By Jim Meridith
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3 Comments
  • Visitation

    Sunday, July 11, 2021

    4:00 to 8:00 pm and

    Monday, July 12, 2021

    8:00 am to 9:30 am

    Meridith Funeral Home, Highland, IL

  • Service

    Monday, July 12, 2021

    10:00 am

    Immaculate Conception Church, Pierron, IL.

  • Full Obituary

    Nancy J. Brinker, 79, of Highland, IL, passed away, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at Missouri Baptist Hospital.

    Nancy was born February 11, 1942, to Charles and Adeline (nee Miller) Nager in E. St. Louis, IL.  On June 16, 1960, she married Robert J. Brinker, at Holy Angels Catholic Church in E. St. Louis, IL.

    Nancy was a member of St. Paul Church in Highland and participated in the Church Choir.  She was also a member of the Highland Garden Club, a former member of the Highland Jaycee’s, and was a Den Mother when her sons were in Cub Scouts.

    A loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Nancy’s family was very important to her, and she loved to babysit when she could.  Nancy never met a stranger, loved being outdoors and enjoyed gardening.  Building puzzles and sewing, were also some of her favorite things to do.

    She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Adeline Nager; husband, Robert J. Brinker; brother, Charles Nager.

    She is survived by her sons, David (Darla) Brinker, Pocahontas, IL, Don Brinker, Highland, IL, Joe (Connie) Brinker, Kansas City, MO, Mark Brinker, Highland, IL; grandchildren, Dawn (Jon) Rinderer, Julie (Steve) Schonhardt, Jared (Devan Roberts) Brinker, Kristi (Allan Butler) Brinker, Matthew (Olivia) Brinker, April (Brock) Stephenson, Daniel Brinker, Luke Brinker, Samantha (Tyler) Kathman, Benjamyn (Siarra) Brinker, Hillary (Brent) Hastings, Jacob Brinker, Derek (Sara Strom) Brinker; great grandchildren, Sierra, Brock, Alex, & Logan Rinderer, Drew, Ava, Michael & Matthew Schonhardt, Dalton Roberts, Addilyn, Oliver & Henry Brinker, Lily, Ali, Lane, & Lexi Butler, Jaelyn, Peyton, Samuel & Evelyn Brinker, Parker, Colton, & Connor Stephenson, Sophia Kathman, and Crew Hastings; sister, June Rank.

    Memorials may be made to the St. Paul Education Foundation.

    Visitation:  Sunday, July 11, 2021, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm and Monday, July 12, 2021, from 8:00 am to 9:30 am, at Meridith Funeral Home, Highland, IL

    Mass of Christian Burial:  Monday, July 12, 2021, 10:00 am, Immaculate Conception Church, Pierron, IL.

    Clergy: Fr. Piotr Kosk, Parochial Vicar, St. Paul Church

    Interment: St. Joseph Cemetery

    Meridith Funeral Home, Highland, IL.

Condolences are reviewed and published within 24 hours.

3 Condolences
 
  1. Marsha / July 9, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    Don’t even know where to begin!! What a very special lady! She was like a 2nd ‘Mom to me after I lost my own. She had the most infectious laugh and smile to match and with that twinkle in her eyes , she could make you believe that no matter what…. everything was going to be OK.. Those eyes really lit up when she talked about her family. She loved whole heartedly and unconditionally! I’m so blessed to have had her as a wonderful friend!! My thoughts and prayers are with all of you!! Bob is soooo happy to see her!

  2. Rosemarie Schrage / July 10, 2021 at 9:04 am

    Nancy was one of the kindest, most gracious people I know. We sat next to each other for MANY years while singing in the St. Paul Church Choir. It started at a time, when the choir was still located at the “Choir Loft” upstairs in the back of church. Our children went through 12 years of St. Paul School together, which always gave us something to talk about whenever we met.

  3. Samantha / July 12, 2021 at 8:16 pm

    When you dream about love as a little girl it’s the fairy tale kind of love. Because that’s what the movies show you.

    They don’t show you the struggles. The real struggles, that we face everyday.

    But grandma and grandpa had that type of love that you remember.

    I remember walking into the kitchen with grandma at the sink (or Zink as she would call it) looking out the window. Grandpa made his lemon juice and water with ice. And he walked over to the that sink and just stood there with her for a bit with his hand on her butt.

    I turned and walked away snickering. Because grandpa was touching grandmas butt. I had just witnessed a rare encounter between them. But I’ve always remember it. They weren’t typically outwardly affectionate. They didn’t kiss in front of us. I never heard them say I love you. They didn’t fight in front of us. I never heard them raise their voices.- Well unless you got grandma talking about sports. Because Brinker’s don’t talk about sports. They yell about sports. Every one of them. They speak VERY expressively about most topics. But that one especially. 🙂

    Even though I didn’t hear grandma and grandpa use the words I love you, they absolutely showed you.

    Love was grandpa taking photos of every grandkid at every grade school, and high school event they went to with his black camera. And then printing the photos to give to you (and kept copies for himself).

    Love was grandpa clipping out coupons and handing them to you when you came into town because he was thinking someone could use them.

    Love was grandma asking you what is new? How is work? Ya been busy? All within 5 seconds of each other and immediately when you started explaining. Sometimes I’m not sure she even heard the answers to her questions before moving on to the next one. Because she just wanted to know so much about you.

    Love was grandpa going to see grandma every day whether she was in the hospital, or faith countryside healing from another surgery. We all took turns taking grandpa out to see her, and typically he was carrying a Tru Buy grocery bag with whatever she needed from him that day.

    Love was not telling your wife that you were feeling badly because you didn’t want her to worry while she was going through her own recovery.

    For them- Love was quiet, love was patient, love was in private, love was for them. They loved their kids, they loved their grandkids, and they loved their great grandkids more than anything.

    Seven years was a long time for grandma to see grandpa again. But I know he met her at those pearly gates.

    Fly high grandma. We love you and miss you so much already.

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