Jennifer Van Cleave

PRINCETON — Jennifer A. (Mecum) Van Cleave, 60, of Princeton passed away Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, at OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria.

Jennifer was born Sept. 29, 1958, in Kewanee to Charles Mecum and Betty Jean Philhower. She married the late Roger Van Cleave on Dec. 23, 1989, at the New Hope Church of the Nazarene in Princeton.

She was a graduate of Princeton High School, Class of 1976. She attended Sauk Valley Community College, earned an associate’s degree in accounting from Illinois Valley Community College in 2012 and earned a bachelor’s degree in 2014 from Western Illinois University.

Jennifer worked as an insurance sales associate for a time, as well as a hub manager at UDS Delivery Service. But she fulfilled a long-held goal when she worked as an advocate at Freedom House from 2015 to 2018, retiring due to health issues.

She enjoyed sewing, cooking and anything starring Kiefer Sutherland. She loved playing solitaire and collecting souvenir spoons. Jennifer also loved listening to the Carpenters and her all-time favorite, Jim Croce. You’d often find her singing songs to her kids, too.

Jennifer is survived by one daughter, Ariel Van Cleave of Seattle, Wash., and one son, Ulysses Van Cleave of Princeton; one sister, Daniel Johnson of Peoria; one brother, David (Andrea) Mecum; two nieces and two nephews; and multiple grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Roger Van Cleave; one son, Starr Mecum; one daughter, Schuyler Van Cleave; and one brother Stacy Mecum.

A Celebration of Life will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Norberg Memorial Home in Princeton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.

Online condolences may be left at www.norbergfh.com.