Fern L. Horton

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Fern L. Horton, 85, formerly of the Walnut Grove community, Harrisburg, died 8 p.m. Thursday, May 7, 2009, at Harrisburg Medical Center.

Services will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, May 9, 2009, at Gaskins Funeral Home in Harrisburg with the Rev. Dewayne Taylor officiating. Burial will be in Spring Valley Cemetery. Visitation is 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 8, 2009, at the funeral home.

She was born June 27, 1923, in Harrisburg to Elmer and Martha (Duncan) Martin. On Oct. 9, 1989, she married Clarence Horton.

She was a retired homemaker and a member of Walnut Grove Missionary Baptist Church. Fern worked for many years at various restaurants in the Harrisburg area. She made many lifelong friends during those years. She will always be remembered for her sense of humor, laugh and eagerness to help others.

She is survived by a son, Roger and Sharon Horton of Harrisburg; a daughter, Rita Gaskins of Harrisburg; several grandchildren, Todd and Connie Horton of Harrisburg, Tracy and Gail Horton of Harrisburg, Tiffany and Mike Michel of Harrisburg, Terri and Brad Turner of Paducah, Ky., Nathan and Brandi Gaskins of Harrisburg, Justin Gaskins of Evansville, Ind. and Travis Gaskins of Harrisburg; eight great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Earl and Herman Martin; a sister, Elsie Stricklin; and one brother and two sisters in infancy.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital or Hospice of Southern Illinois.