Wellington-born and bred, our beloved mother, Joan Schwinn, left this earth for her heavenly rest on April 23, 2024, in Woodstock, Illinois. She was 95 years old. The youngest child and only daughter of local attorney W.H. “Joe” and Cecile (Lomax) Schwinn, Joan grew up with her brothers Tom and Bill at 210 E. 7th Street, where their parents resided for almost a half-century. She graduated from Wellington High School in 1946. In 1949, she married Henry Virgil Kemp of Oxford, Kansas. Their union produced two children, and along the way, Joan made comfortable homes for her family in Wellington; Long Beach, California; and Jacksonville, Bloomington, and Carbondale, Illinois. She also lived for a time in Sedona, Arizona before returning to Wellington in the 1990s and early 2000s. From 2007 to 2022, she happily resided in the Walden Oaks Apartments in Woodstock, Illinois, before spending her final two years at the wonderful Valley Hi Rehabilitation and Nursing Home outside of Woodstock. Joan is survived by her children, Mark D. Kemp (Beth) of Cypress, California; Ann Marcile Pontarelli

(Patrick) of Carbondale, Illinois; five grandchildren: Eric N. Kemp (Amber) of Meridian, Idaho; Dr. Lisa S. Lemoine (Sandy) of Jarreau, Louisiana; Zachary Schwinn Pontarelli (Luna) and Aidan Henry Pontarelli of Carbondale; and William Patrick Pontarelli of Chicago; and three great-grandchildren: Landon Justus, Isla Elizabeth Ann, and Connor Ray Lawrence

Kemp. Joan was an avid reader, a great dancer, a wonderful homemaker, and a treasured friend to generations of her family and friends. Known for her strong opinions and fierce loyalties, she was also a gentle counselor and wonderful correspondent. During her Woodstock years, Joan was a devoted patron of the Sparrow’s Nest Thrift Store, which supports “the mission of Home of the Sparrow, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides housing and services to homeless women and children in McHenry County and Northern Illinois.” Donations in Joan’s memory can be made through the organization’s website at info@hosparrow.org. The family would like to thank the selfless, professional, and empathetic staff at Valley Hi, who loved and took care of Joan over the last two years of her life.