Carlene Neuman
Carlene Neuman, age 83, formerly of Quincy, died on Monday, January 16, 2023 in the Rushville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born on November 1, 1939 in Quincy, IL the daughter of Clarence and Dorothy (Schalk) Holtschlag. She married Robert L. Neuman on August 3, 1957. He preceded her in death on March 31, 2013.
Carlene is survived by: TWO SONS: David Neuman and Dan Neuman.
Numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other relatives also survive.
In addition to her husband, Carlene was also preceded in death by her parents and a son, Michael Neuman.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 9:30 in the Duker & Haugh Funeral Home and at 10:00 AM in Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Interment in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Monday evening from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the Duker & Haugh Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. The Duker & Haugh Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Wishing the family peace and hoping that, as time goes by, you can remember Carlene as she used to be–strong, capable, passionate, and giving. This is how I knew my older cousin, who had children (David, Mike, and Danny) the same age as my siblings and I.
One summer, when I was maybe ten years old, the Neumans came for an annual visit to Minneapolis and decided to take me back home with them, with a promise to return me in time for school in September. For a city girl who had never had any pets, spending some time on their farm in the river bottoms of rural Illinois, with a pond, an affectionate Collie who enjoyed being brushed, a treehouse, a barn full of kittens, and the big machine shed where I could go visit with Uncle Clarence as he tinkered (my mother’s oldest brother), was a dream come true. I can still remember waking up to the morning breezy coming in the window of the upstairs bedroom, humid and fragrant with earthy agricultural smells. I believe it was Mike who gave up his room for me that summer, even vacating the beautiful old chest of drawers for me.
One morning, as Carlene brushed and braided my long hair, I remember asking her why she didn’t have any little girls. She told me, in so many words and a soft understanding tone, that God had decided, with her living on a farm, that boys would work out better. That summer, I learned about vegetable gardens, fishing with a bobber and corn, clipping the wings of domestic ducks, riding bikes on dirt roads through cornfields, and the daily schedule of a working farm. Carlene taught me about canning and making stuffed green peppers (a dish I still love and associate with her). Trips were made to the limestone quarry where my Uncle Walt had worked and to other local sights in my parents’ hometown. The grand finale was a trip to the Illinois state fair in Springfield, where we spent hours on the midway (Carlene’s generous treat) and looking at treasure, such as blown glass figurines.
I have wondered, from time to time through the years, how much influence this summer on the farm may have had on me. As a science-minded college student, I chose a degree in horticulture and a career in landscaping. I have lived most of my adult life, over three decades now, contentedly on a century-old farmstead in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, and still enjoy gardening and canning.
I am grateful to my extended family who showed a city girl her agricultural roots.