Laura Charlotte (Guffey) Shoemaker (1920 - 2011)

Born 24 Dec 1920 in Rock City, Stephenson, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Died 1 Dec 2011 at age 90 in Urbana, Champaign, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Laura was born Christmas Eve, 1920. She was the daughter of Xenophon Guffey and Pearl Guffey.

After Pearl died in childbirth with Lester, Blaine had "6 kids including the newborn" to raise by himself. He "gave all of the children away." "Charlotte was raised by a. family in Champaign, IL"^[1]

She passed away just before her 91st birthday, in 2011.^[2]

Obituary

URBANA - Charlotte Shoemaker died Thursday (Dec. 1, 2011) at the Champaign County Nursing Home of the infirmities of old age. Born Laura Charlotte Guffey on Dec. 24, 1920, near Rock Grove, she was taken to the Cunningham Children's Home in Urbana by her father, Xenophon Blaine Guffey, after the death of her mother, Pearl (nee Guffey), in 1922. She took the name Charlotte Dillavou after becoming the foster child of Professor Essel and Vivian Dillavou of Urbana.

After graduating from Urbana High School and attending the University of Illinois for one year, she married Robert O. Shoemaker of Champaign in 1941. They were married for 59 years until Robert's death in October 2000. During those years, in addition to raising a family, she worked for Headstart, Fannie Mae Candies, provided child care in her home, housed and fed graduate students, and worked at the catalog department of the University of Illinois Library.

Char was a member of North Side Gospel Center and later Faith Baptist Church, Champaign. She sang in the choir, taught Sunday School and played the piano. For over 40 years she and Bob provided worship services for local nursing homes. When ill health made it necessary, Char chose care at the Champaign County Nursing Home. The family wishes to express thanks for the many kindnesses of the staff there over the last six years.

She is survived by her four sons, Steven (Nadja) of Urbana, David (Monica) of Fox Lake, Joel (Becky Kobos) of Iowa City and James (Mary Nielsen) of Saint Louis; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In accordance with her wishes, burial will be at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at East Lawn Cemetery, Cunningham Avenue, Urbana. Friends are invited to greet the family there. Memorials may be made to the Champaign County Nursing Home, Urbana^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ First-hand from Daughter-in-Law via text.
2. ↑ A source for this information is needed.
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 10 February 2021), memorial page for Laurel Charlotte “Char” Guffey Shoemaker (24 Dec 1920–1 Dec 2011), Find a Grave Memorial no. 81429006, citing East Lawn Cemetery, Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by Jenny Faherty (contributor 47217508) .

• Charles Metheny. Metheny Family Album. Date unknown. Currently original in possession of Travis Metheny. Includes names, birth, and death dates, relationships, photographs, correspondence, and clippings of family members from 1700's to 1994.

Find A Grave Memorial# 81429006