E. Pauline Crowley Voelcker, age 95 of Cerro Gordo, passed away at 2:45 p.m. Sunday, December 23, 2012 at Helia Health Care in Greenville.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 28, 2012 at the Cerro Gordo United Methodist Church with Rev. Linda Peyla officiating. Interment will follow in Cerro Gordo Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9 a.m. Friday until service time at the Church. For those who desire memorials may be made to the Cerro Gordo Women’s Club, the Cerro Gordo Alumni Scholarship Fund, or the Cerro Gordo United Methodist Church at Donnell-Wiegand Funeral Home or at the visitation and funeral service at the Cerro Gordo United Methodist Church.
Estella Pauline Crowley, the daughter of Lou Crowley and Synthia Ann Moorhead Crowley, was born on June 15, 1917 on the Crowley farm in Newcomb Township in Champaign County. She grew up there and attended the local schools graduating from Fisher High School. She graduated from the University of Illinois in the College of Agriculture in 1939. Pauline later did graduate work at U OF I and Millikin. She later received her Masters Degree in home economics. She taught school in Cerro Gordo for 32 years and also taught 6 years at Millikin. Pauline was the first women on public TV teaching cooking. Pauline retired in 1977 after 36 years teaching. She then served as board member of the Cerro Gordo School Board for 17 years.
Pauline and Reid William Voelcker were united in marriage on October 7, 1948 at the Church of Christ in Fisher and enjoyed over 54 years together. Ried preceded Pauline in death on July 1, 2003. They farmed together near Cerro Gordo. Pauline is survived by her niece Cynthia (Steve) Thielke of Middleton, Wisconsin, nephew Roger (Jackie) Gruner of rural Greenville, 3 great nieces Elaine (Joe) Craver, Rachel (P.J.) Gregorie, Angele Thielke, 5 great-great nieces Joely, Laura, Addison, Kennedy, Reegan, and a host of cousins.
Pauline is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Reid, and is the last of her generation being preceded in death by her two sisters; Cynthia Louise Gruner and Madeline Lenora Crowley.
Pauline was a member of the Cerro Gordo American Legion Auxiliary, the Macon County 8/40, past president of the Cerro Gordo Women’s Club, and 19th district of GFWC Illinois Women’s Club. Pauline was raised in the Oak Grove United Brethern Church and has been a very active member of the Cerro Gordo United Methodist Church since moving to Cerro Gordo in the 1940’s.
