Sarah "Jane" Pieper died December 21, 2014, at Heartland Health Care Center, Paxton, IL, where she had been a long time resident.

She was born on Jan. 25, 1918, in Decatur, IL, to A.J. and Arminda (Kretsinger) Pease. Jane spent her childhood in Latham, IL, and graduated from Latham High School. In 1939 she graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University and began her teaching career in Ramsey, IL. The next year she moved to Lena, IL to teach English at Lena High School, and in 1941 married Christian Pieper. After raising four daughters, she returned to teaching in 1962, spending six years at Freeport, Jr. High School in Freeport, IL, and then transferring to Freeport Sr. High. In 1967 she received a Masters of Education degree in the Teaching of English from the University of Illinois. Jane taught English and chaired the English Department at the high school for a number of years until her retirement. After retiring, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of traveling to Paris. Jane was an avid reader, an accomplished seamstress, and enjoyed membership in a needlework club.

She was an active member of First Lutheran Church in Freeport, and also belonged to the Freeport Retired Teachers Association and the National Education Association.

Jane is survived by four daughters: Barbara (Jack) Weisensee of Lisle, IL, Karen (L.T.) Robertson of Urbana, IL, Carol Miller of Belleville, IL, and Deborah Cutts of Streamwood, IL, and grandchildren Douglas (Sue) Weisensee, Christine Weisensee, Loren (Bridget) Miller, Jennifer (Ryan) Mokos, and Laura Robertson as well as 6 great grandchildren.

Services will be held at Renner-Wikoff Chapel in Urbana at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, December 27, with burial at Illini Cemetery in Warrensburg, IL.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Jane's memory to a charity of the donor's choice.