Merna Gilbert

MERNA GRACE GILBERT, 81, of Charleston, IL formerly of Mattoon, IL passed away at 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at her residence.

Funeral services will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at the Edwards Funeral Home, 221 East Main St. in Arcola, IL.  Burial will be held in the Roselawn Cemetery in Charleston, IL at a later date.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral.

Merna was born on March 19, 1936 in Mattoon, IL.   She was a daughter of Robert L. and Marion F. (Newman) Morgan.  She married Gus Phipps in 1954 in Cornith, MS.   She later married Sam Kelly in 1980 in Charleston, IL, their marriage ended when Mr. Kelly lost his battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis in 1984.  She then met and married the love of her life, Carl Gilbert in 1988 in Charleston, IL.  He lost a hard-fought Battle with multiple Myeloma Cancer in 2003.

She is survived by four children, Debbie Moses of Charleston, IL, and Marcia Phipps-Southall of Belleview, FL, Darrell Phipps and his wife Toni, and Kevin Phipps and his wife Becky all of Bushton, IL, three step-daughters, Rebecca Beilser and her husband Chad, Carla Livixx and her husband Shane, and Kalena Meyers, five grandchildren, Amber Reynolds and her husband Alan, Lisa Guyman and her husband Jim, Heather Phipps, Tabitha Phipps-Cunningham and her husband James, and Travis Phipps and his wife Ashley, one brother, Ron Morgan, one sister, Linda Gannaway and her husband Jeff of Windsor, IL, seven step-grandchildren, Jon Gilbert, Kristianna Gilbert, Collin Beilser, Sebastian Smith, Drew Smith, Madyson Meyers, and Maverick Meyers, and twelve great-grandchildren, Zachary, Cody and Josh Reynolds, Blaine and Caleb Guymon, Jordon McDonald and Jayden Hudson, Morgan Roberts and Brayden Phipps, Nevaeh and Memory Phipps, Delaney Cunningham and her beloved dog, Sheba.

She was preceded in death by her parents, three husbands, one brother, Stanley Morgan, and two sisters, Leta Oakley and Daisey Moss.

Merna had worked at the Brown Shoe Factory in Charleston, IL for several years.  She later worked at Universal Scientific and U.S. Rubber in Princeton, IN.  She retired in 1999 from The Odd Fellow Rebekah Home in Mattoon, IL as an activity aid for the Harmony Center.

Merna attended the First Christian Church in Mattoon, IL.  She was a member of the Geneva Rebekah Lodge 274 in Mattoon, IL.

She enjoyed craft working, collecting Angel Dolls and she was an expert Marksman at area Schutzenfest, but most of all, her favorite thing to do was to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren who all loved their “Nanny”.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Carle Hospice.