Elizabeth Ann Alumbaugh, an active and involved resident of the Monmouth, Illinois community for over 60 years, died peacefully Friday evening July 8 at Clark- Lindsey Renewal Therapy Center in Urbana, Illinois. She was 92 years old. Elizabeth Ann Lubben was born January 4, 1924, the daughter of Herman and Harriet (Zollver) Lubben in Stone Lake, Wisconsin. She is preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Henry. Elizabeth is survived by her three children: M. Jean (Fritz) Wildermuth of Park Forest, Ill., Randy Joe (Stephanie) Alumbaugh of Champaign, Ill., and Susan Kathleen (Charles) Henderson of Glenview, Ill; six grandchildren, Amy Wildermuth (Gwen Foster) of Salt Lake City, Utah; Todd Wildermuth (Sanne Knudsen) of Seattle, Washington; Zachary Alumbaugh of Champaign, Ill.; Jake Alumbaugh of St. Louis, Missouri; Charles Henderson of Guangzhou, China; and Samuel Henderson of Glenview, Ill; and three great-grandchildren, Elsa Wildermuth; Anja Wildermuth; and Lila Foster.
Upon graduation from Spooner (Wisconsin) High School, Elizabeth attended business school in Racine, Wisconsin and upon completion, she accepted a civil service position as an office clerk at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and U.S. Naval Hospital located near Waukegan, Illinois. While there, she met her future husband, William J. Alumbaugh, whom she married in May 1946. They were divorced in 1976. The Alumbaugh family moved to Monmouth, Illinois, in 1955 where Bill worked for a number of insurance and farm implement businesses in the western and central Illinois area before starting and running his own small businesses. In addition to raising their family, Elizabeth joined Illinois Power Company where she worked as a front office utility clerk until her retirement in 1989. Central to Elizabeth’s life were her family, her community and her faith. She was a lifelong Lutheran, and was very active in the First Lutheran Church in Monmouth, having served in a variety of roles including being a long-time Sunday School teacher, serving on the church council and participating in church-led district and regional women’s service projects and organizations. She also was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star where, in addition to serving in a variety of leadership roles within the organization, she received the Grand Cross of Color for her long-time work with the Order of the Rainbow Girls, a Masonic youth service organization which teaches leadership training through community service. Elizabeth was also very active throughout her lifetime in a wide variety of community and volunteer activities ranging from the local hospital auxiliary and Western Illinois Special Olympics to the League of Women Voters and Habitat for Humanity. Relatively later in life, two organizations became very special to her: Business and Professional Women (BPW) where she ably served as both the local and district director and received the organization’s Woman of the Year award; and the local chapter of the American Red Cross, where she served on its board for 12 years as well as a volunteer assisting with disaster relief efforts. She was especially proud that, upon completion of a special instruction course, she became certified to drive the Emergency Relief Vehicle (ERV), one of the larger disaster relief service trucks in and around affected disaster areas.
While all of these activities were quite fulfilling for Elizabeth, her family and close friends always remained her top priority. She was an eternal optimist and challenged herself-and those around her-to smile, be appreciative, and be kind and caring for others. For her family, Elizabeth was the maternalistic glue that bonded her dedicated family to her and to each other. She quite simply loved all of her family members-unequivocally. She relished in their accomplishments, encouraged them to do their very best and enjoyed each individual family member’s unique gifts and talents. Elizabeth never stopped loving her native northern Wisconsin and until recent health problems prevented it, she traveled each summer for a family gathering near her family’s original homestead to celebrate family time together "up north." Elizabeth’s final internment will be in the Lubben family plot at Greenwood Cemetery in Hayward, which will take place later in July.
The family will receive friends an hour prior to the funeral service. A funeral service is planned for 2 p.m. Friday, July 15 at the First Lutheran Church in Monmouth, followed by a reception at the church. Arrangements locally are with Turnbull Funeral Home in Monmouth. To leave a condolence or for more information, please visit turnbullfuneralhomes.com.
