Thelma Lavone Sheets, 77, of Lewistown, died at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, 1996, at St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
She was born May 17, 1918, in Vermont, a daughter of Arthur Floyd and Edith Marie Diamond McCarty. Her mother died when she was four, and she was raised by her stepmother, Vada Mae McKinley McCarty. She married Willard A. Sheets on June 15, 1940, at Palmyra, Mo. He died July 21, 1986.
Surviving are three daughters, Evelyn Eliane Stockham of Lewistown, Mrs. Wayne (Penny Louella) Smith of Lewistown, and Mrs. Charles (Kathleen Esther) Gilson of Vermont; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; one brother, Arthur McCarty of Denver, Colo.; one sister, Mrs. Delbert (Lois) Shawgo of Canton; two half brothers, John McCarty of Adair and Gene McCarty of Mt. Carmel; three half sisters, Mrs. Dorothy Krisher of Galesburg, Mrs. Steve (Faye) Orphans and Mrs. Jack (Margaret) Smith of Lewistown; and one sister-in-law, Mrs. Esther Weaver of Lewistown.
She and her husband owned and operated a grocery store and other retail businesses in Lewistown from 1949 until the early 1970s. She was a member of the Lewistown United Methodist Church, Spoon River Scenic Drive Association, of which she served as chairperson for the Lewistown area. She was a charter member of the Lewistown Historical Association. She also served as registration chairperson at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in Lewistown for the craft and flea market during the Spoon River Scenic Drive.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, at the Henry Memorial Home in Lewistown with Rev. Barbara Short officiating. Visitation will be Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the memorial home. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Lewistown.
Memorials may be made to her church or to the Spoon River Scenic Drive Living Museum Fund.
Current Obituaries in the Astoria South Fulton Argus