Lanny J. Lemons

On December 21, 2025, Lanny J. Lemons got out of the combine and left his Chevy pickup in the driveway for the last time. He lost his battle to pulmonary fibrosis.

Lanny was born on September 10, 1953, to Barbara Denison Lemons and Silas Lemons. The story goes that Barb got Si out of the combine to go to the hospital. Lanny spent his early years attending East Pike Elementary and East Pike High School where he was involved in FFA, sports, and other activities. During high school, Lanny worked for many local farmers hauling hay and played on a travel baseball team before travel baseball was a thing. He was valedictorian of his high school class and was known by his close friends as ‘Laker’. Lanny went on to attend Black Hawk East Junior college with a number of close friends from the area. In Kewanee, he worked for the Warner family and as fate would have it, met his future wife at one of their Christmas parties. He graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in Agriculture. Lanny worked for Monsanto on the livestock side for a few years before returning to farm full time with his dad. Lanny’s father instilled many life lessons to Lanny like a handshake and your words were good, although Lanny learned that people don’t honor those values anymore.

Lanny was a proud and loyal member of the Pike County Soil and Water Board, as well as the Douglas Cemetery Board. He had been a past board member for the Milton Christian Church, Mounted Angels, and Pike County Farm Bureau. Lanny also gave of his time as a volunteer for Mounted Angels spanning over 25 years, Special Olympics, and was a frequent blood donor. Lanny could be generous to a fault, taking on families at Christmas time and other worthy causes. Lanny loved to travel, especially to historic sites, and attending sporting events. He recently attended the NCAA baseball World Series, NCAA Basketball tournament, MLB Spring Training games in Arizona and Florida, and to Lambeau Field to see his Green Bay Packers.

He married Darla Majeske on November 28, 1980, in a winter snowstorm. They just celebrated 45 years together. Lanny is survived by his wife, and children, Bart and Mallory. As well as a sister, Lisa Lemons (Pam); mother-in-law, Irene Majeske; brothers-in-law, Bryan (Deb) Majeske, Brent (Cheryl) Majeske, and John (Michele) Majeske; numerous nieces and nephews; his Aunt Joyce; and some close cousins.

Lanny was preceded in death by his parents, Silas and Barbara Lemons; son, Blair Lemons; father-in-law, Mike Majeske; grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials to Douglas Cemetery or Black Hawk East Ag Alumni Foundation. The family asks for family and friends to arrive with a written Lanny story or saying as a keepsake. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM, Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at Milton Christian Church with visitation held prior to the service from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the church. Interment will follow the service at Douglas Cemetery in Milton, IL. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.nieburfh.com. Niebur Funeral Home in Pittsfield is handling the arrangements.

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