Ila E Koonce

Born on June 8, 1937 in Harrisburg, Arkansas to James Forrest Scrape and Velma Lee Ross (Patterson), she married Ronnie Jim Koonce Sr. on July 30, 1959 in Oregon, IL. Ila and Ronnie were married for over 60 years. Ila was preceded in death by her husband, one daughter, Priscilla Gaye Koonce, her father and mother, her step father John Patterson, her sister Irene, and her brother Jack.

Surviving are her children Joseph Koonce, Celesta (Kevin) Davis, Leslie (Joseph) Draper, Holly (Chris) Pogioli, Ronnie (Alice) Koonce, Tiffani Koonce, Trevor (Marilee) Koonce, Miracle (Daniel) Meskimen, and Branden (Nancy) Koonce, as well as 20 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, one sister, Ida Mae Gomez of Phoenix, AZ, and one sister-in-law, Norma Steele of Marissa, IL.

Ila was a devoted and selfless homemaker who worked very hard each day to ensure her family was taken care of. She raised her family with strong values and set a continuous example of strength, purity, determination, and faith. She avidly studied scripture and read the King James version of the Holy Bible, and she worshipped with the Church of Jesus Christ.

Ila was a beloved and devoted wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She will be remembered as a God-fearing woman who put her family first. A beautiful woman inside and out, she was kind-hearted and gentle, yet spirited and unapologetically devout. She raised her nine surviving children and many of her grandchildren in a conventional conservative fashion. She enjoyed cooking and sharing wholesome meals with her loved ones. Ila had an amazing appetite for learning and exploring new things. She was an avid photographer, a collector, a seamstress, a gardener, and a lover of natural beauty. She especially loved photographing flowers and roses, as well as horses, deer, birds, and other animals. Her admiration of hummingbirds, collection of antique porcelain dolls, and her bold and feisty demeanor were well-known among her family. She enjoyed spending time with family, going for scenic drives with her husband, and walking through forests, in parks, and along nature trails. She was humble, caring, and loving. Ila was immensely proud of her family and considered them to be her greatest accomplishment.

A graveside service will be held in Ila’s honor at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield, IL with family at 12 p.m. on August 1, 2023. Arrangements have been entrusted to Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes and Crematory in Pekin.

Memorial contributions may be given to Alzheimer’s Association, Central Illinois Chapter, 614 West Glen Avenue, Peoria, Illinois 61614.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com