Virginia Belle Gillespie, 77, resident of United Methodist Village in Lawrenceville and formerly of Mt. Carmel, went to be with the Lord on June 13, 2011.

 She was born on Feb. 25, 1934 in rural Bluford (Jefferson County), Illinois, the daughter of Gleason and Loe (Branson) Byars.

She married James R. Gillespie on June 5, 1955 in Bluford, Ill, and he survives.

Virginia retired from Hocking Oil in 2001, previously worked in the Wabash County Treasurer’s Office and was the first director of the Wabash County Senior Citizens Center. She was a member of the First General Baptist Church in Mt. Carmel and an auxiliary member of the Edwards/Wabash County Camp of Gideons International.

Survivors include her husband; sons, Kevin (Eleanor) Gillespie of Herrin, Ill., Wayne (Georgia) Gillespie of Syracuse, NY; daughter, Sherry (Erich) Meyer of Stendal; sister, Leatrice Angle of Mt. Vernon, Ill.; grandchildren, Trina (Kirk) Byram of Evansville, Tally (Josh) Sokeland of Princeton, Clint (Krista) Coleman of Hazelton, Elizabeth and Timothy Gillespie of Herrin, Ill.; and seven great-grandchildren, Kailyn and Hailee Meeks, Saige and Gabe Byram, Jax, Quin and Knox Coleman.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 16, 2011 at the chapel of Short Funeral Home in Mt. Carmel with burial in Wells Chapel Cemetery, in rural Jefferson County, Ill.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at Short Funeral Home in Mt. Carmel, Ill.