Florence Trantham
Jerseyville |
Florence "Sis" Trantham, 98, passed away peacefully at 3:35 p.m., Wednesday, February 2, 2022, in Jerseyville.
She was born in Fieldon, Illinois on December 7, 1923, the daughter of the late Henry and Barbara (Blaeser) Schmidt.
She was raised in Fieldon, along with her brother Frank Schmidt, and graduated from Jersey Township High School in Jerseyville.
She met the love of her life, William "Tommy" Trantham as a teenager when he moved here from South Carolina. The two married on October 25, 1942, in Fieldon, and shortly after Tommy was quickly drafted into the United States Army.
Sis traveled with him to Spokane, Washington, Tuscon, Arizona, San Bernardino, California, and New York City. During this time she worked at various shoe stores, as Tommy trained as an engineer before being shipped overseas to serve during World War II, building temporary airstrips all over the South Pacific. After his honorable discharge, they returned to Fieldon, where the two built their home and raised their two daughters.
Sis was a member of the Fieldon Home Extension, Altar Society, church choir, and the Moose Lodge in Jerseyville during the 1970s and 1980s. She and Tommy were a big part of the famous catfish and fried chicken Friday night dinners, as well as the dances and bingo games.
They were members of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Fieldon, and then Holy Ghost Catholic Church, when they moved to Jerseyville in 1987. Sis had a deep love for music, being raised in a family of musicians. You could often find her and Tommy dancing to live music most weekends, and those that sat near Sis in church could always be treated to a soft alto voice finding the harmonies in just about every song or hymn.
Sis lost Tommy all too early to ALS on October 4, 1988, and remained in Jerseyville as a proud mother of two, grandmother of five, and great grandmother of eight. She was an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, loved her crossword puzzles, crime dramas, and was a proud and passionate Democrat, working as an election judge for many years.
Sis instilled in her family the importance of faith, love, kindness, and equality to all.
She is survived by her two daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Hugh Allen and LuAnne and Gary Taul, all of Jerseyville; her grandchildren and their spouses, Matt Allen and his wife, Paula Wise of South Orange, New Jersey, Kate and Denny McFarland of Maryland Heights, Missouri, Darric and Amy Taul of Alton, Emily and Drew Short of Glen Carbon, and Erin and Matt Bittles of Jerseyville; her great-grandchildren, Thomas and Max McFarland, Ethan and Aidan Taul, Evelyn and Alice Short, and Walter and Clara Bittles.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, Frank Schmidt.
Family and Friends are invited to celebrate her life at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at the Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Jerseyville. Father Hyland Smith will officiate.
She will be laid to rest alongside her husband at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Fieldon.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Catholic Charities in Alton or the I AM ALS, in care of Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville, who is in charge of the arrangements.
Memories may be shared at www.crawfordfunerals.com.
Crawford Funeral Home
