Lenora B. Bakener

Lenora B. Bakener, 99, of Mt. Morris, formerly of Polo died Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at Pinecrest Manor in Mt. Morris.

Lenora was born December 3, 1921, in her parents’ farm home northeast of Morrison, the daughter of Olive Cassell Cassens and Ernst H. Cassens. She was educated in the Whiteside County Schools. She attended and graduated from The James School, a country one-room school for 8 grades, graduated from Morrison High School, 1939, and The Scovill Schools of Business in Sterling. Her first employment was a stenographer in Whiteside County Department of Public Welfare, Morrison. About 3 years later, she was the bookkeeper for the Blackhawk Co-op Hybrid Seed Corn Assn., Polo. Lenora married Everett R. Bakener on October 4, 1946 in the Polo United Methodist Church. They lived on and Everett operated the family farm northwest of Polo until retirement 54 years later. Lenora was a busy homemaker, loved family, friends and the farm. She enjoyed cooking and sewing, and especially canning fruit and vegetables from their garden. They moved to Pinecrest Village, Mt. Morris, February 1, 2000. Everett died April 6, 2000. Lenora was a 50 year member of the Polo United Methodist Church, The Aldersgate Class, Mary-Thorton Circle, The Alpha Book Club, Polo, The Historical Society, Polo, and was a 50 year member of the Ogle County Farm Bureau, Oregon.