Nancy Jo (Koenig) McGehe

NANCY JO (KOENIG) McGEHE, 83, left this earthly home to be with our Lord, Sunday, April 20th. She was born August 4, 1930 in Dubuque, Iowa to Walter and Jessie Koenig. She attended Dubuque Senior High School and graduated in 1948. While in high school, she met her husband Delbert and was married for 65 years. She played the oboe in the band and orchestra and was a flag bearer in the marching band. She was very active in school and was president of the Red Cross Chapter during her senior year. In 1953, she and her husband, with three children, moved to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois where her husband was employed by a local glass company before starting his own business in 1962. She was a home mother until her children were grown and gone. She was then employed at Carle Clinic in Urbana and worked up to be the Credit Supervisor. In 1987, she and her husband retired to Dardanelle, Arkansas where they lived for twelve years before moving to Dandridge, Tennessee. She was very proficient with tools and construction work and helped build five houses. She survived an abdominal aneurysm in 2004 that nearly claimed her life and was in ICU for seven days. A year later she was diagnosed with dementia and later it was determined as Frontotemporal disorder dementia. She remained at home during this time and was cared for by her husband until she entered the Tennova Residential Facility in Halls in December 2013. Nancy is survived by her husband, Delbert McGehe; children, Connie Hagemeyer of Decatur, IL, Karen Isenhower of Hot Springs, AR, Denise Lauer of Westville, IL, and Dennis McGehe of Alabama; sister, Jeanette Campbell of Dubuque, IL; 11 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. As a person willing to help others, her remains will be donated to the Genesis Medical Education and Research Institute in Memphis, TN and cremated after research is completed. Many thanks go to Tennova Hospice employees at the Halls facility for their love and care while she was there and to Estelle, Shelly, and Phil who made many trips to her home. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the First Baptist Church of Dandridge, TN Building Fund would be appreciated (P. O. Box 246, Dandridge, TN 37725). A Celebration of Life service will be held at First Baptist Church to receive friends on Saturday, May 3rd from 3:00 to 4:00pm with a service beginning at 4:00pm. ARRANGEMENTS BY FARRAR FUNERAL HOME, DANDRIDGE, TN.