NORA MCMANUS

Nora Kreher McManus, 95, died April 3, 2022 at Kettle Park Senior Living in Stoughton.

She was born on February 12, 1927 on a remote farm in Hamilton County, Illinois to the late Joseph and Madgalena (Karcher) Kreher.

In order to attend high school, at age 14, she moved to McLeansboro, Illinois where she worked as a domestic for room and board.

She graduated as salutatorian of her class. She was the first person in her family to attend college, earning a B.S. degree in botany and an M.S. degree in botany and education at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

In 1950, her master’s thesis was the first ever submitted in the Department of Botany (later Plant Biology) at SIU.

While at SIU she met and married Charles McManus.

She was an elementary school teacher in Missouri and Wisconsin in the 1950s and 1960s and continued as a substitute teacher in Brodhead through the 1980s.

With her husband, she owned and operated McManus Oil Company in Brodhead for 26 years.

She volunteered in her community and church in many capacities. She served as a Cub Scout Den leader and Girl Scout Troop leader, as president of the American Legion Auxiliary, and as an election poll worker.

For many years she chaperoned Brodhead sixth graders on their annual outdoor education trip to Camp MacLean, where she shared her expertise in botany and passion for the natural world.

She was a member of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Women and taught catechism at St. Rose.

In the late 1980s she was recognized as Outstanding Woman of the Year by the Brodhead Jaycees.

She enjoyed nature and wildlife, reading poetry, and working crossword puzzles and other word games.

She maintained a beautiful yard and flower gardens that always drew compliments from passersby.

Above all, she was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.

She was further preceded in death by her husband and a son-in-law, James Klein.

Survivors include her son Philip (Sandra) McManus of Albany; daughters Kathleen Klein of Edgerton; Carolyn (Timothy) Tiller of Blue River; Mary (Scott) Laube of Brodhead; and Patricia (Murray Clayton) McManus of Middleton; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The family expresses deep gratitude to the staff of Kettle Park Senior Living for providing her with excellent care and friendship.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 1005 West 2nd Avenue in Brodhead on Tuesday, April 19 at 11 a.m.  A visitation will also be held at the church on Tuesday, April 19, from 9:30 a.m. until the time of Mass.

Burial will conclude at Greenwood Cemetery in Brodhead.