Ruth Gillespie (83) of Effingham

Ruth Gillespie, 83, of Effingham, IL, passed away on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham, IL.

A private family funeral service will be held at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Burial will be in St. Anthony Cemetery in Effingham.

Memorials may be made to Crisis Nursery of Effingham County, 924 N. Merchant Street, Effingham, Illinois 62401. Online condolences may be left by clicking here.

Ruth was born on March 1, 1937, in Effingham, IL, the daughter of Clarence and Elsie (Horn) Rickelman. She married Donald Gillespie on April 3, 1956, in Effingham IL.

Ruth always said, “busy people are happy people” and she was always busy working, cooking, buying real estate, caring for her loved ones. She was creative and enjoyed decorating her house with such things as “Roxie” her mannequin that she would dress according to the season or holiday, as well as, her butterfly she designed in her yard. She loved to hear that people enjoyed these things as they drove by her house. Ruth loved shopping, mushroom hunting, looking for four-leaf clovers, water aerobics, and most of all, her family.

Ruth is survived by her devoted husband of 65 years, Donald A. Gillespie and her children Jeannine Corman and Juna (Schuyler) Griffith; grandchildren, Sabina (Larry) Winterrowd, Amanda (Jake) Albert, Jeffrey (Ann) Corman, Hillary (Trey) Falk, Anna Marie Griffith; and great-grandchildren, Katie Winterrowd, Easton Albert, Gavin Albert, Layne Flach, Ivy Corman, Emery June Falk and Olivia Falk.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, George Rickleman; sister, Rosemary Rickleman who died as a toddler; and great-grandchildren, Max Falk, Baby Falk and Baby Griffith; and son-in-law, Jeff Corman.