Eileen Carol Melancon

Eileen Carol Melancon, age 83, of Hanover, Illinois, passed away at home in the care of her family on Thursday, August 15, 2019. A funeral service with full military rites will be held 4:00 p.m. Sunday, August 25, 2019 at the Law-Jones Funeral Home, Hanover. Visitation will be held 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Cremation will be accorded and burial of ashes will take place at sea at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Hanover Volunteer Fire Department. Family and friends are invited to share in Eileen’s life at www.lawjonesfuneralhome.com .

Eileen was born December 9, 1935, in Wykoff, Minnesota, the daughter of Carl and Zeta (Egen) Loll. She graduated from Stewartville High School. Eileen served as a Communication Specialist in the United States Navy during the Korean War. On November 5, 1955, Eileen married Orville Melancon in Stewartville, Minnesota. They later moved to northwest Illinois. Eileen and Orville raised six children and celebrated 56 years of marriage until Orville’s passing in 2012.

Eileen worked as a private nurse, caring for the elderly in the Galena area for many years. She also previously managed the Victorian Mansion and Hillman Manor Bed & Breakfast in Galena. Before retirement she also worked at the Elizabeth Nursing Home. She was a member of Hanover VFW, American Legion Auxiliary, Hanover Fire Department Women’s Auxiliary, the Galena Lions Club as a Lioness, a Red Cross volunteer, and past EMT with the Galena Ambulance Association. In the 60s, she was on the “Queen for a Day” TV show and won 2nd place. Eileen enjoyed painting and ceramics.

Eileen will be dearly missed by her four sons, Kim (Ada) Melancon of Galena, Illinois, Kevin Melancon of Hanover, Kyle (Janet) Melancon of Chicago, Illinois, and Orville Jr. (Andrea) Melancon of Hanover, Illinois; her daughter, Regina (Richard) Melby of La Crosse, Wisconsin; eleven grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren; and three sisters, Mary Hanson of South Dakota, Janice Loll of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Cathy (Merle) Sheare of La Hoya, California. Eileen is preceded in death by her husband, Orville; a son, Richard; a grandson, Richard, Jr.; two brothers, Bud and Bill Loll; and two sisters, JoAnn Reynolds and Helen Schwartz.