Ellen Irene Downey Obituary (1927 - 2018)

Ellen Irene Downey, 91, of Peoria, died Thursday, July 12, 2018 at Lutheran Hillside Village, Peoria, where she had been a resident since 2010. A celebration of her life will be held at 3:00 pm on Sunday, August 5, 2018, at the Henry United Methodist Church, Rev. Will Meachum will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior at the church. Private family burial will be in the Putnam Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Marshall-Putnam Counties 4-H and Extension Foundation, 509 Front St., Suite 4, Henry, IL 61537, or to the Henry United Methodist Church, 225 Lincoln St., P.O. Box 68, Henry, IL 61537. Calvert & Johnson Memorial Home, Henry is in charge of arrangements. Irene was born July 6, 1927, in Henry, Illinois, the 4th child of William and Martha (McAllister) Downey. She was a very active 4-H member in her youth and graduated in 1945 from Senachwine High School. In 1949 Irene received a B.S. degree in Home Economics Education from Illinois Wesleyan University, where she was involved in a variety of student activities. Irene taught high school home economics for one year and then served as a University of Illinois county home adviser in Cass and McHenry Counties. In 1957 she moved to Ithaca, New York to pursue graduate work at Cornell University. Her research focused on testing the results of microwave versus conventional cooking. Following the completion of an M.S. degree in Food and Nutrition in 1959, Irene became an assistant professor, and later associate professor, on the Cornell faculty. She provided extension programming in food and nutrition. In 1969 Irene returned to Illinois where she had accepted a faculty position at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She did undergraduate teaching for 3 years and then shifted to extension work. Irene left the University in 1976 and moved back to the farm at Putnam. She later moved to Henry before electing to move to Lutheran Hillside Village. Irene loved her family and was a wonderful aunt for over 67 years. She enjoyed traveling, cooking, reading, photography and pets. She always remembered and appreciated her roots. Irene volunteered with the Putnam County Historical Society and was a faithful attendee at family reunions as well as the annual Senachwine Alumni Banquets. She was a member of the Henry United Methodist Church. Irene is survived by six nieces and nephews-Ronald (Judith) Elliott, of Stillwater, OK, Tim (Margot) Downey, of Vernon hills, Robert (Mary Lynn) Elliott, of Sheffield, Martha Jane Downey, of Bishop Hill, Mary (Bruce) Elliott-Litchfield, of Urbana and Jonathan (Rhonda) Downey, of Putnam, as well as seventeen great nieces and nephews and fourteen great-great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Henry and James, sister, Louise, brother-in-law, Larry Elliott and sister-in-law, Jane Bland Downey.