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Florence Elizabeth Peacock
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Our beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Florence Elizabeth Peacock, passed away peacefully in Rio Verde, Ariz., on April 23, 2021 at the age of 91. She was born on Feb. 11, 1930, in Decatur, Ill., to William McLean Funk and Florence Edwina Irving. She enjoyed a wonderful marriage of 67 years with Henry Safford Peacock.
Betty had a great love for the outdoors and conservation. She developed a beautiful home site in rural Illinois near Lincoln, served as the first president of Logan County Park and Trail Foundation, engaging park planners to lay it all out, and served on the Illinois Board of the Nature Conservancy. Hunting and fishing were two of her favorite activities.
She was a strong supporter of Ducks Unlimited and preservation of wetlands in North America. Her favorite project was restoring an area of inappropriately farmed land in McLean County into a native prairie and forest.
Her dedication to her community was strong. Betty’s dream was to have a heated therapy pool in Lincoln. When the new hospital was built, she contributed funds to make her dream come true. Additionally, she served on the beautification committee of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, overseeing the planting of flowers, shrubs, and trees in strategic city sites. Her sense of outreach had special focus on conservation, education, and health care. The park system, Lincoln College, and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital were among her favorite institutions.
Betty’s first loves were her family and faith. She was a strong Christian lady who taught Sunday school for many years, and remained active and supportive of her church in Rio Verde, Ariz. In addition to her devoted husband, she is survived by two children and their spouses, seven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Grandmother, may you rest in peace.
A family memorial service will be held in the Community Church of the Verdes. A celebration of her life will take place later in the year in Illinois. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Messinger of Fountain Hills Mortuary. Donations in her memory may be made to Community Church of the Verdes or VerdeCares in Rio Verde or Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital or Lincoln College in Lincoln, Ill.
