Dawn “Michelle” Wilson, 54, of Maquoketa, IA, formerly of Orion and Cambridge, IL, passed
away at Decatur Memorial Hospital on February 10th, 2023, after an eleven-month battle with
ovarian cancer. Cremation rites have been accorded. A visitation will be held from 3-5 pm on
Friday, February 17th, at Vandemore Funeral Home and Crematory – Geneseo Chapel. A
Celebration of Life and dinner will follow the same evening from 6-9 pm at The BlackRidge,
Cambridge, IL. Memorials may be directed to her youngest children or the Ovarian Cancer
Research Alliance at https://give.ocrahope.org/DawnMichelleWilson.
Michelle was born in Rock Island, Illinois, on September 8, 1968, to Donald “Michael” and Kathy
Lee (Schmacht) Wilson. She graduated from Orion High School in 1986. She attended Black
Hawk College and Western Illinois University. She married Gary Conrad in Cambridge, Illinois
on July 22,1989. They later divorced, but they continued to raise four wonderful children
together.
Michelle had an unquenchable entrepreneurial spirit and was a jack of all trades. Along with her
aunt in-laws, she opened Prairie Flower Road Creations in Cambridge in 1993. In 1994, she
opened Country Cottage in downtown Geneseo with a dear friend, Dee. She operated that store
until 2000, and she continued her craft business at shows and fairs for many years. She also
hosted seasonal craft boutiques in shopping areas throughout the Quad Cities over the last 15
years. She found joy in the people she met, both customers and crafters alike. The connections
she made with other people was nearly as important to her as the artistic expression she found
crafting.
She had a passion for travel and adventure. She chased the northern lights, loved the fall colors
of the mountains, and was drawn to any water like the call of a siren. The beach soothed her
soul. She loved camping and was pursuing her dream of working remotely and traveling the
country in an RV.
Michelle will be remembered fondly by those who knew her. She was a creative mind, a
problem-solver, persistent and courageous. She is described as a shining light and a beautiful
person. She would see the potential in anything she looked at, and she was the life of any party.
She could make any dish taste delicious and enjoyed cooking for others. Most importantly,
Michelle faced life’s challenges without hesitation.
Those left to cherish her memory include her children Katie (Patrick) Coppejans of Geneseo,
Courtney (Stephen) Ericson of Cambridge, Jason “Dylan” Creed of Vilseck, Germany, and
Alyssa Bailey of Maquoketa, IA; grandchildren Jameson and Elijah Coppejans, and Paisley and
Liliana Ericson; mother Kathy Wilson of Maquoketa, IA; father Michael (Deanna) Wilson of
Moline; sister LaDonna Wilson (Jim Leach) of Decatur; brother Thad Wilson of Naples, FL; three
nephews, a niece; several aunts, uncles, and cousins; and her lifelong friend Gary Conrad.
Michelle was preceded in death by her grandparents Charles “Carl” H. and Isabel Schmacht
and Donald and Phyllis Wilson.
