Neldalea Dotray, 81, Greenville

Neldalea Dotray

Neldalea Dotray, age 81 of Greenville, passed away Saturday, July 2, 2022, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, July 10, 2022, at the Greenville Free Methodist Church. Visitation will be held prior to the services from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to the St. Louis Zoo or the Greenville Free Methodist Church Benevolence Fund. Interment will be held privately. Donnell – Wiegand Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Neldalea was born March 18, 1941, on a farm near Pleasant Mound. She was the daughter of Raymond Otis and Velma Arline (Whitford) Dotray. Neldalea graduated from Greenville High School in 1959. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Greenville College in 1963. She then continued her education at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 1964, and earned her master’s degree of Science Education in 1969.

Nelda was a high school teacher for over 30 years. She also taught Sunday School, worked in the church nursery for many years, and attended and led Bible Study. She was a 4-H Leader, FHA Hero Leader, a member of A.M. Vocational Association, Illinois Education Association, Illinois Vocational Association, Home Extension, Teacher’s Association, NEA, IEA, and Beta Sigma Phi. Faithful member of the Greenville Free Methodist Church.

Neldalea was the first single mother to adopt a child in the state of Illinois. She is survived by her daughter, Vanessa (husband Dan) Toohey of Sorento, Illinois. Grandmother to: Kaleb (Renee) Paul, Tyer Paul (Cheyenne Patterson), Kaitlynn (Nick) Koonce and Derek Toohey (Chelsea). Loving great-grandmother to: Sawyer, Kimber, Addeleigh, Reggie Rey, Alec, Reni, Oden, and Max.