great Danes being her favorite, and cared for them with great love and affection. She and her Great Danes Duke and Bailey would visit nursing homes where residents were always delighted to see them. Her greatest joy was family gatherings when all the boys were home and she would cook and laugh with them. She also enjoyed taking trips, many of which she took with her husband Mike and his parents to sprint car races in Iowa. Other trips she took with her sister to visit her niece in Indiana or to snoop around secondhand and antique stores looking for treasures and garden shops and nurseries looking for new plants to decorate her home with. She had a tremendous love of adventures, always ready to pack her suitcase and take off.
A celebration of life will be held from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM Thursday, February 11, 2021, at the Storm Shelter in Avon. Private family services will be held Friday, February 12, 2021, at the Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home with Pastor Dean Reeverts officiating. Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions, masks are required at all times and we ask those in attendance to please remember to social distance. Memorial contributions may be made to the Walnut Grove Church or Humane Society of McDonough County. Please sign the guestbook or leave condolences at www.dodsworthfh.com
