Pontiac – Jeannine Estelle (Rhoda) Perez, 87, of Loreto Mexico, passed away at 9:36 am, Saturday, August 20, 2022, at Accolade Healthcare, Pontiac.

Cremation has been accorded. An open house to celebrate her life will be held on,, Sunday, September 25, 2022, from 1:00-3:00pm, at Christ Community Church, 406 W. Seventh St. Gridley IL.

Memorials may be made to the Acoma Education Foundation (Acoma Indian Reservation, New Mexico) Acoma Indian Reservation, 49 Pinsbaari Dr., Pueble of Acoma, NM 87034, 505-552-5121, where Jeannine taught for many years.

Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Perez was born December 20, 1934, in Pontiac, the daughter of Edwin Carl and Elizabeth Bernice (Phillips) Rhoda. She married Dale Casson on July 14, 1952. She remarried Adalberto Perez on June 23, 1979.  Aldaberto died January 16, 2013.

Surviving are her children, Terry (Joy) Casson of Fairbury, Marilyn (John) Kefallinos of Hinsdale, Diane Troehler (Garry Vujanov) of Bloomington, Joni (Greg) Besgrove of Fairbury, Cathy (Delmar) Smith of Gridley, Liz (Rob) Hobart of Anchor, Sara Casson (Doug Haag) of Fairbury, and Chris (Christine) Casson of Morrison, CO; 15 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Sue Vincent of Illinois and Martha (Robert) Lichter of Illinois; and two brothers, Jim (Ann) Rhoda of Ohio and David (Joy) Rhoda of Wisconsin; and a sister-in-law, Sharon Rhoda of Illinois.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one daughter-in-law, Jane (Powell) Casson and one brother, John Rhoda.

Mrs. Perez retired from Thomas Metcalf School in Normal and Acoma Indian Reservation in New Mexico.

After retirement she and her husband opened El Caballo Blanco Bookstore in Loreto, Mexico where they lived for the past 19 years. An online registry is available at www.duffypilsmemorialhome.com .