1
tree
planted in memory of Nancy Sue Easter Shick
Celebrating the life of Nancy Sue Easter Shick
Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of
Nancy.
This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate
the life of their loved one.
We ask on behalf of the family that you keep your comments uplifting and appropriate
to help all who come here to find comfort and healing.
Obituary for Nancy Sue Easter Shick
She heard of tales of distant lands where dreamers were in demand. She packed her bags. Nancy Sue Easter Shick, local historian and author of Charleston, Coles County, Illinois left us for those distant lands of which she so often dreamed on Monday, September 28, 2020. She chose those words above from an unknown author to say her final goodbyes to family, friends and the community she loved and cherished so dearly. Nancy was born in Charleston on August 26, 1940 to Earl and Elma Easter. She left behind two loving children, her daughter April Dawn Marchuk and son Mitchell Kevin Shick and his wife Joda, all of Charleston, Illinois. One son, Lonnie Mathew Shick predeceased her. She is also survived by ten grandchildren, Kate, Brittany, Kirstin, Ryan, Andrew, Ali ,Daniel, Alex ,Jake and Emma, ten great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, her sisters Joyce Drury and Connie Heaton, both of Charleston, and brothers Daniel Easter of Bloomington, Indiana and Michael Easter of Charleston. Two sisters, Sharon Marie Benningfield, and Clara Lou Easter and two brothers, Gerald “Jerry” Eugene Easter and Earl Edward “Bud” Easter predeceased her. A self-taught historian and author, she was proud to tell anyone who would listen that “she came from good stock” with deep roots to this community. On her mother’s side, she shares a great grandfather with President Abraham Lincoln and, also, famed early American pioneer Daniel Boone. Her ancestors first settled in Coles County in the early 1830s and were among the first settlers of the County. A graduate of Charleston High School, she never completed college but was an avid reader and researcher and eventually became a valued resource to many in our community who had questions on local history or Coles County genealogy. If she did not know the answer, she would spend countless hours researching those questions for family, friends, neighbors or even strangers who had learned of her unique knowledge and passion for local history. She authored or contributed to numerous books on local history including Coles County History, 1876-1976 ; Pictorial Landscape History of Charleston, Illinois (1985); ‘Round the Square : Life in Downtown Charleston, Illinois 1830- 1998; and a collection of short stories, Long Story Short, published in 1991. In 1994, Nancy was named Outstanding Citizen of the Year in our community by the Charleston Chamber of Commerce for her lifelong dedication to preserving and promoting local history. She was a long-time member of the Coles County Historical Society, Five Mile House, the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum committee and Coles County Genealogy Society. In her lifetime, Nancy researched, organized and presented countless local history and genealogy programs and events in our community. While Nancy's roots were deeply planted in Coles County, she also considered herself a wanderer and traveled the world seeking new adventures and connections to people and cultures in distant lands. She spent 40 days exploring China and Alaska by herself and traveled to Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Spain and other distant lands making new friends that would remain close to her all her life. She never met a stranger and never forgot a friend. Her travels gave her a greater appreciation for her beloved Country and community and each time she eagerly returned home to share those experiences. Nancy cherished those adventures and the friends she met along the way but never considered leaving the place she proudly called home. As she wrote in later years: "As a child growing up in Charleston, I always wondered how people came to live in, out of all the possible places on Earth, the town of Charleston, Illinois. I knew, from an early age, why I was living in Charleston because I peppered my parents, and any relative old enough to know, with questions about the past. I also knew, or so I thought, that the minute I got old enough I would make excursions out into the rest of this amazing world to find the perfect place for me to live, or maybe lots of perfect places to live. As you may or may not know, I did venture out into the rest of the world and as a result I'm still living in Charleston." Now that she has set sail on her final adventure to visit the distant lands of dreamers, her friends and family can rest assured that she will always remain with us in our loving hearts and fond memories. A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, October 3, from 10 a.m. to noon at Kiwanis Park followed by a memorial service; face coverings and social distancing encouraged. Memorials in her name may be made to the Five Mile House Foundation and the Coles County Genealogical Society.
