Connie Fry

62-year-old Fairfield resident, Connie Fry died at 3 a.m. Saturday, July 3 at St. Louis University Hospital. He was a Die Cast Operator at Airtex Products in Fairfield.

Survivors include his mother, Marie (Henson) Fry of Fairfield; daughters, Deanna Dawn Wood of Joliet and Nicole Fry; brothers, Vincent, Dennis and Marvin D. Fry, all of Fairfield and two grandchildren.

Services for Connie Fry will be 2 p.m. Friday, July 9 at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield with burial in the Veterans Section of Maple Hill Cemetery in Fairfield with military honors.

Visitation will be from noon Friday until the time of service at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield.

Grace Irby

89-year-old McLeansboro resident, Grace Irby died at 12:52 p.m. on Sunday, July 4 at the Hamilton Memorial Nursing Center in McLeansboro. She had worked many years in the dietary department at Hamilton Memorial Hospital in McLeansboro.

Survivors include a son, Dennis Irby of McLeansboro; a daughter, Karen Steever of McLeansboro; a brother, Lloyd Irvin of Sumner, WA; a sister, Lois Dickinson of Wellsley, MA; 3 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Grace Irby will be 11 a.m. Thursday, July 8 at the Gholson Funeral Home in McLeansboro with burial in Smith Cemetery near Dale, IL.

Visitation will be from 6 - 8 Wednesday evening, July 7 at the Gholson Funeral Home in McLeansboro.

Gerald W. Bratton

63-year-old Cisne native, Gerald W. Bratton of Crawfordsville, IN died at 1:46 p.m. Saturday, July 3 at his home. He was a retired business owner and part-time realtor. He also held a Bachelors in Science degree in Elementary Education from SIU Edwardsville.

Survivors include a son, Patrick Bratton of Fishers, IN; a daughter, Leslie Danielle Bratton Greenwood of Indianapolis, IN; a brother, Paul Bratton of Madison, IN; a sister, Carolyn Ash of Waunakee, WI and four grandchildren.

Graveside services for Gerald W. Bratton will be 10 a.m. Friday, July 9 at the Johnsonville Cemetery.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 10 at the East Side Baptist Church in Crawfordsville, IN.

Visitation will be from 10 - 11 a.m. Saturday, July 10 at the church.

Local arrangements are being handled by the Hosselton Funeral Home in Cisne

Memorials may be made to the Canine Companions for Independence at www.cci.org.

Ruby K. Hamilton

93-year-old McLeansboro resident, Ruby Kathleen Norris Hamilton died at 9:52 p.m. Saturday, July 3 at her home. She retired from the retail sales business and later participated ni many activities while being a homemaker.She was a 50 year member of the Eastern Star where she served as Worthy Matron and White Shrine where she served as Worthy High Priestess in the Benton Lodge.

Survivors include a daughter, Phyllis A. Giles of Dallas, TX; a grandson, Bradley D. Giles of Denton, TX; two great-grandchildren; a brother, Joe Morris of McLeansboro; sisters, Annalee Hall of Carmi and Peggy Sue Estes of Carbondale, IL.

Services for Ruby Kathleen Norris Hamilton will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 7 at the Gholson Funeral Home in McLeansboro with burial in the IOOF Cemetery at McLeansboro.

Visitation will be from noon Wednesday until the time of service at the Gholson Funeral Home in McLeansboro.

Marcella Iles

60-year-old Fairfield resident, Marcella Iles died at 12:55 a.m. Sunday, July 4 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon. She was a well known cook in the area.

Survivors include her husband, David Iles of Fairfield; a daughter, Kimberly Young of Fairfield; sisters, Maxine Wood of Mount Carmel, Martha Jo Leston of Mount Carmel and Sue Smith of Fairfield; brothers, Bob Choatie of Tennessee and Timothy Choatie of Indiana.

Services for Marcella Iles will be 10 a.m. Thursday, July 8 at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield with burial in Richland Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 - 8 Wednesday evening, July 7 at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield.

Mable May Buchanan

99-year-old Wayne City resident, Mable May Buchanan, died at 12:16 p.m. Friday, July 2, at her home. She had been a homemaker and farmer, and a cook at Oak Grove School.

Surviving are two sons, Jerry and Gene both of Wayne City; one daughter, Joan Kissner of Wayne City; eight grandchildren, six step-grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, 17 step-great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Mable May Buchanan will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 6, at the Richardson Funeral Home in Wayne City. Burial will be in Farnsworth Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Monday, July 5, at the Richardson Funeral Home in Wayne City.

Memorials may be made to S.S.M. Hospice of Good Samaritan Hospital.

Catherine M. Harrell

75-year-old Flora resident, Catherine M. Harrell, died Saturday morning, July 3, at Flora Gardens in Flora, IL. She was an area sales clerk for local businesses.

Surviving are her husband James of Flora; children, Chris of Jacksonville, IL and Steve of Flora; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services for Catherine M. Harrell will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 7, at the Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora. Burial will be in Floral Garden of Memories at Flora.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 6, at the Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora.

Memorials may be made to Clay County Hospice or Clay County Cancer Support Group.

Vern Simpson

87-year-old Fairfield resident, Vern E. Simpson died at 4 p.m. Friday, July 2 at Fairfield Memorial Hospital. He had worked in oilfield construction.

Survivors include a daughter, Paula Faye Lambert of West Bloomfield, MI; sons, Vern E. Simpson, Jr. of St. Paul, MN and Thomas V. Simpson of Mount Vernon, IL; sisters, Mary Rose Johnson of Fairfield and Ana Lou Taylor of Geff; brothers, Orion, Robert, and Elias Simpson of Fairfield and Bill Simpson of Dixon, IL; ten grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Services for Vern E. Simpson will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 7 at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield with burial in the Veterans Section of Maple Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 - 8 Tuesday evening, July 6 at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield.

Memorials may be made to the American Legion and VFW and will be accepted at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield.

Melba Lea (Tyler) Mertz

90-year-old McLeansboro Resident, Melba Lea (Tyler) Mertz died at 4:20 a.m. on Friday, July 2, 2010 at her home. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in McLeansboro, a member of the Baptist Women's Group, a past member of the Hamilton County Historical Society, and was a self employed antique dealer.

Survivors include: a daughter, Janet Mitchell of Valmeyer, IL; a sister Doris Anderson of McLeansboro; a brother, J.D.Tyler of McLeansboro; two grandsons, two nephews, and two nieces.

Funeral Services for Melba Lea (Tyler) Mertz will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 5, 2010 at Harre Funeral Home in McLeansboro with burial in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in McLeansboro.

Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, 2010 at Harre Funeral Home.

Cordia Francis

92-year-old former Mill Shoals resident, Cordia Francis died at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, July 1 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon. She had been a clerk at Sears for 19 years, and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Sesser, IL.

Surviving are two daughters, Harriet Galloway of Sesser, IL and Nancey Blackburn of Alton, IL; two sons, Joseph Mark Francis of Jackson, MI and Rolland Meinholtz of Missoula, MT; 11 grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and 14 step-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Cordia Francis will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 6, at the Johnson & Vauhgn Funeral Home in Fairfield. Burial will be in Shrewsbury Cemetery at Mill Shoals.

Visitation will be from noon Tuesday, July 6, until the time of service at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield.

Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Sesser, IL.