Summer Rae Eller, a 22-year-old resident of Nokomis, Illinois, passed away on March 15, 2024. Born on November 20, 2001, in Taylorville, Illinois, Summer was a former resident of Ramsey before moving to Nokomis.
The circumstances of her death were tragic. According to Nokomis Police Chief Talon Burton, Summer Eller was allegedly shot and killed by her estranged boyfriend, a 47-year-old man, in a shooting incident that occurred on the evening of March 15, 2024, shortly after 10 p.m. in Nokomis. Following the shooting, the suspect turned the gun on himself and later died at a hospital in Springfield. As of the initial report, the suspect's name had not been released.
Summer Eller was employed at the local Dollar General store at the time of her death. Her passing has left a significant impact on her family and community. She is survived by her parents, Valerie Eller and Melvin "Jay" Eller, Jr., as well as her siblings, JJ Eller, Dayton Crow, and Rylee Crow. Her grandparents, Nancy Virden, Rex Campbell, Shannia Eller, and Melvin Eller, Sr., and her great-grandparent Flonnie Beatty also survive her. Summer was predeceased by her grandfather Gary Virden, uncles Michael Campbell and Kenneth Smith, and cousin Kaleb Rhodes.
Memorials for Summer Eller are suggested to be made to the family in care of Stiehl-Dawson Funeral Home in Nokomis, Illinois.
