Published on November 2, 2026 9:08 am
Last Updated on November 2, 2026 9:08 am
Lois Jean Wall Dunaway, 97, of Cowden, Illinois, passed away on October 30, 2026, at HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the Free Methodist Church in Cowden with Satch Thomas and her son-in-law, Ron Ayers, officiating.
Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. Interment will follow in Mound Cemetery in rural Cowden. Memorials in her honor may be made to the Cowden Free Methodist Church and mailed to Lockart-Green Funeral Home, 302 W. Main St., Shelbyville, IL 62565.
Family and friends are invited to light a candle or share a story at www.lockartgreenfuneralhome.com.
She was born at home in Dry Point Township in Cowden on October 13, 1929, one of 10 children born to William and Minnie (Brown) Wall.
Lois lived her entire life in Cowden, the community she loved and called home. She married Gerald “Fuzzy” Dunaway, and together they built a life centered on love, hard work, and family. Lois was a homemaker who took great pride in caring for those she loved. Her family was the center of her world, and she found happiness in both quiet moments and lively gatherings.
Whether spending time one on one with a child or grandchild, or enjoying time with her large extended family, she treasured every opportunity to be together.
Among the many things she enjoyed, Lois especially loved the family’s annual weenie roasts and hayrides. She also found joy in raising cats, tending her garden, and listening to country music.
Faith was an important part of Lois’s life. She was a longtime member of the Cowden Free Methodist Church and valued the fellowship and strength her faith provided through the years.
Surviving are six of her children, Bob (Sandy) Dunaway of Cowden, Larry (Missy) Dunaway of Cowden, Shirley (Ron) Ayers of Rochester, Gerald Wayne (Lori) Dunaway of Hudson, Mike
(Deana) Dunaway of Cowden, and Patricia Dunaway of Cowden. Also surviving are 18 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren, with two more on the way.
Lois was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 46 years, Fuzzy Dunaway; her daughter, Diana Doty; her son, Frankie Dunaway; two grandsons; two great-grandchildren; and her nine siblings.