Velma Lucille (Thompson) Gephart (91) of Louisville

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Published on April 9 2019 3:10 pm

Velma Lucille (Thompson) Gephart, 91, of Louisville, IL, passed away Sunday, April 7, 2019 at her son’s home in Louisville.

Memorial services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 27 at the Winterrowd Christian Church, 23282 E. 200th Avenue, Dieterich, IL 62424. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday prior to the service at the church. Services are in the care of Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham.              

Memorials may be made in loving memory of Velma to Winterrowd Christian Church. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here

Velma was born on June 22, 1927 in Xenia, IL, to Paul and Edna (Allen) Thompson, in a two room log cabin, where she lived with her parents and five of her siblings until she was 13 years old. She married Rodney Holman on February 1, 1945 and to this union a son, Darrell, was born on October 2, 1945. Rodney preceded her in death on November 28, 1984.

Velma was employed as a waitress at several local restaurants in Flora, IL and Harvey, IL. Her first job was at Brown Shoe Company when she was only 15 years old. When Darrell was 9 months old, she and Rodney moved to San Bernardino, CA. Velma attended beauty school there where she became a licensed beautician. The family moved back to Illinois and Velma opened her own shop, Val’s Beauty Shop, in Xenia where they lived for 10 years. They then moved to Louisville and she ran her shop there for 28 years. Velma was also an amazing cook, seamstress, and wife and mother. She was a member of Winterrowd Christian Church. She was a survivor of breast cancer since 1988 when she had a mastectomy.

She later married Floyd Gephart on October 22, 1992. They enjoyed 24 years of marriage before Floyd passed away on February 2, 2017. They loved to travel, go camping, and most of all spend time with friends and family.

Velma is survived by her son, Darrell Lee Holman of Louisville; step-children, Roger (Ronda) Gephart of Tunnel Hill, Donnie (Doris) Gephart of Dieterich, Alan “Flip” (Paula) Gephart of Brownstown, and Darla (Scott) Otto of Wakefield, KS; 11 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and sister, Madeline Brown of Arizona.                

She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Rodney Holman and second husband, Floyd Gephart; siblings, Joyce Gill, Paul Thompson Jr., Vera Girton (her twin sister), Charles Thompson, and Richard Burkett.