Grace Waelde

Grace Ellen ‘Gracie’ Waelde, 74, of Sullivan, passed away at 9:55 a.m. Saturday, December 29, 2018 at her home.

Celebration of Life services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Sullivan First United Methodist Church with Pastor Charliam Renner officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Tuesday evening at the Sullivan First United Methodist Church. Entombment will be at a later date at Greenhill Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Luke Waelde’s College Education Fund. Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net

Mrs. Waelde was born November 11, 1944 in Canton, Ohio, the daughter of Ward and Dorothy Morgan Bell. Gracie graduated with honors in 1980 from Georgia Southwestern College. She retired from teaching kindergarten at Bethany Grade School. In 2004 Gracie received the ‘Education Is The Key’ award from the Illinois Regional Office of Education. Gracie loved social media and spending time with her family especially her grandsons. She was a member of the Sullivan First United Methodist Church and was active in the Women’s Fellowship and Yoga group. In high school she was a Worthy Advisor of the Rainbow Girls. Gracie married John Robert Waelde on June 13, 1964 in Newcomerstown, Ohio.

Survivors include her husband John Robert ‘Bob’ Waelde; son Mark (Lynn) Waelde of Sullivan; daughter Jennifer (Josh) Rilying of Springfield; grandsons Luke Waelde of Sullivan, Dylan Burnett of Charleston and Austin Minnigerode of Sullivan; brother Jim (Amy) Bell of Metairie, Louisiana.

She was preceded in death by her parents.