obituaries

Irma Allen

Jerseyville |

Irma L. (Stith) Allen, 95, died at 12:55 p.m., Wednesday, May 20, 2015 in the emergency room at Jersey Community Hospital in Jerseyville.She was born on in LaBelle, Mo., on June 8, 1919, the only child born to the late Floy & Mabel P. (Piner) Stith.Irma graduated from Lewiston (Mo.) High School in 1937, and began her career in education that fall in a one room school house while going to college.  She received her BS in Education from Culver-Stockton College in 1942, and MS in Education from Washington University in 1951.  She later completed an advanced certificate from the University of Illinois in 1963.After teaching in northeastern Missouri for several years, she moved to Illinois where she began teaching in Virginia and Manchester, before accepting a position as an English instructor for Jersey Township High School, where she taught from 1946-1948.  The majority of her teaching career was spent at Alton Senior High School where she taught English, and enjoyed many years in the counseling department, retiring in 1976.  After her retirement, she began her association with Monmouth College, where she served as an admission counselor from 1976-1993.Irma was a faithful member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Jerseyville and served on the board of the Easter Seal Society of Southwestern Illinois.  She was an active member of the Jersey County Historical Society, and the relocation of the Lone Star School was a labor of love, and an accomplishment she was very proud of.  She loved listening Dixieland Jazz, and when able, she never missed the JuvaeJass Societies festival in Decatur.  She even had her favorite St. Louis Riverman perform at her 90th birthday party.In her later years, she spent every waking moment cross stitching.  It was her goal to complete a quilt or two every year for the Jersey County Historical Society quilt raffle.  She loved her St. Louis Cardinals, and was a proud season ticket holder for over 30 years.Irma had a wonderful life, full of happiness and accomplishments, with many good friends along the way.  She will truly be missed.She married Eugene Allen on Dec. 22, 1951 and together they had three children, and shared nearly 21 years together before he was killed in an automobile accident on Nov. 17, 1972.Surviving are her daughter, Rita M. Allen of Jerseyville, along with many other loving relatives and friends.In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two sons, Charles S. Allen in infancy, and Paul Eugene Allen who died on May 27, 1983.Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville, where a prayer service will be read at 3:30 p.m.A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Jerseyville, with Father Patrick Gibbons officiating.Burial will be in the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Jerseyville.Memorials may be given to either the St. Francis/Holy Ghost Catholic Schools in Jerseyville or to the Jersey County Historical Society.


Obit Provided By:
Crawford Funeral Home

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