Illinois Great Rivers Conference 2025 Journal-Yearbook
Lois was a member of Paxton United Methodist Church, and an associate member of Mahomet United Methodist Church. She participated in Walk to Emmaus and was a United Women in Faith local President and spiritual leader. Lois is survived by her children, Glen Winger of Los Angeles, Calif., Susan (John) McCabe of Pekin, Jean (Garry) Cantzler of El Dorado Hills, Calif., and Linda (Gene) Miller of Loda; step- children, Elaine (Phil) Jones of Mahomet, Shari (Pete) MacFarlane of Boca Raton, Fla., and Anne Bodeen Durst of Genoa. She is also survived by her grandchildren, James (Jill) McCabe, Janene (Bruce Snyder) McCabe, Kyle (Nicole) Miller, Neil (DD) Miller, Marty (Jen) Cantzler, Rachel (Drew) Grein, Kathleen (Gabriel Matossian) Winger, and Christina (Keegan) Sanchez; and her great-grandchildren, Jade (James Cortese) Snyder, Bailey Snyder, Nathan McCabe, Allison McCabe, John McCabe, Matthew Newnan, Ryan Miller, Addison Miller, Kinzie Miller, Chase Miller, Cole Miller, Connor Cantzler, Kayla Cantzler, and Avery Sanchez. Lois was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Kathleen Winger Lackey; and a great-grandson, Gabriel Everett Cantzler. A funeral service for Lois Ann Winger Bodeen was held Aug. 17, 2024, at Paxton First UMC, with a graveside service following at Rankin Union Cemetery.
Fumiko Shibata Brown 1927-2025 Fumiko Shibata Brown, 97, the widow of the Rev. Thomas Brown, died Feb. 2, 2025, in Madison, Ala. Born May 15, 1927, in Osaka, Japan, a daughter of Morichi and Miche (Takano) Shibata, Shar married the Rev. Thomas Heflin Brown Oct. 8, 1951. He died Dec. 20, 1986.
Fumiko was known for her zest for life, her charismatic personality, her creativity, her strength and determination, and the ability to make friends wherever she went. She loved her family deeply, only surpassed by her love for God. Fumiko graduated with a degree in art from a women’s university in Tokyo, Japan, and was also an accomplished seamstress, running her own alterations and custom sewing business in her 60s and 70s. Following World War II, Fumiko worked in her great-aunt’s orphanage to learn the skills needed to be a missionary to China. Little did she know her future husband would be one of the American soldiers who took orphans out for day trips through the Army chaplain’s office. Fumiko and Thomas H. Brown married, started a family and later returned to the United States. After their time in the military, Thomas became a United Methodist minister and Fumiko spent more than 20 years as his partner in ministry throughout Central Illinois, where they touched hundreds of lives by daily living out their faith. Thomas preceded her in death. Through the years, Fumiko was active in church activities, including United Women of Faith (and its predecessor women’s missionary organizations), and early racial recon- ciliation efforts at the national level of the United Methodist Church; led workshops in ikebana (Japanese flower arranging); informally consulted schools, organizations and governmental entities on Japanese culture; was active in the Arley, Alabama, Women’s Club, including as President; and enthusiastically engaged in helping improve her adopted hometown of Arley, after she and Thomas retired there. She was also a devoted grand-
Memoirs 245
Powered by FlippingBook