Ilene M. Easley

Ilene M. Easley, age 77, of Fordland, Mo., passed away Saturday, March 4, 2017, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo.

Ilene was born Feb. 24, 1940, in Ava, Douglas County, Mo., one of six children born to Lorenzo D. Letterman and Elsie (Combs) Letterman.  She attended Breeden and Ava schools and was of the Christian faith.

On July 21,1956, she was united in marriage to Harold Dean Easley and to this union six children were born.  She had been a member of the Wagons Ho Club and the Southwest Trail Riding Club, and had enjoyed quilting, embroidery and square dancing.

She had worked as a restaurant cook for a few years and her pies and biscuits and gravy were among the best around!

She loved all babies and having her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren around brought her so much pleasure!

She was preceded in death by her parents; an infant sister and infant brother, a sister Le Etta Barnes, and a brother Cleo Letterman and his wife Gladys; as well as a son, Tommy Lee Easley, who passed away on April 25, 1980.

Ilene is survived by her husband, Harold, of the home; five children, Charles Dean Easley and wife Cathy, of Mansfield, Mo., Earl Douglas Easley and wife Linda, of Marshfield, Mo., Becky Lynn Willis and husband Kevin, of Marshfield, Mo., Jack L. Easley and wife Vicki, of Fordland, Mo., and Susan Ellison and husband Doug, of Fordland, Mo.; three sisters, Evelynn Witchey, of Ava, Mo., Florene Flores and husband Israel, of Houston, Texas, and Dorothy Goff of Stanwood, Wash.; and Karen Johnson and her daughter, Mary, who Ilene thought of as family; as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and other family members.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 8, at Holman-Howe Funeral Home, Seymour, with the Rev. Joe “Cub” Lafferty officiating. Burial was in Panther Valley Cemetery.