Frances L Dare

A memorial mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 29, 2009 in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Shelbyville with Father Don Wolford officiating. Visitation from 10:30 a.m. until time of service in the church. Burial will be in Kirk Cemetery, Ina, IL. Arrangements are by Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville. Memorials may be given to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Decatur, IL.

Frances was born on March 10, 1913 in Dareville, IL, the daughter of Lute M. and Laura Alice Pickett Dare. She was a graduate of Jacksonville State Hospital School of Nursing in 1935. She worked 27 1/2 years as an emergency room nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur, retiring in 1975. She then worked as a nurse at Americana Nursing Home in Decatur. In 1986, she received an award for Outstanding Social Service in Macon County for her volunteer work with the American Heart Association, Blood Service for the Bloodmobile and the CHIC Clinic in Decatur. Dare was a devoted member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Decatur. In 1937, Dare met Alta Gene Howe of Shelbyville while both were working for Jacksonville State Hospital. From Jacksonville they moved to Decatur, where they lived at 30 Ohio Drive for many years. Their neighbor’s children could always find a second home with Gene and Dare. In February 2006, the made their home in Shelbyville Manor. Even there Dare continued her nursing career by volunteering to help the staff with residents.

She leaves several cousins; and her good friend, Gene Howe.

To know Dare was to love her humor and being a little feisty.