Jo Ellen Arnold

Date of Birth

Aug 03,1937

Date of Death

Jul 31,2008

JO ELLEN ARNOLDAge 70 of Cortland, IL, passed away Thursday morning, July 31, 2008 at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, DeKalb, where she had been a patient for several weeks after a long battle with metastatic cancer. She was born August 3, 1937 in Forrest City, Arkansas, the daughter of Dennis F. and Lela Mai (Puckett) Christian. Jo Ellen grew up in Forrest City where she married and was blessed with two children. In 1963, she moved with her two children to St. Charles, IL to be near her family. On February 20, 1965, she was united in marriage to Thomas Garland Arnold in St. Charles, IL. They made their home in St. Charles and continued to raise their combined families together. They moved to Colorado for several years before returning to Illinois in the early seventies. They settled in Elburnwhere they lived until 1998 when Tom passed away. The following year, Jo Ellen joined Sherrie in DeKalb and they have since made their home together. JoEllen’s life was her family. She loved nothing more than a game of Pinochle or Dominoes with family and friends around the table. Always ready for an outing, she loved shopping and dining out but, when all was said and done, there was "no place like home" for JoEllen.Raised in the Baptist church as a child, her faith was always the cornerstone of her life and in more recent years, she had attended the Sycamore Baptist Church, whose pastor, the Rev. Dan Stoval, will officiate her funeral service. SURVIVORS She is survived by two daughters:Dianne (Jeff) Anderson of Batavia, IL andSherri (Burgess) Bolek of Cortland, IL;One son, Lee (Connie) Rice of Forrest City, AR;One step-son, Kelly Winder of Troy, KS;Nine grandchildren:Josh and Jessica Anderson,Breanna Burgess,Jarod (Chandle) Rice, Eddie Rice,Jennifer Rice,Robin, Dustin and James Winder;Five great-grandchildren: (names not listed by intention)Two sisters, Frances Frost of Sycamore, IL and Barbara (Don) Royal of Miami, AZ;As well as Many nieces and nephewsShe is preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, one infant son, Thomas Marlon Arnold (1970), her father and mother, Dennis F. and Lela Mai Christian, two brothers Royce and Freddie Christian.VISITATION / FUNERAL Visitation will be held Monday, August 4, 2008 at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn from 4-8 pm. Her funeral service will follow Tuesday, August 5, at 10am at the funeral home. Interment services will conclude at Oak Hill Cemetery, Rt. 25, Geneva, IL. MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in JoEllen’s name to benefit St Jude’s Children’s Fund as well as other favorite charities. Memorials checks may be made to the Jo Ellen Arnold Memorial and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119. Tributes and memories may also be forwarded to the family at the same address or through her obituary at www.conleycare.com.

VISITATION / FUNERAL Visitation will be held Monday, August 4, 2008 at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn from 4-8 pm. Her funeral service will follow Tuesday, August 5, at 10am at the funeral home. Interment services will conclude at Oak Hill Cemetery, Rt. 25, Geneva, IL.

MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in JoEllen’s name to benefit St Jude’s Children’s Fund as well as other favorite charities. Memorials checks may be made to the Jo Ellen Arnold Memorial and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119. Tributes and memories may also be forwarded to the family at the same address or through her obituary at www.conleycare.com.

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