Virginia May “Jenny” Perry, 85, of Harrisburg, IL passed away on Sunday, December 24, 2023, at Deaconess Gateway Hospital, in Newburgh, Indiana surrounded by her family.
She was born on August 14, 1938, in West Fork, Indiana to Edward Dow and Anna May (Hayword) Shoemaker.
Jenny married Charles Wesley Perry on August 31, 1958, until 1993. She was a member of the Church of Christ in Harrisburg, IL. Jenny was a member of DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution. She founded the Historical Society in Saline County where she lived. Jenny was passionate about Genealogy and researching her heritage. She began her legendary work on the Kitterman Family with pen and paper and constant trips to the Library. Jenny would plan her research trips around the children’s school vacation. School breaks were a time for Jenny and her girls, and Joe to be hauled off to the hills of Perry County to find a cemetery and to fight the snakes and turkey lice that came with the research in that tall Southern Grass. She worked tirelessly requesting information from court houses, county clerks, land records, marriage records, census records, and many libraries. Jenny wrote the first volume of the Kitterman Sinew Family and began to produce a newsletter every 3 months for over 35 years for the Kitterman Family Society. Her last act of work for the Kitterman Family Society was to reinstall 11 headstones to family members whose headstones had be left unreadable or damaged over the years in the Kitterman Cemetery. Jenny had a deep love for her family and will be missed by all that knew her. She loved to bake, make craft, and can foods.
Jenny is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Anna May Shoemaker, her sister Loretta Keiffer, and her brother Dallas Shoemaker.
She is survived by her children, Christina Renea Perry, Jennifer Jane Lane, Charles Joe Perry, her grandchildren – (who affectionately called her Nanny) – Taylor Perry, Braden Walker, Nathan Smith, Maddison Stevens, Zaquary Stevens, her sisters, Delores Montgomery, Ruby Rosson, her special friend and cousin Daniel Grahame Hingley, and several nieces, nephews, and many cousins.
According to her wishes, a Graveside Service will be held on Thursday December 28, 2023, at Eckerty Cemetery at 1:00 PM EST.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Denbo Funeral Home in memory of Jenny Perry.
Online condolences may be made at www.denbo-dillmanfuneralhomes.com
Denbo Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Ms. Virginia “Jenny” Perry.
