Pearl City- Elaine Marilyn (Bender) Ferguson, 98, a lifelong resident of Pearl City passed away on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 2:45 PM at Ascension St. Joseph Village with her granddaughter Holly at her side. She spent two years at Oakley Courts Assisted Living and Memory care with her granddaughter Holly as one of her nurses and Samantha Spearman as her special CNA, who she loved.

She was born in Stephenson County, Freeport, Illinois on September 26, 1923 the daughter of Kenneth and Mildred (Shippy) Bender.  She married Raymond Edward Ferguson on February 28, 1942 in Red Oak at the United Methodist Church with Pastor Bruce officiating.

Elaine attended Red Oak Elementary School through the eighth grade and on to work for a neighbor helping with the family.  After marriage, she worked on the family farm with her husband Raymond near Pearl City.  They bought their first home in Pearl City.  At that time, Elaine went to work for Micro Switch until she retired.

She enjoyed simple things in life, such as reading, writing letters to her granddaughter Heather, and camping with her family, daughter Cheryl Ann (Glenn) Hockman, son Gary Allen (Pamella) Ferguson, and daughter Kathy Ellen Turner. She has six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and eight great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Raymond, mother and father Mildred and Kenneth, daughters Cheryl Ann Hockman and Kathy Ellen Turner, and her brother Arlen Bender. She is survived by her son Gary Allen (Pamella) Ferguson, sister Nancy Gagnon, and many grand and great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday August 19, 2022, at the Leamon Funeral Home in Lena, IL.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 until time of service.

Pastor Gary Rich will be officiating the service.

Burial will be at Grandview Cemetery in Freeport, IL.

A memorial has been established in her memory.