Irene Peckham, 88, of Rantoul died Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 at Wellsville Retirement Community in Wellsville.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa.

She was born Jan. 17, 1921, in Blue Mound, the daughter of Charles Marshall and Ethel Amelia (Bingham) Northway.

She grew up in Blue Mound and lived in Mound City after her graduation from high school. She moved to Rantoul in 1943.

She graduated from Blue Mound High School with the class of 1938 and attended Fort Scott Junior College and Pittsburg Teachers College.

Irene was a homemaker. She taught school for six years in Linn County and Franklin County from 1940 until 1946.

Irene was a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Wellsville where she was organist for almost 50 years. She later became a member of Rantoul Community Presbyterian Church and attended Faith Lutheran Church in Ottawa. She was a member of a Homemaker Extension Unit for more than 50 years, Farm Bureau Women’s chairperson for a few years and a 4-H Club leader. She was an active member of the American Baptist Women. She was a lifelong member of the Ottawa Promenaders Square Dance Club and a charter member of the Ottawa Quilters Guild. Over her 25 years of quilting she quilted 63 full size quilts and 33 baby quilts, all hand stitched. In 1997, the Ottawa Art Guild had a showing of her quilts.

She was united in marriage Dec. 22, 1944, with James K. Peckham at Mound City. He preceded her in death April 4, 2006.

She also was preceded in death by her mother, Ethel Amelia Northway; father, Charles Marshall Northway, and three sisters, Betty Jo Northway, Ethel Leone Schmidt and Sister-Mary Herrmann

Survivors include two sons, Charles Allen Peckham of Atwood and Harry Peckham of Rantoul; a daughter, Linda Peckham of Lawrence; seven grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

She will lie in repose at the Dengel & Son Mortuary after 1 p.m. Wednesday to the service hour. Family will meet with friends 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Burial will be in Highland Cemetery.

Memorial contributions maybe made to Midland Hospice or Rantoul Community Presbyterian Church c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa KS 66067.

Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through dengelmortuary@sbcglobal.net and made at www.ottawaherald.com

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