Visitation:
Friday, February 28th, from 4 - 7 p.m. at
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral in Mt. Pulaski
Service:
Saturday, March 1st, 2025 at 10 a.m. also at the
funeral home.
Funeral home:
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader, Mt. Pulaski
Obituary
Theara Sue Werschey, best known as
Sue, of Lincoln, IL., left this world behind and
entered into her eternal life at 4:41 AM, on
Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at home surrounded by
her family.
Sue came into this world as the youngest of six
children born to Bertram Wesley and Rosalind Modena
(Best) Gillum Sr. on July 27, 1944, in Mt Erie, IL.
At the age of 4, the family moved to Mt. Pulaski,
where she attended school. She graduated from Mt
Pulaski High School in 1962.
Sue met her soul mate, J. Michael “Mike” Werschey in
April of 1963 in the A&W parking lot in Lincoln.
They married on November 16th that same year. They
made their home in Lincoln where they raised their
family in the house they built in Flamingo Heights
subdivision.
Sue is survived by her husband, Mike: three
children: Tami (Fred) Kessinger of Middletown, Tonya
Collier (Dave Leinweber) of Mt Pulaski, and Michael
(Mary) Werschey of Wasilla, Alaska. Also surviving
are 15 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, and 9
great-great-grandchildren, with 2 more
great-grandchildren arriving soon. She is also
survived by two sisters-in-law: Fern Gillum,
Kathleen Gillum; and her life-long best friend:
Freda Gibbs, known to Sue’s children as Aunt Freda.
Sue was preceded in death by her parents; four
brothers: Bertram W. Gillum Jr, Donald W. Gillum,
Paul W. Gillum, and Jerry W. Gillum; one sister:
Shirley J Gill; two sisters-in-law: Obdulia “Lula”
Gillum and Penny L (Werschey) Moore; and one
brother-in-law: Glenn Richard Gill Sr.
She will be sadly missed by her brothers and
sisters-in-law: Terry Moore, John (Dixie) Werschey,
Taffy (Bill) DeJarnette, David (Sharyn) Werschey,
Kalyn (Jay) Berglin, their extended families, and
many other nieces, nephews, and cousins.
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Sue was known throughout the Mt
Pulaski and Lincoln communities for the many
different places she worked at over the course of
her life. As a teenager she worked at Frazier’s and
the Bowling Alley in Mt. Pulaski. She worked in
dietary at the old ALMH, the Sears store in Lincoln,
and Western Auto in Lincoln, before working at First
National Bank et al until becoming Regions Bank in
Lincoln. She then worked in the office for Hursh TV
before working at Family Medical Center in Lincoln
for thirteen years before retiring. In retirement
she was a party coordinator at the Oasis Senior
Center for a few years and babysat for some of her
great-grandchildren.
Family was very important to Sue. She
loved spending time with her family, always making
certain that her children were taken on a yearly
summer vacation while growing up. All of her
grandkids held a special place in her heart. She
helped to form the support group in Lincoln for the
families of military personnel during Operation
Desert Shield/Storm, throwing welcome home parties
for each one as they came home. She loved traveling
to Alaska to visit her son’s family. She loved
cooking and baking, collecting stamps, coins, and
antiques, was a devoted Elvis fan, and had a very
large collection of records from the 50’s and 60’s.
Sue’s service will be held at 10:00am on Saturday,
March 1st, 2025, at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral
Home in Mt Pulaski. Visitation will be from 4:00 to
7:00pm on Friday, February 28th, also at the funeral
home. Burial will follow the service on Saturday at
Mt. Pulaski Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to St.
Jude’s Children’s Hospital, The Alzheimer’s
Association, or Lincoln First United Methodist
Church.
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Werschey |