Nellie E. Cripe, 89, Pleasant Mound

Nellie Ellen Cripe, 89, of Pleasant Mound, died at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at the Montgomery Nursing and Rehab Center in Hillsboro.
Services were held at 1 p.m. on Monday at Donnell-Wiegand Funeral Home in Greenville, with the Rev. Dr. Roger Grimmett officiating. Burial was in Noffsinger Cemetery in Pleasant Mound Township, Bond County. Visitation was held from 11 a.m. until time of services on Monday at the funeral home. Memorials: Mulberry Grove United Methodist Church or Alzheimer’s Foundation.
Mrs. Cripe was born on March 10, 1921, in Tamalco Township, the daughter of Armonia J. and Emma Carroll Floyd. She was the oldest of five children – Nellie, Areta Gallaher, Don, Harold “Pat” and Carl Floyd – and they were reared together as their father taught in Keyesport, Alhambra and Carlyle. She married Melvin Carroll Cripe on Oct. 5, 1940, at the Methodist parsonage in Greenville; he died on March 16, 2003.
Mrs. Cripe graduated from Carlyle High School, in 1938, and she was an early telephone operator for 17 years. She and her husband enjoyed more than 62 years together. They farmed near Pleasant Mound for many years, and after Mel retired from farming, he worked for Jim Edgar in Springfield for eight years. Nellie worked at First National Bank, which later became First Bank; she worked there for 17 years.
She was a former member of the Bond County Republican Women’s Club and helped her husband as he was the chairman of the Republican Party in Bond County. She was active in Bond County Home Extension, and was a member of Mulberry Grove First United Methodist Church.
She is survived by a daughter, Sandra Leidner of Vandalia; and a granddaughter, Michelle and her husband Todd Metzger of Vandalia.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; siblings; and son-in-law, Walt Leidner.

Nellie Cripe