Phyllis May Hale

OAKLAND – Phyllis May Hale, 88, of Oakland passed away Saturday (Dec. 24, 2016) at Hilltop Nursing Home in Charleston.

She was born Sept. 20, 1928, in Ishpeming, Mich., the daughter of Madge and J. Kenneth Smith. She married the Rev. Charles E. Hale on June 30, 1950. He passed away Dec. 11, 2000.

Phyllis is survived by three sons, Stephan (Priscilla) of St. Joseph, Robert (Donna) of Oakland and Donald (Chris) of Oakland; seven grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and a brother, David (Toodie) Smith of Marion, Ind.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; a brother, Lt. Richard Smith; and a sister, Mary Alice Yates.

Phyllis graduated from Franklin College and earned her master's from the University of Illinois. She taught home economics, high school English, remedial reading and second grade and third grade at schools in central Illinois. Towns included were Champaign, Decatur, Oakland, Niantic-Harristown, Heyworth and Wapella.

She was a member of the Oakland United Methodist Church and was an active member of the United Methodist Women. She loved to sew and make blankets and quilts for the Baby Fold and relief organizations. She made several beautiful wall hangings for the church in Oakland. Phyllis was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma in Douglas County.

Phyllis and Charles served many churches together in East Central Illinois. Churches included were Clifton, Danville, Hume, Metcalf, Kansas, Harmony, St. Joseph, Decatur, Oakland, Hindsboro, Chatsworth, Heyworth, Gays and Edgar, Ill.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be made to the Oakland United Methodist Church, Oakland Memorial Library or Oakland-Hindsboro Charitable Foundation.

Services will be at Krabel Funeral Home in Oakland at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 29, with a visitation one hour prior to the funeral. Burial will be in the Harmony Cemetery north of Kansas. Online condolences may be left at www.krabelfuneralhome.com.