Nan Buss

Nan Buss, age 67, of Mount Carroll, IL, passed away Sunday, December 1, 2019, surrounded by her loving family. A funeral service will be held Friday, December 6, 2019 at 10:30 am at the Church of God in Mount Carroll, with burial to follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Mount Carroll. Visitation will take place Thursday, December 5, 2019 from 4 pm to 7 pm at Law Jones Funeral Home in Mount Carroll, and one hour prior to Friday’s service, at the church.

Nan was born April 10, 1952 in Savanna, IL, the daughter of Cecil and Nancy (Schindler) Handel. She grew up in Mount Carroll, attending Mount Carroll schools. On June 4, 1977, Nan married Robert Buss in Florence Station, IL; between the two of them, they had nine children, but truly raised 10, including their grandson, Tyler.

Nan worked as a waitress and cashier at many establishments in Mount Carroll over the years. So many, that she became a fixture of the community, known by almost all. But it wasn’t just her work history that cemented her legacy in Mount Carroll. She guided and cared for numerous people through life’s most difficult challenges such as sickness and death, and she’d help with the more joyous things, such as babysitting for neighbors and friends, or helping watch over pets whose owners were out of town. Nan was a natural helper, and it was this compassion that led to her being held in such high regard by so many.

When she found time for herself, Nan enjoyed writing poetry, bowling, and collecting garden gnomes. She was an avid baseball fan, cheering on her Cubbies, every chance she had. She cared deeply for her many dogs, over her lifetime, and loved cruising in her white convertible. But above all, Nan loved her family, and was an active participant in the lives of every one of them.

Nan will be dearly missed by her husband, Bob; her five sons, Rob (Dee) Brashaw, of Albany, IL, Dan (Carrie) Buss, of Pearl City, IL, Shawn Brashaw of Mount Carroll, Chad (Chris) Brashaw, of Clinton, IA, and Jeff (Leslie) Brashaw, of Leaf River, IL; three daughters, Amy (Neil) Buss, of Mount Carroll, Dawn (Dan) Buss, of Mount Carroll, and Kimberly McColley, of Savanna, IL; 20 grandchildren, Tyler, RJ, Danielle, Cheyenne, Katie, Caleb, Cody, Carissa, Cassidy, Tommy, Sammy, Cole, Kegan, Courtney, Jenna, Joslyn, Hunter, Dylan, Chase, and Brittany; 21 great-grandchildren; a sister, Niff (Jeff) Kloepping, of Mount Carroll; two sisters in law, Myrna Handel, of Mount Carroll, and Valerie Fritz, of Scottsdale, AZ; as well as many other family members and friends.

Nan was preceded in death by her parents, her son, Rodney Buss, her three brothers, Richard “Skip” Handel, Ted Handel, and Tom “Charlie” Handel, and Jim Shurman, who was like an adopted son.