Presley Clare Kerber

Presley Clare Kerber, 32, a beautiful young soul, joined the heavens at 5:18 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, 2022, at Springfield Memorial Hospital. She had a car accident that was triggered by a medical condition. Presley fought for a month to the brink of recovery, but two major car accidents, traumatic brain injury, two strokes, and respiratory arrest in the last 7 plus years took its toll.

Presley was born on November 21, 1990. She was the second child, but the first daughter of Brian and Terri Lynn (Dean) Kerber.

Presley graduated from Williamsville High School in 2009. She loved hanging out with friends and playing sports. Presley played soccer and basketball all four years of high school. She advanced to the second round of the Three-Point Showdown in her junior year of basketball. Presley played soccer, starting in kindergarten, through the YMCA and club teams. She played every session of indoor soccer at Soccer World on as many teams as she could and would jump in with any team that needed a player. Presley played for multiple club teams in Springfield and Bloomington. She met so many friends by playing on the different teams, which may have played into her personality of making friends with everyone. One of the highlights was playing teams from Sweden and Japan during the USA Cup in Blaine, MN. Her favorite moments of high school were playing sports with all her friends she had grown up with; she loved her high school teams. Presley was able to be part of two state tournament teams for Williamsville, the first soccer teams to achieve the state. She finished her career in the top five in goals scored and assists for Williamsville.

After high school, Presley attended Hannibal LaGrange University in Hannibal, MO and played soccer there. She also played Junior Varsity basketball at HLG. Presley loved having the chance to play one more year of basketball. She then transferred to Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, WI and switched her major to education. She also played soccer at Cardinal Stritch. Presley transferred once again, to Benedictine University in Springfield, where she also joined the soccer team. She did not finish her college degree and she took a semester off and that’s when her life changed. Presley was involved in a car accident, struck by a driver who ran a red light. Presley suffered a traumatic brain injury and battled her way back from impossible odds to walk, talk, and live her best life. Many people did not expect her to survive the injuries. Through all the adversity, Presley continued to smile and enjoy life. She worked at Dairy Queen after her accident up until her time of passing. Presley loved her Dairy Queen family. She loved interacting with her customers and never failed to offer a pup cup to a dog or finish the conversation with, “God bless you and be safe”. Presley loved the St. Louis Cardinals and never hesitated to harass a Cubs fan when the Cubs lost. She was gifted a Cardinals jersey by a good friend and wore it for every game. The same passion she had in playing sports carried over to her love of the St. Louis Cardinals. Presley also loved working out and competing with Be Humble Gym.

She never lost her zest for life. Presley never complained and she always kept pushing on. Her parting words were always “God bless you and be safe”. Presley saw the good in everything and everyone and hated conflict. She loved her dog, Brewer, and he loved her fiercely in return. Presley left a little hole in the hearts of the people she touched, but she also brought so much joy and happiness. She always said that her guardian angels were watching over her and she has now left to be a guardian angel over the rest of her family, friends, and anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.

She was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Margaret “Peggy” Dean.

Presley is survived by her parents, Brian and Lynn Kerber of Sherman; siblings, Branson Kerber of Sherman, and Ashla (fiancé, John Baermann) Kerber of Springfield; grandfather, Ron Dean of Springfield; grandmother, Voncella Kerber of Riverton; niece, Zakariah “Kari” Kerber; and many aunts and uncles.

Cremation will be provided by Butler Cremation Tribute Center after the Funeral Ceremony.

Visitation: Family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 2, 2023, at Butler Funeral Home – Springfield, 900 S. Sixth St., Springfield.

Funeral Ceremony: 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at Butler Funeral Home – Springfield, with Rev. Meredith Manning Brown, officiating.

A memorial bench will be placed at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Williamsville, IL at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Animal Protective League, 1001 Taintor Rd., Springfield, IL 62702 or Be Humble Gym, 3 Royal Dr., Sherman, IL 62684.