Illinois Great Rivers Conference 2025 Journal-Yearbook
churches in Towanda, Mattoon, Chalmers, Ind., and Cincinnati, Ohio. Rev. O’Neal died Dec. 1, 1991. She then married Lyman Alexander March 2, 2002, in Kentland, Ind. He died July 7, 2004. In 2007, a neighbor and retired minister, Rev. Hubert P. Lytle married Lois in a small cer- emony. They had 10 years together before his death Oct. 15, 2017. Lois was very proud of her three veteran husbands and forever cherished their memory with love in her heart. Through it all, Lois supported her church communities through service. Whether it was leading a Sunday School class, serving at wedding and funeral receptions, baking pies for bake sales, or quilting baby quilts, Lois poured her time and heart into the needs of the church members. She witnessed numerous persons give their life to Christ at church camp, held many dying persons’ hands in their final days and praised God at the baptism of countless infants. She was an incredible cook and impressive baker – effortlessly putting a roast in the oven before heading to church on Sunday, crafting homemade noodles for a sick child, baking her gorgeous American Eagle apple pie, and serving up holiday feasts. Her quilting and sewing skills were second-to-none and honed over years of pouring her spare time into something productive while she waited for her husband to finish many church meetings, marriage counseling sessions, and hospital visits. Lois also enjoyed reading and would yearly read her Bible from “cover to cover”. In her later years, she found pleasure sitting in her comfortable chair, watching classic movies, and being mistaken for Betty White. Lois is survived by her children: Ruth (Barney) Schwartz of Sarasota, Fla. and Rodney (Timothy Skinner) O’Neal of Forestville, Calif.; granddaughters, Natalie (Greg) Gilbert of Lafayette, Ind., Emily (Greg) Schwindler of Carmel, Ind., and Ashley (Ross) Marshall of Beech Grove, Ind.; great-grandchildren, Jack Gilbert, and Victor and Lenora Schwindler; as well as many extended family members and precious friends across the Midwest. Funeral services were held Feb. 12, 2025, at the Milford United Methodist Church. Burial followed in Maple Grove Cemetery, Milford.
Sally Ann Mace 1940-2025 Sally Ann Mace, 84, wife of IGRC retired pastor, the Rev. Eugene Mace, died Jan. 1, 2025, in Peoria. Born Aug. 23, 1940 in Great Bend, Kan., a daughter of Waldo and Mary Barstow, she was introduced by her sister Wanda to her future husband while attending nursing school in Hutchinson, Kan. The couple was married in 1961 in Kansas.
For the first several years of their marriage they routinely moved as Gene was reassigned by the former Kansas West Conference. In 1965, the Maces moved to Hartford, Conn., where Gene was appointed chaplain of Hartford Hospital. Three years later, Gene became chaplain of Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pa. In 1974, the family moved for their final time, transferring into the former Central Illinois Conference and serving 25 years in the pastoral care department at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria. As a married woman, Sally had not been allowed to complete her nursing degree in Kansas. When her children were old enough, she returned to school at Methodist Medical Center School of Nursing and completed her nursing degree. She began her career as a registered nurse at Methodist Medical Center, working her way up to charge nurse. After
258 Memoirs
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