Jeannine B. Hugill

Jeannine Hugill, 90, passed away on the morning of April 22, 2026, in her Freeport home, peacefully and in the company of family. Born in Potosi, Wisconsin on July 9, 1935, she was the seventh of ten children to Harvey and Pearl (Buss) Graham. Upon graduating high school, she continued her studies in English and mathematics, earning a bachelor’s degree at UW-Platteville and a Master of Arts at Rockford College. She then began her career as an educator, spending over fifty years in the classroom, including forty-seven in the math department at Highland Community College.

She married Bob Hugill on March 23, 1956, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa, and quickly set out on a honeymoon to the Great Smoky Mountains. After a year of teaching together in small-town Wisconsin, the two found their way to Freeport where they built their home and raised two children. As a family, summers were spent traveling the country extensively, embarking on countless camping trips. In addition to their children and grandchildren, they also proudly adopted a nearly incalculable number of family cats. Through their marriage of sixty-one years, they were a constant pillar of support for one another in both the brightest of days and the toughest of hardships.

She was preceded in death by her husband on Christmas Eve, 2017.

Jeannine always showed the greatest exuberance in mind, body, and spirit. An avid reader, she was often in the midst of multiple books at any given time. Her love of Shakespeare and poetry was matched by her adoration of classical music. As a lifelong supporter of the arts, she was seen on stage at Winneshiek Playhouse and heard singing through the decades with the Freeport Choral Society. Staying active was always of tremendous importance, whether she was biking, cross-country skiing, or running a 10K; though she also took time to find comfort in the simple, slower moments of life, like feeding the birds and the squirrels in her backyard or just enjoying a good cup of Earl Grey tea. For nearly seventy years, she was a proud member of the First United Methodist Church in Freeport, serving on numerous boards and committees, delivering guest sermons, and singing as the loudest alto in the church choir.

Throughout her life, she meant more to those around her than she may have ever known. Priding herself as an educator, she once estimated to have taught nearly ten thousand students over her long career, creating lasting bonds with many. She was the baker who brought an eclair to every potluck and several cakes and pies to every family function. She was the embodiment of charity, whether through her local work with FACC and her church or through her annual Christmas donation to Heifer International. She was the proudest parent and grandparent, placing the value of her family above all else. She was the listener in a time of need, the comfort, the “silly one,” the cheerleader, the “and many more” at the end of every birthday song. She was a lasting imprint on the souls of all who were fortunate to know her.

Perhaps more than anything, Jeannine will be remembered most for her unending patience, for the depth of her kindness, and for her unapologetically vibrant spirit.

She is survived by her two children, Taylor (Janet) Hugill and Heather (Gregory) Kempel; her grandchildren Erik Eiseman, Kelsey (Eric Ramirez) Eiseman, Chris (Rheanna Maxey) Kempel, Curt (Melissa Herrera) Kempel, and Chelsea (Chad Colliver) Kempel; her great-granddaughter Sabrina Ramirez; and a supplemental family just as near and dear to her, including Kim Ziegelbauer, Darla Flickinger, and Jerry Rule.

As a former grammar teacher, she would have been thrilled to know her obituary was written out thoughtfully by hand with a copy of “The Elements of Style” sitting nearby. She may, however, have been slightly perturbed by the number of run-on sentences.

Funeral services will be held at First United Methodist Church in Freeport on Saturday, May 2 at 11am.

A visitation will precede the service that morning, beginning at 10am.

A memorial fund has been established by the family. They thank everyone for their prayers and loving support, and wish to extend a special thanks to the Mercyhealth FHN Hospice Team for their amazing care. Condolences may be shared at www.walkermortuary.com.