Joyce Jean Neumann Lain Obituary (1938 - 2014)

Joyce Jean Neumann Lain, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, sister, niece, cousin and friend passed away peacefully on June 18, 2014, in El Paso, Texas, after a long, brutal battle with dementia and paralysis. She was born in Kankakee, Illinois on March 4, 1938 to Wesley Donald Neumann and Gladys Rose Baumrucker Neumann. She graduated from Odell High School in 1956 and married Charles Winfield Lain April 25, 1960. From an early age she was filled with an adventurous spirit and returned to school at the age of 50 to become a travel agent and begin her dream of travelling the world. From that point on she visited the Caribbean, England, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Australia, Mexico, China, Turkey, Columbia, South America, Egypt and Greece. But her favorite trips were to visit friends, family, her children and grandchildren, which she did when all of her grand babies were born, for many family birthdays and sometimes just because she wanted to. One thing we've learned from Joyce's life is that it is never too late to pursue your dreams. Joyce is survived by her brother Wayne Neumann, her children Charles Todd Lain (Deborah), Melissa Joy Reed (Paul), Wendy Thorpe (Jared) and Mark Lain (Holly). Her grandchildren Nicole Evans (Brody), William and Charles Lain, Joshua, Hannah and Rachel Reed, Cloey and Nora Thorpe and great grandchildren Connor and Carter Reed. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents Wesley and Gladys, her husband Charles and her sister Linda Beckett. Joyce was a very active member in every community where she lived. In El Paso, she was a member of the American Business Women's Association, Archeological Society, Sierra Club and she enjoyed outdoor activities including swimming, biking, hiking and touring historical sites all over the Southwest and the world. A very heartfelt thank you to the wonderful staff at Angelswings Residential Nursing Home in El Paso, Texas for providing a comforting home for Mom in her last 3.5 years of life when her health problems necessitated the care of a full staff. Please join us to remember her wonderful life at Duffy-Baier-Snedecor Funeral Home, 315 East Vermillion Street, Odell, Illinois on July 1, 2014 from 10:00 - 11:00 with interment to follow at St. Paul's Cemetery in Odell. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in her memory to Lewy Body Dementia, Inc. at www.lbda.org.