Louise Parsons went to be with Jesus on November 19, 2023, attended by her loving family. She was born on June 7, 1931, to Everett and Helen (Collins) Woods near Ashland, Illinois.

Louise attended a one-room elementary school and was the solitary student in each of her grades. She graduated from Ashland High School as valedictorian in 1949 and from St. John’s School of Nursing in Springfield, IL in 1952. She worked in several hospitals and the Macon County Health Department in Decatur, IL. She loved her profession and was proud to excel at bedside nursing. Louise married a high school classmate, Jesse P. Parsons on November 24, 1955. They lived in Decatur for 56 years where they raised four children. A long-time member of Woodland Chapel Presbyterian Church in Decatur, she served as a deacon, elder, and on many committees. Louise and Jesse moved to Delano, MN in 2012 to be near family where they joined the Delano United Methodist Church.

Louise was a strong matriarch and loved to keep up with the exploits and challenges of her extended family. Always available to help family, friends, and neighbors, she volunteered for many years at Rock Springs Nature Center, and Muffley Elementary School in Decatur, and was awarded an Honorary Life Member in the Illinois Congress on Parents and Teachers. Louise loved to sew, cross-stitch, camp, and hike and instilled a deep joy for the out-of-doors in her family. She read voraciously, enjoyed word puzzles, and was still solving a daily Wordle in her last days.

Louise is survived by children Craig, in Shorewood, MN; Daniel (Maureen) of Ithaca, NY; Tim (Lesley) of Delano, MN, and Mary Lou Morris (Geoffrey) of White Bear Lake, MN; a sister Shirley (Marcus) Whisnant of St. Charles, IL, and sister-in-law Mary Woods, of Edina MO, and several nieces and nephews. She had nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Jesse on August 15, 2018, brother William Woods of Edina, MO, and her parents.

A memorial service and burial will be held in Ashland, IL at a later date. Memorials may be made to Scovill Zoo, 71 S Country Club Rd, Decatur, IL 62521, scovillzoo.com; or Marion Medical Mission, 1412 Shawnee Dr, Marion, IL 62959, mmmwater.org.