- Loraine Catherine (Bowers) Shillcox found peace on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008, at the age of 83. She was born Jan. 30, 1925, in De Pere, a daughter of the late Henry and Cecelia (Schampers) Bowers. On Sept. 2, 1946, Loraine married James Edward Shillcox. He passed away March 16, 2007.
Loraine's life entailed many roles, not only as a devoted mother and grandmother, but also as a community leader and a voice that left a brighter and wiser future for many. Loraine received numerous awards for leadership. In 1985 she was the first woman to receive the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Award "Contributions to Agriculture in Brown County," the 1986 Wisconsin Homemaker of the Year and the 1987 Brown County Farm Bureau Woman of the Year. Loraine lived a full and rich life as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, dairy farmer and community leader. Having devoted her entire life to others, she always believed her greatest accomplishment was her family. She will be dearly missed and remembered through memories that will be cherished forever.
Loraine was an active member of St. Mary Catholic Community, De Pere, since 1952, she was a CCD teacher, a member of the Christian Mothers Association and a charter member of the Home School Association. She was President of the Brown-Kewaunee-Door County Farmers Union Milk Co-op, Chairperson of the Political Education Committee of the Brown County Farm Bureau, and Chairperson of the WI State Homemakers 1990s Project Committee, "Studying the Impact of Women in Wisconsin" and President of the 4-H Leaders Association. She was also a member of the Brown County Planning Commission, serving as representative of the Town of Glenmore, the Regional Planning Advisory Committee that helped to develop a geographical layout of Brown County, the Farmer's Union Milk Marketing Committee, Glenmore Homemakers, WI Extension Homemakers Council, and the Brown County Housing Allowance Committee. She was a board member of the Farmers Union and a member of the Brown County Social Services Board. She also served on the Homemakers Citizenship Committee at the local and district levels where she was an active proponent of the Wisconsin Marital Property Reform Bill, speaking up for women and their partnership rights as they pertained to farms and farming.
Loraine was mother to Connie Van Oss, Denmark; Barbara (Charles) Ott, De Pere; Mark (Nancy) Shillcox, De Pere; Deborah Coady, Allouez; Lorrie (Paul) Hendricks, Green Bay; Mary (Jeff) Compton, De Pere; and Jay (Phil) Chigi, Allouez; grandmother to Mitchell (Connie) Van Oss, Matthew (Jackie) Van Oss, Martin (Jessi) Van Oss, Michelle (Mark) Mancheski, Keri (Dan) Hurley, Kristin (Wade) Challacombe, Mike Shillcox (special friend, Heather Prochnow), Janelle (Nick) Klubertanz, Nicholas Coady, Aaron (Amy) Hendricks, Jaye (Brian) Glowacki, Carla Hendricks (special friend, Kristopher Shaw), Jenny (Jason) Fietz, Stacy (Joe) Rukamp, Nicole (Brett) Spaeth, Natalie Chigi, and Christopher Chigi; great-grandmother to 22 wonderful children, with an additional two great-grandchildren due in December. Also surviving are brothers and sisters, Mary Hermes, Arlene Blair, Bernard (Eleanor) Bowers, Norman (Margaret) Bowers, Clarence (Nancy) Bowers, Lloyd (Mary Jane) Bowers, Roseanne (Robert) Bastian; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Ann Bowers, Mary (Earl) Probst, Wayne (Germaine) Shillcox and Nellie Shillcox.
She was preceded in death by son-in-law, Mike Van Oss; three grandchildren, Katie Shillcox, Benjamin Coady and Jessica Coady; a sister and brother-in-law, Mildred and Roy Lamers; a brother, Larry Bowers; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, John and Dorothy Shillcox and Wealtha and Ben Smudde; and brothers-in-law, Joe Hermes, Cletus Blair and Grant Shillcox.
On Sept. 2, 2008, Loraine and James would be celebrating their 62nd wedding anniversary. To pay tribute to their marriage and honor their lives, the family will receive friends on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008, between 4 and 8 p.m. at Cotter Funeral Home, 860 N. Webster Ave., De Pere, with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008, from 9 to 10:45 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Community, Pope John XXIII Circle, off of Sportsman Drive, Town of Ledgeview. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, at 11 a.m., with Loraine's nephew, Father Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., officiating. Interment at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.cotter funeralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, "The James & Loraine Shillcox Scholarship Fund" for the advancement and development of leadership skills for 4-H young adults has been established.
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1925 - 2008 (83 years)
Obituary
