Esther Marie McCloy

Esther Marie Beneze McCloy died quietly & went to heaven peacefully. She was born May 21st, 1933, in Decatur, IL.
She was defined by her contagious smile & the love of God which she shared whenever possible & her willingness to help others. She loved to read, sing & play music, sewing for herself, her children and others. She was a skilled homemaker doing sewing, gardening, canning, cooking & crafts. Her mother taught her to crochet, knit, needle tat, latch hook & embroider. She played the accordion, piano, organ & violin.

She wrote a summary of her life, and it was highlighted by being 1 of 10 children. She experienced the loss of life of 2 of her sister's while she was a child. She was born at St Mary's Hospital on Wood Street in Decatur. A fact was that she was the first born on the new maternity table. She was in the first Kindergarten class in Decatur at Durfee School.
In the 1940s they moved to a farm & she attended school in a one room schoolhouse. They moved back to Decatur, and she attended junior high at Centennial & then on to Decatur High School. She graduated in 1952. Her yearbook states "She speaks for herself." She was active in several choirs.
In September 1952 she married Robert (Bob) McCloy. She had known him all her life. They were married 50 years. Robert preceded her in death in 2002.

Her working career outside of the home consisted of working as a waitress at several establishments: The Shore Drive Inn, The Lincoln Cafe & Dairy Queen. Often, she worked when her husband was laid off from his work. She also did babysitting & ironing in her home. She provided care for her grandson Christopher McCloy.
She was employed by Glad Tidings Little Peoples Prep School as a bus driver & substitute teacher. She volunteered as a room mother & active in the PTO.
She volunteered at DMH in Occupational Therapy & at St Mary’s for several years.
She was a resident of Tanglewood for 2 years & Glenwood Supportive Center for 7 years. She made many friends and enjoyed many activities. Some of them were Bingo, Stretch & Flex, raised gardening, darts, walking & rocking chair conversations. She won the highest dart score in 2014 & 2015 at Glenwood.
She was a member of Glad Tidings Assembly for 45 years. She currently attends Salem Baptist Church.

She has 4 daughters:
Roberta (Bert) Barnett (Ron) KC, MO; Mildred (Mickey) Messer, Seattle, WA; Lynette McCloy (Ray) Sagamore Beach, MA & Jametta (Jami) Yelle (Gary) Cerro Gordo, IL.

She has 8 grandchildren: Stephne Barnett of KC, MO, Elizabeth Brink (Adam), Amanda Humphrey (Richard) of KC, MO; Dominique Stegawaski (Piotr) Kirkland, WA; Chris McCloy (Morgan) Cerro Gordo, IL; Clayton Smith & Isabella Smith of Decatur, IL & Adrian Wilt, Harwich, MA.

She has 5 great grandchildren one preceded her in death Autumn Nicole Humphrey in 2011, Tommy Humphrey & Layla Humphrey of KC, MO, Kyle Goetke of Summit, NJ & Lana McCloy of Cerro Gordo, IL.

She was preceded in Death by her parents Tessie Belle Haddock Beneze, Eugene H W Beneze and all her siblings.

Memorial donations can be made to New Life Pregnancy Center in Decatur.