Thelma Patrick

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Thelma Patrick, 83, of 801 Sahara St., Harrisburg, died at 9:51 p.m. Friday, July 31, 2009, at her home surrounded by her family.

Thelma was born on Oct. 26, 1925, in Lincoln to the late Charles Charles and Tina Marie Sanders. She married Jack Patrick on March 1, 1947, in the Methodist parsonage in Colfax. Jack preceded her in death on Oct. 10, 2008.

They both worked together all their married life. They were dairy farmers up north before moving to Southern Illinois and opening Patrick's Sunoco and Grocery Store on old Route 13. They operated it for 25 years before moving it to Carrier Mills and retiring in 1986. After retirement they begin a prison ministry and were volunteers for Bardin County, Vienna Correctional and Shawnee prisons. This was a job they loved very much. They worked long, hard hours for the Lord, who provided their strength. She was a long time member of Harco Baptist Church.

Thelma is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Jan Patrick of Galatia; two grandchildren, Gary Patrick Jr. of Harrisburg and Sherry (Dave) Aidridge of Eldorado; four great-grandchildren, Ashley (Mad) Lloyd, Adam, Devin and Taylor Aldridge; and two great-great-grandchildren, Kaiden and Kloey Lloyd.

Thelma was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one sister, two brothers, her stepmother, one niece and two nephews.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, at the Harco Baptist Church. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, at the Harco Baptist Church with the Rev. Roy Hughes officiating. Burial will be in Salem Cemetery in Carrier Mills. For those who wish, memorials may be made to the Harco Baptist Church in her memory.

The arrangements have been entrusted to the Absber-Nicholson Funeral Home in Carrier Mills.