Lillian S. (Shanahan) Boynton was born on October 9, 1905, in Chicago. She attended Northern Illinois State Teachers College, DeKalb, known today as Northern Illinois University. She met Elmer “Pete” Boynton, Jr. of Sycamore, and was married to the young banker in 1930. They initially lived in Oak Park, where she opened a bonnet and beauty shop, and he worked in a downtown Chicago bank.

The couple moved back to Sycamore several years later, where Pete spent considerable time on the family farm. Lillian opened a beauty shop in DeKalb, and she and Pete settled into the large Boynton complex on North Main Street in Sycamore.  The 8,825 square-foot mansion was built by Elmer’s grandfather, C.O. Boynton, in 1886.

While there, Lillian continued her business ventures and, by the 1950s, had expanded into clothing, antiques, and hats. She was well-known for her mastery of etiquette, became well-traveled, and had a wide circle of friends. She remained in the mansion until 1987, maintaining her business interests well beyond Pete’s death in 1967.

Following the sale of what now had become valuable historical property, Lillian moved back to Oak Park. Before long, however, she yearned for the quieter DeKalb County lifestyle. She moved back and resided in DeKalb for the remainder of her life.

Lillian S. (Shanahan) Boynton passed away on December 20, 1998. The creation of the Lillian S. Boynton Memorial Fund and the Lillian S. Boynton Library Book Endowment Fund honors her memory. 

The Lillian S. Boynton Memorial Fund benefits five area organizations, including Shriners Hospital, as a memorial to Mrs. Boynton’s late husband, Elmer; to Sycamore Public Library, for book purchases; to Sycamore High School, for two annual scholarships; to The Salvation Army, for utilization within DeKalb County, and to Kishwaukee Health Foundation, to be used for purchasing equipment at Kishwaukee Community Hospital.

The Lillian S. Boynton Library Book Endowment Fund is used by the Sycamore Public Library exclusively for new book purchases.

The memory of Lillian continues through the love and support the community receives through the Funds created to honor her legacy.