Frances Stephens

June 13, 1925 — May 2, 2024

Frances Ann Stephens, 98, died peacefully in her sleep on May 2, 2024, at her home in Forsyth with her family by her side.

Frances was born in 1925 in Carbondale, Illinois, the only child of Emma Holstein McCorkle and William Jesse McCorkle. Her father passed away in 1934 and Frances and her mother moved to Fairfield, Illinois, to live with Emma’s parents.

Frances graduated from Fairfield High School in 1943 and worked for the Wayne County Press for two years. She then attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale for two years before transferring to the University of Illinois in Urbana. She graduated from the U of I in 1949 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce. She met James E. Stephens at the U of I and they were married on January 30, 1949. They enjoyed 72 years of marriage together until James passed away in September 2021.

Frances worked for the Macon County Superintendent of Schools as a Secretary, Truant Officer, and Film Librarian. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Decatur.

Frances was a good cook, enjoyed traveling with her husband and celebrating birthdays with her friends from church. To her friends and family, she was very soft-spoken and courteous.

Frances is survived by her two sons: Michael (Dounia) of Forsyth, IL, and David (Linda) of Stevenson Ranch, CA; one granddaughter, Mollie Shea Stephens, of St. Louis; one grandson, Matthew (Mandy) and two great-grandchildren, Tucker and Lucy, of Hoover, AL; and several cousins.

No memorial service is planned. The family wishes to encourage memorial donations in Frances’ name to the First United Methodist Church, 201 W. North Street, Decatur, IL 62522.

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