“There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” -Vincent Van Gogh.
Our beloved Lisa was, at her core, a selfless giver. A talented artist, cook, quilter and teacher, she exuded warmth, light, faith and love to her family and friends. We knew and felt that love and our lives have been forever brightened by this beautiful soul.
Lisa Marie (Lubben) Kemnetz, 70, passed away at Faith Place in Danforth, Illinois on September 6, 2024. Services will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Chatsworth, IL. Visitation will be held 10:00 a.m. followed by funeral services at 11:00 a.m.. She will be laid to rest at Germanville Cemetery.
Lisa was born on September 5, 1954, a daughter of Ray and Elizabeth Lubben, in rural Gilman. She graduated from Gilman High School in 1972. Lisa, a creative, talented artist, graduated from Illinois State University in 1976 with a Bachelor’s degree in Art. During the summers, she was a waitress at the famous Dutch Mill restaurant in Gilman, where she was known for her bubbly, kind personality.Lisa went on to earn her K-12 teaching certificate at Olivet Nazarene College. She taught Art at Crescent City Elementary School for over twenty years until her retirement.
On March 29, 1987, Lisa married Lloyd Kemnetz at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Crescent City, Illinois. They farmed together near Chatsworth, IL for over 30 years. Gardening and canning, sketching portraits of her stepchildren, nieces and nephews, and painting flowers, animals, and landscapes were her passions. Lisa enjoyed volunteering at County Fairs. She could also be found at local nursing homes with her stepdaughters, entertaining the residents with music and games.
Several of Lisa’s art pieces are displayed at the Gilman and Chatsworth libraries. In addition, she created beautiful quilts for her family and friends and sewed colorful banners for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. She also taught Sunday school, Bible school and directed the children’s Christmas program there for several years.
One of her favorite things to do was to travel to Europe and across America with Lloyd, her sister Kay, and her mother Elizabeth. She enjoyed the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario. And even though Lisa could not always be trusted to remember the tickets - or her passport- there was no one who brought more joy and warmth to those with whom she saw the world.Lisa loved her family and friends and would do anything for them. Lisa saw beauty where others could not. She created beauty for all of us to enjoy, through her brush strokes, intricate quilts, gifts from her garden, through her selfless giving of her time and talents. She was an angel to so many.
Lisa was preceded in death by her parents and her stepson, Jason Kemnetz. Surviving are her husband, stepdaughters Kelli Kemnetz and Kori (David) Giacometti, grandson Gabriel, granddaughter Kyah, sister Kay Henrichs of Bloomington, brothers Bill (Barb) Lubben of Gilman, and David (Donnah) Lubben of Peoria, as well as several loving nieces and nephews.In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
