Ione F. Douglas, 97, of Urbana passed into eternal life at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, January 23, 2013, at Champaign County Nursing Home. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. March 16, 2013 at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, 905 South Russell, Champaign, IL.

Born Frances Ione Schindler on September 8, 1915 on a farm in Sidney, Illinois, Ione was the daughter of William H. and Bertha V. (Moutrey) Schindler. She lived her entire life in the Sidney and Urbana area. She attended Block grade school and Sidney High School until her senior year graduating as valedictorian of her class. She graduated from Urbana High School in 1933 and was active in the school orchestra.

Ione married Kenneth Pell Douglas on January 6, 1935 and they celebrated sixty-eight years of marriage before his death in April 2003. Ione was a homemaker who began married life without electricity or running water. She was an avid gardener, seamstress and canner for many years. She taught Sunday school and played piano for St. Paul's Evangelical Church in Sidney before her marriage. She was a 4-H leader for the Mayview Busy Bees for many years and participated in the local Community Chest and Cancer fund drives. She was a former member of the Ladies Aid of St. Paul's and Mayview Home Extension. She was a member of the Champaign County Farm Bureau and St. Peter's United Church of Christ, Champaign where she had served as a member of the Kick-off program for the new church built in 1957..

In later years Ione was an avid crossword puzzle fan, card player, reader and enjoyed listening to her many show tunes and hymn CDs. Even at the age of 95 you could find her hoeing around her roses or other plants in her flower bed. She enjoyed visits from family and had an extraordinary knowledge of her family's history.

Ione is survived by her three children, Tonita (Wallace) Reifsteck of Lincoln; Kenneth (Linda) Douglas of Naples, FL; Ann (Richard) Swearingen of Urbana; 12 grandchildren; Douglas (Carolyn) Reifsteck of Sycamore; Elaine (Steven) Aue of Lincoln; David (Carol) Reifsteck of Herscher; Bret (Laurie) Reifsteck of Yorkville; Tim (Beth) Douglas of Springfield; Robin (Michael) Sutherland of Port St. Lucie, FL; Jena (Jonathan) Welliever of Palm City, FL; Lesley (Chris) Jones of Naples, FL; Lindsey (Thomas) Hodgkinson of Bryant, AR; Penelope Swearingen of Jonesville, MI; Richard (Koryn) Swearingen of Hainesville; Brian (Julie) Swearingen of Sidney; and two step grandchildren: Michael (Luciana) Fritz of Port St. Lucie; and Jonathan (Angela) Fritz of Beaufort, SC; 34 great-grandchildren Kristan and Nathan Aue of Lincoln; Rachel and Kayleigh Reifsteck of Sycamore; Samuel and Reilly Reifsteck of Herscher, Brendon and Joshua Reifsteck of Yorkville; Tim and Shawn Douglas of Springfield; Erin, Sean , Zachery and Kaeden Hayes of FL; Cole and Cameron Sutherland of FL; Blake Swaney of FL; Britton, Brooke and Braden Welliever of FL; Lily and Lincoln Hodgkinson of Bryant, AR; Tabetha (Luke) Fitchner of New Boston; Felicia (Steven) Bonynge of Aledo; Sebastian Cousins of Jonesville, MI; Ashleigh, Stephani, Brooke and Jacob Swearingen of Hainesville; Cameron and Cole Swearingen of Sidney; and two step great-grandchildren: Jasmine Fritz of Beaufort, SC and Mason Fritz of FL; three great-great-grandchildren: Aurora Fitchner of New Boston; Sadie and Josie Bonynge of Aledo. She is also survived by a sister Ruth Lottman of Duluth, GA and a sister-in-law Aileen Schindler of Champaign as well as several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents; her brother Robert H. Schindler; three grandchildren; Lucinda Reifsteck; Lori and Michael Douglas.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Peter's United Church of Christ (Memorial Fund), 905 S. Russell St., Champaign, IL 61821