Alexis Ann Wernsing, 40, of Litchfield died Oct. 1, 2015, in her residence.
Funeral services for Ms. Wernsing are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. in Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Burial will be in Elm Lawn Cemetery, Litchfield. Visitation is scheduled Friday, Oct. 9, from 2 until 8 p.m. at the Plummer Funeral Home in Litchfield.
She was born in Litchfield on May 10, 1975 to Edwin "Big Ed" and Patricia (Beeler) Wernsing. She attended Zion Lutheran School, was a May, 1994, graduate of Litchfield High, and a May 13, 2011, graduate of Lincoln Land Community College, from which she earned an Associate in Arts degree with honors. She was the commencement speaker for her LLCC graduating class.
Ms. Wernsing was attending the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, pursuing a degree in art history. She had been a resident of Nugent Hall there for the past four years and served on the Director's Student Advisory Council at Beckwith Residential Support Services. She had received the Chez Family Foundation Scholarship for the past two years as well as the Urbana-Champaign Business Women's Club Scholarship.
She had been a student teacher at Lincoln Land for the past three summers as well as a teaching assistant for Dr. Deana McDonagh on the U of I campus. Currently the two were working to design and build a voice amplifying system called AmpliMy that received a $10,000 Illinois Proof-of-Concept award from the U of I office of Technology Management.
Alexis enjoyed friends and Facebook and communicating by texting. She was close to her two nephews, especially playing Uno with them. Her favorite pet was Heinrich, her dachshund, who frequently sat on her lap and rode on the Weiner taxi. She was a great fan of the St. Louis Blues Hockey team, frequently attending games with her family.
She was a member of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Litchfield, where she was active in the Ladies Aid group.
Survivors include her parents; her brother Doug, wife Michelle (Leefers); nephews Landon Paul and Carter Dean Wernsing; her grandmother Lucille (Gronewald) Beeler of Hillsboro; her Godparents, Darrel and Karen Wernsing of Mt. Pulaski; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. She also considered her friends at LLCC in Springfield and at U of I, Urbana-Champaign, to be her family.
She was preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, Ralph Beeler, and her paternal grandparents, Burrell and Melvina Wernsing.
As one who paved the way for many handicapped people, Alexis will be remembered for facing life as normally as possible. She witnessed to her tremendous faith in God daily as she served the Lord well.
The family suggests memorials to be made to the LLCC Foundation or to INAD, in honor of Grace Herschelman or to the donor's choice.
For more information, to light a candle or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.plummerfuneralservices.com.
