LuEllen Conrad, age 89, of Salem, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Salem Township Hospital with her family at her bedside.
She was born on November 28, 1936, in Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of Cornelius Warren Nuss and Dorothy (O’Bannon) Nuss. On May 30, 1955, LuEllen married the love of her life, Harold Keith Conrad, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lanesville, Indiana. Together they shared 51 wonderful years of marriage until his passing on August 15, 2006.
LuEllen was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for the Farm Bureau in Clarksville, Indiana, and later served as a supervisor for Philip Morris in Louisville, Kentucky, before her retirement. A faithful member of St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church in Salem, LuEllen was active in the Avila League and was a lifelong member of the American Rabbit Breeders Association and the American Peony Society. She found great joy in crocheting, gardening, working jigsaw puzzles, traveling with her husband to rabbit shows, and taking day trips to discover new places to eat. Her warm smile, loving heart, and appreciation for life’s simple pleasures will be remembered by all who knew her.
Survivors include her children, Donald Conrad and wife Brenda of Salem, Joseph Conrad and wife Leslie of Salem, LuAnn Knight and husband Richard of Odin, and Teresa Young and husband Ronald of Salem; daughter-in-law, Billie Conrad of Salem; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and two sisters, Diann Kuerzi and Remona McIntyre, both of Clarksville, Indiana. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and her son, Timothy Jay Conrad.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church in Salem, with Father Jose Jacob officiating. Visitation will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Crouse Funeral Home, with the Rosary being recited at 12:30 p.m. Interment will follow at Paradise Cemetery in Salem. For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church and received at Crouse Funeral Home in Salem, which is assisting the family. Online condolences can be left at www.CrouseFH.com
