Catherine Willis

SIKESTON - Catherine M. Willis, 71, died at 12:01 a.m. April 2, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

Born June 4, 1930, in Rolla, daughter of the late James R. and Alice Collier Tyler Sr., she had lived in Sikeston for the past 51 years. A member of the Garden Club in Sikeston, she served as an election judge for Scott County for more than 30 years and attended Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Puxico.

On April 3, 1947, in Rolla, she married Judson "Jud" Willis Jr. who survives of the home.

Other survivors include: two sons, Steven S. Willis of Kennett and James M. Willis of Farmington; one daughter, Terri Adams of Matthews; two brothers, John Tyler and Tim Tyler of Rolla; four sisters, Josephine Cantwell of Wever, Iowa, and Peggy Eggers of San Antonio, Texas, Helen McDonald of Okeechobee, Fla., and Patsy Mesko of Rolla; and six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

One son, two brothers and one sister preceded her in death.

Services were conducted at 1:30 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Jerry Adams, pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of Sikeston, officiated.

Burial followed in the Bloomfield Cemetery in Bloomfield.

Pallbearers were: Daniel Adams, Dee Adams, Tom Tibbets, Ronnie Cantwell, Mike Perry and Wesley Hulvey.

Scott County Courthouse officials served as honorary pallbearers.

Memorial contributions may be sent to:

the Kenny Rogers Children's Center

300 Floyd Ave.

Sikeston, Mo. 63801