Surnames: Rakestraw, Conklin, Zank, Armitage, Bealmear, Bulee, Hansen, Brown, McClendon, Kleinschmidt, Harrison, Canady, Hillyard

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood Co., Wis.) Tue, Mar 8, 2005

Rakestraw, Velma 'Lucy' Lucille (18 July 1921 - 5 March 2005)

Christie -Velma "Lucy" L. Rakestraw, 83, of Owen, formerly of Christie, died Saturday, March 5, 2005, at the Clark County Health Care Center in Owen.

Memorial services for Lucy will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 12, 2005, at Gesche Funeral Home in Neillsville. The Rev. Mary Anne Conklin will officiate. Music will be provided by Eileen Zank, organist, and Corrine Armitage, soloist. Interment will be in Neillsville City Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at Gesche Funeral Home.

Placed with her in her crematory rest were her cherished mother's ring and wedding set.

Velma Lucille Bealmear was born July 18, 1921, in Francis, Ky., the youngest of 13, to Benjamin and Bertha (Bulee) Bealmear. She attended school in Marion, Ky., through the eighth grade. In 1941, she moved to Chicago, Ill., and did some housework, babysitting and then factory work, also working for Blue Cross. On April 10, 1948, she was united in marriage to Julius "Otto" Rakestraw Jr. in Risin Farm, Ga. After their marriage, they lived in Gadsden, Ala., for one and a half years, then bought and operated a Phillips 66 gas station in Ipava, Ill. In 1956, they bought a farm at Christie, where she raised their family, selling Avon door-to-door for a period of time and then working at Nelson Filter in Neillsville. They sold their home at Christie and bought a home in Hatfield in 1987, where they both resided until their entrance into the nursing home in May 2001. She really enjoyed her time spent at the Clark County Nursing Home.

She was a member of the American Legion Auxillary, and she enjoyed passing her time playing bingo, cards, dice, bowling, camping and having picnics.

Surviving are four sons, Bruce (Margaret) of Neillsville, David and Billy (Dawn) of Owen, and Steven (Cordula) of Wembly, Alberta, Canada; one daughter, Patsy (Antone) Hansen of Neillsville; one sister-in-law, Gail Brown of Gadsden, Ala.; and her mother-in-law, Sarah McClendon, also of Gadsden, Ala. Five grandsons, Michael, Brandon, Peter (Kristine) and Jason Rakestraw and Rikki (Hope) Kleinschmidt further survive her. Seven granddaughters, Amanda, Amy, Melissa, Dawn and Becky Rakestraw, Jennifer Kleinschmidt and Kimberly (Rick) Harrison also survive her. Surviving also are 12 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Martha Canady and Reba Hillyard; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Her husband, Otto; a grandson, Davey Rakestraw Jr.; six brothers; four sisters; her parents; and numerous in-laws and cousins preceded her in death.