Ione K. Pence

March 31, 1933 - June 23, 2019

Ione K. Pence, 86, of Edwardsville, passed away at the Bethalto Care Center, Sunday, June 23, 2019 at 1:02 PM. She was born on March 31, 1933, daughter of Lorenz and Florence (Schmidt) Kolm of Marine, Illinois. On December 29, 1962, she married George E. Pence of Evergreen Park, IL. Ione was preceded in death by her parents and an older sister Linette and her husband Burnell Maedge. Ione is survived by her husband George, and a brother Lorenz "Larry" Kolm of Belleville. Ione earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and History from McKendree University and a Master’s of Education from the University of Illinois. She and her husband established the Office of Admissions at McKendree in the early 1960s and served as Associate Director and Director of Admissions respectively. Ione also served McKendree as its Registrar. Her husband’s vocation as an Episcopal Priest found the couple living in Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, and northern Illinois, and Ione became active in the areas where she and George made their home. Over the years, Ione held Instructorships at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Florida and Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas, administrative office positions at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; and, while living in Daytona Beach, Florida, she served as Administrative Assistant to the Director/Producer of the Motor Racing Radio Network of Daytona International Speedway, bringing radio stations on-line across the country and providing voice-over radio advertising. She was active in community theatre in Florida and in Texas and sang with the Community Chorus in Evanston, Illinois. Her interests also included genealogy and history, and she edited and published The Schmidt Quarterly. Ione enjoyed a lifelong love of poetry, holding memberships in the Chicago 4:30 Poets and the Florida Studio Poets, and served as Judge of Entries for the Florida State Poetry Society. She published several books of her own works, and her poems appeared in Poet Lore and Luna. She also edited and produced poetry quarterlies, including The Poet’s Page and Another Place to Publish, publishing manuscripts of writers from around the country and awarding thousands of dollars in prizes to contributing poets. Following George’s retirement, the Pence’s returned to the Edwardsville area where, in 2002, Ione opened Happy Tails Thrift Shop, giving the proceeds from the shop to animal charities in the area, including humane societies, animal shelters, wildlife centers, spay-neuter organizations, and animal rescue groups in the several counties surrounding Edwardsville. When Happy Tails closed in 2011, proceeds to the above animal charities during the shop’s nine-year span had exceeded $141,000. The Funeral Eucharist will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 406 Hillsboro Ave. Edwardsville, Il., on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 11:00 AM. with Rev. Dr. Arnold Hoffman as celebrant. There will be a luncheon following the service in the Parish Hall. Inurnment will be private at Marine Cemetery. The family requests in lieu of flowers memorials be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Metro East Humane Society, Edwardsville, or the donors favorite animal charity or shelter.