Jeanne (Ducat) Stufflebeam, 82, passed into the arms of her heavenly father on August 8, 2022, peacefully at her home. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at North Cemetery-Geneseo. Memorials can be made to In-Home Care Connection Hospice. Vandemore Funeral Home and Crematory-Geneseo is handling arrangements.
Jeanne Catherine Pavlat Ducat Stufflebeam was born June 8, 1940, at her parent’s home in Carney, MI, the fourth of eleven children of Richard Henry and Kitty Clarsey “Catherine Theresa” (Preston) Pavlat.
She was raised on the family farm that her grandparents had originally homesteaded in rural Carney, MI and attended school in Carney through the 9th grade, where she participated girls’ basketball, was a cheerleader and in the Senior Band and Glee Club. After the 9th grade she stayed home to help her mother in the running of the household and the raising of her younger siblings. Jean received her GED in 1983.
On May 4, 1957, she was united in marriage to William Mike “Bill” Ducat in Nadeau, MI. The couple resided in Vulcan, MI until moving to Rock Island, IL and finally building their dream home in rural Geneseo, IL. Together they had four daughters, Cheryl Jean, Pamela Kay, Diana Lynn and Beth Ann, and one son William Mike, Jr. who passed soon after his birth. Jean remained married to Bill until his passing in 1986.
On August 29, 1987, she was united in marriage to Terry Gene Stufflebeam in Geneseo, IL, growing her family to include Terry’s children Tracey Lynn and Bradley Ray. The couple soon embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, becoming Christian missionaries in Papua New Guinea from 1988-1990. They returned state side and lived in Colona, IL, Geneseo, IL and Port Byron, IL before returning permanently to Geneseo, settling on Terry’s family’s farm.
Jean’s faith in Jesus was the foundation on which she built her life and what carried her through her illness with grace and dignity, certain in her belief of what was waiting for her.
While Jean’s faith was the foundation of her life, her family was her crowning achievement, which grew to include her five children and two stepchildren, ten grandchildren and six step-grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren and five step great-grandchildren. No matter how far they scattered around the country, she instilled in them an everlasting bond of family and she enjoyed nothing more than their visits and the opportunity to shower them with her love.
No matter where Jean made her home, she was always surrounded by flowers. Her green thumb included stunning floral landscapes and high producing vegetable gardens. She was a skilled seamstress, making many of the dresses for her daughters in their youth. Her talent for creating extended to landscape paintings in her later years. She also enjoyed her weekly ladies’ bowling league.
Jean is survived by her husband Terry of Geneseo, IL; her daughters Cheryl (Steve) Weidenfeld of Clermont, FL and their children and grandchildren, Pamela (Bill) Sterbenz of Clinton, IA and her children and grandchildren, Diana (Wilhelm) Lassel of Clermont, FL and their son and grandchildren, and Beth Ann (Salvatore) DiFranco of Naperville, IL and their children and grandchild; her step-children Tracey Robinson of Silvis, IL and her children and grandchildren and Brad Stufflebeam of Milan, IL and his children and grandchildren; her sisters Eileen Scearce of Columbus, OH, Julie (John) Webber of Carney, MI and Sharon (Ron) Thomas of Kewanee, IL, her brothers Arthur Pavlat and David Pavlat both of Iron Mountain, MI, her sister-in-law Gail Pavlat of Hermansville, MI, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Upon her entry into the kingdom of heaven she was reunited with her first husband Bill, her son William, Jr., her parents Richard & Kitty, her great-grandson Johnathan Hoffmann, and her siblings Eunice, Joseph, Richard, Karen and Laurel.
Jean’s family would like to extend their thanks to IHCC Hospice of Preston for their care of Jean during her final month and their extended family and friends for their love and support during this time of grieving.