Lela Irene Colclasure, age 87, of Flora, Illinois, passed away Monday night, April 25, 2022, at Flora Rehabilitation & Health Care Center.
Lela was born June 24, 1934, in Flora, the daughter of Scott and Blanche (Richardson) White. She was united in marriage to Delbert Andrew Colclasure on April 16, 1954, in Flora, and together they shared 35 wedding anniversaries until his death on December 8, 1989. Delbert was a member of the Laborers Union for 40 years. The couple became parents of two children, Joni Lynne born in 1956, and Jeffrey Del born in 1958.
Lela attended Florena One Room School and Flora Township High School, graduating in the class of 1952. She later attended several college classes through Olney Central College.
Lela worked as a bookkeeper at the International Shoe Factory for 2 years before pausing to have their two children. She later continued her career with the Flora News-Record. She transferred to the Salem Times-Commoner in 1973. She was Assistant Editor, Photographer, News Reporter, and Editor for the last ten years of her career. Lela wrote hundreds of feature stories and was VIP for the Salem National Guard where she traveled to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, and Camp Jennings, Georgia. She also covered the flood of 1993 along the Mississippi River. She was a member of the Hospital Auxiliary and a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church which she had attended since she was 10 years old. During her retirement years, Lela was in the Library of Congress talking book club where she enjoyed hundreds of books. She also enjoyed spending time with her family and her cat, Cecil.
She is survived by a son: Jeff Colclasure of Flora; grandson: Daniel (Haley) Gray of Olney; great-granddaughter: Ryleigh Gray of Olney; son-in-law: Wesley (Barbara) Gray of Noble; step-grandchildren: Douglas Gray of Olney and Shannon Gray of Springfield; sister: Freda Reed of Flora; brother: Dennis (Edna) White of Decatur; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Del; daughter: Joni; brother: Carl David; brother-in-law: Gene Reed; and special friends: Vivian Thalrose and Shirley Kohut.
A funeral ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora. Interment will follow in Oak Mound Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Monday, May 2, 2022, at the funeral home. Memorial donations are suggested to the family to assist with final expenses and will be accepted through the funeral home. To share a condolence or memory, visit: www.frankandbright.com
