Orpha Vanskike, age 91, of Monmouth, Illinois; passed away on October
11, 2019 at 9:51 am at Marigold Nursing Home in Galesburg, Illinois.
Orpha was born on March 19, 1928 in Nauvoo, Illinois and is the daughter
of Estell and Mary Emily Cooley Garrett. She was raised in Nauvoo, where
she attended local schools and graduated from Nauvoo High School in
1946. She was married to J. T. Vanskike on April 8, 1946 in Carthage,
Illinois. He preceded her in death on July 30, 1994. Orpha was a
homemaker and first was employed as a seamstress for Formfit in Monmouth and later at Smoler’s, Inc. for many years. She loved to read and was an avid Cubs Baseball fan. Her main interests were her family, flowers, and grandchildren. Orpha was always known to deed all the neighborhood kids that were available.
Surviving her are her three daughters, Sharon Kennett, Tammy Jo Sanders
and Tim, Yvonne B. Vanskike, and three sons, John R. and Krista, Gary
L.and Diane,. and Brian and Crystal, all are of Monmouth, Illinois.
There are sixteen grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren surviving. Four sisters survive, Mary Reed and Madeline Link of LaHarpe, IL, Loraine Massaro of Burlington, IA, Diane and Warren Wade of Weeping Water, NE. Two brothers, Fred and Susan Garrett of Elvaston, Illinois and Donald Garrett Sr. of Monmouth, Illinois. He is preceded in her death by her parents, husband, one son, one grandson, two sisters, and two great grandsons.
A funeral service is planned for 2:00 pm on Thursday October 17, 2019 at
Turnbull Funeral Home in Monmouth, Illinois. Her family plans a visitation and will receive their friends from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday evening at the funeral home. Interment will be in the Warren County Memorial Park Cemetery in Monmouth, Illinois. A memorial fund is being established for Breast Cancer. To leave a remembrance or for more information please visit www.turnbullfuneral home.com.
