- Date Of Birth: November 10, 1937
- Date Of Death: April 23, 2020
- State: Illinois
Cora Antonacci, 82, of Alma, Illinois, passed away on April 23, 2020, in her log home surrounded by her loving family. In her later years, Cora suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Cora was born in Peoria, Illinois to Benno Lynn and Mary (Humes) Alig on November 10, 1937.
She attended Catholic elementary school in Canton, Illinois followed by graduation from Canton High School. After high school graduation, she moved to Peoria where she met and married the love of her life, Tony Antonacci. They met, passing each morning on the Franklin Street Bridge. The couple was married on June 29th, 1957 in Canton at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Cora was a homemaker and lived a farm life with her husband, Tony, during their 62 years of marriage. She was a party planner for House of Loyd Home Interiors, an accountant at the sale barn in Salem, and a bus driver for Kinmundy-Alma/South Central school district. She was co-owner of the Three Bee’s Book Store in Alma with her husband. Throughout her life, Cora found many ways to volunteer in the community and seldom met a stranger. She was a volunteer at school for her children, a 4-H leader of the Jubilee Hill Patriots 4-H Club in Brimfield, Illinois, and a 4-H leader of the Wide Awake 4-H Club in Kinmundy and Alma. She was a member of the “Pink Ladies” Salem Township Hospital Auxiliary and the Daffy Dill Garden Club. She volunteered with the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Centralia, Illinois, and Town Library in Alma. She had a love of reading, gardening, cooking, and collecting antiques. Cora will be remembered by family and friends for her language of love and gift-giving.
Cora was preceded in death by her parents, Benno and Mary Alig, father and mother-in-law, Mike and Josephine Antonacci, brothers, Lynn Alig, Alan Alig, and Mike Alig, a sister Donna Herberger and sisters-in-law, Mickey Nauman, Elaine Alig, and Marilyn Alig. Cora is survived by her husband, Tony, and four children, two sons, Anthony (Deb) Antonacci Jr., and Paul (Diane) Antonacci, both of Breese, Illinois, a daughter, Pam (Robert) Meyer, Athens, Alabama, a daughter, Lucinda (Robert) Fulton, Staunton, Illinois, niece, Sue (Michael) Sloat, Centralia, Illinois. Grandchildren include Elizabeth Antonacci, Peoria, Illinois, David Antonacci, Madison, Wisconsin, Joseph Antonacci, Fort Collins, Colorado, Dominic Antonacci, Bloomington, Illinois, Anne Marie Antonacci and Ellen Antonacci, Breese, Illinois, Jacob Meyer, Athens, Alabama, Julia Meyer, Birmingham, Alabama, Matthew Meyer, Charlotte, North Carolina, Maria Meyer, Athens, Alabama, Mary Hilmes, Breese, Illinois, Michael Antonacci, Mascoutah, John (Amanda) Antonacci, Steeleville, Illinois, Thomas Antonacci, Mascoutah, Illinois, Miranda Fulton, St. Charles, Missouri, Lydia Fulton and Samantha Fulton, Staunton, Illinois, Sean Maxey, Scottsdale, Arizona, Ben Sloat and Cindi Sloat, Centralia, Illinois.
She is also survived by seven great-grandchildren, Katherine, Sarah, Caroline, Isaiah, Avery, Luke, and Karigan. Other survivors include three brothers, Donald Alig, Peoria, Illinois, James Alig, Canton, Illinois, and Patrick (Connie) Alig, Virginia Beach, Virginia, brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Joanne Whittaker, McColl, SC, brothers-in-law, Clinton Nauman, Chillicothe, Illinois, and Niles Herberger, Wellsville, New York, and sisters-in-law, Jan Miller, Jenny Alig, and Suzanne Alig and special friends, Mike and Tracy Smith, Peoria, Illinois plus many nieces and nephews.
