Mary Celeste Spenny, age 77, of rural Gerlaw, Illinois passed away at
11:30 PM Saturday, May 1, 2021 at the Aledo Health Care Center in Aledo,
Illinois. Celeste was born on April 17, 1944 in Monmouth, Illinois to
Frances Irene Toal. She was raised in Monmouth where she graduated from
Monmouth High School in the class of 1962. She attended Monmouth College
before transferring to Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois,
graduating in 1968 with a degree in Special Education. Celeste began
working at Galesburg State Research Hospital, later known as Galesburg
Mental Health Center, as a special educator. This is where she met her
future husband, John Randall Spenny. Celeste and John were married in
1968 in Monmouth. They made their home in Galesburg where they raised
their son, Randall Phillip, and daughter, Kathleen Jennifer. John died
on February 11, 1984. When GMHC closed Celeste continued her career as a
special educator, transferring first to Zeller Mental Health in Peoria
Illinois and later to Henry Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg
Illinois from which she retired after a career of over 40 years with the
State of Illinois.
Celeste was a talented artist who worked in many mediums but excelled in
water colors, doing paintings for numerous friends and relatives over
the years. She developed an interest in music early in life so her
mother bought her a guitar, unusual because of its green color which was
chosen to reflect her Irish heritage. She had a beautiful singing voice
and as a young woman, joined Choral Dynamics and participated in their
shows. She learned to do counter cross stitch, eventually designing a
number of pieces. Celeste was also a voracious reader who always had a
book or a Kindle in her hand or purse, ever ready to read one of her
favorite murder mysteries. Friends and family will remember her for her
quick wicked wit, that famous stubbornness, her ability to put everyone
at ease, and her charity whenever she perceived a need.
Surviving are her son Randall, daughter-in-law Samantha, and
granddaughter Raegan Kathleen of Ramona, California; step-son Mark
Spenny and his wife Renee of Hanna City, Illinois; her best friend of 53
years, Wanda Carter of rural Gerlaw, Illinois; her sister-in-law Paula
Spenny of Canton, Illinois, and numerous cousins. She was preceded in
death by her mother Frances, husband John, daughter Kathleen, and
brother-in-law Richard Spenny.
Funeral services will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, May 8, 2021, at
Turnbull Funeral Home in Monmouth, Illinois. Her family will be at the
funeral home for visitation from 10 AM to 11 AM just prior to the
service. Interment will be in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. Because
COVID is still a concern and because many are too far away to attend,
the service will be live-streamed on the funeral home website and then
will be available for 90 days by going to her obituary and clicking on
the link at the bottom of the page. Memorial funds have been established
for the Alzheimer’s Association and the Knox County Humane Society. To
leave a remembrance or for more information please visit
www.turnbullfuneralhomes.com.
