Obituary Examples for a Wife

Patricia Ann "Patty" (Morgan) Fischer, 74, of Peoria, Illinois, passed away peacefully on October 12, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Patty was born on February 20, 1952, in Pekin, Illinois, to Robert and Joan Morgan. She married her high school sweetheart, Gary Fischer, in 1973, and together they built a home that was never locked and never quiet. She worked as a school nurse for thirty years and was the first person every child in the building ran to, scraped knee or broken heart.

Patty did the crossword in pen, cheered for the Cardinals from April to October, and could feed twelve people on an hour's notice. Every anniversary, she and Gary went back to the diner where he proposed and ordered the same two slices of pie.

She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Gary; her children, Jennifer (Kyle) Adams and Brian (Megan) Fischer; five grandchildren; and her sister, Donna Reese. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Jim.

Visitation will be held Thursday, October 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hillcrest Funeral Home. The funeral will be Friday, October 16, at 10 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the local food pantry.

Eleanor "Ellie" (Hale) Watts, 79, of Asheville, North Carolina, died on October 4, 2026. She was born on January 22, 1947, in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Her husband, Frank, wrote this for her:

I met Ellie in 1968 at the college library, where she worked the front desk. I returned a book three days late on purpose so I would have a reason to go back. We were married the next year, and I spent fifty-seven years trying to keep up with her.

She taught third grade for thirty-one years and could quiet a room of eight-year-olds just by closing a book. She read every novel before I did and never once told me the ending. I made her coffee every morning, and every morning she told me it was too strong. It was. I kept making it that way so she would tell me.

Ellie, thank you for every page. I'll keep reading.

Ellie is also survived by her daughters, Sarah (Tom) Lindsey and Rebecca Watts; her grandsons, Owen and Eli; and her brother, Richard Hale. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and June Hale.

A memorial service will be held Friday, October 16, at 2 p.m. at Hillcrest Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, give a book to a school library, or read one to a child.

Joyce Ann (Carter) Holt, 86, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, died on October 7, 2026. A retired bank teller and a faithful member of Faith Baptist Church, she was the beloved wife of 64 years of Donald Holt; loving mother of Steve (Lori) Holt and Debra (Rick) Lane; grandmother of seven; and great-grandmother of four. The funeral will be held Monday, October 12, at 10 a.m. at the church, with burial to follow.

Gloria Jean (Ellis) Turner, 80, of Montgomery, Alabama, went home to be with the Lord on October 1, 2026.

Gloria was born on June 30, 1946, in Selma, Alabama, and married Calvin Turner in 1966. For forty-one years she served beside him at Greater New Hope Baptist Church, where the congregation knew her as First Lady Turner and the children knew her as the lady with peppermints in her purse. She led the women's ministry, ran Vacation Bible School every summer, and never missed a hospital visit, a funeral dinner or a chance to sing alto in the choir.

Her home was open to anyone who needed a meal or a prayer, and her advice came with a hug and a Bible verse. As her family says of her, "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her" (Proverbs 31:28).

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, the Rev. Dr. Calvin Turner; her children, Calvin Jr. (Angela) Turner and Monica (Darryl) Wells; six grandchildren; and a church family too large to count. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Bernice.

A viewing will be held Friday, October 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the church. The homegoing service will be Saturday, October 10, at 11 a.m. at Greater New Hope Baptist Church.

Joan Marie (Lutz) Becker, 77, of Fredericksburg, Texas, passed away on October 10, 2026.

Joan was born on December 5, 1948, in Fredericksburg, and married Bill Becker in 1970. In 1978 the two of them opened Becker's Hardware on Main Street, and for the next forty-four years they ran it together. Bill sold the hammers; Joan knew where they were. She did the books, ordered the stock, remembered what every customer had bought the last time, and kept a jar of dog treats by the register.

People came in for a washer and left with a recipe, a piece of advice and a story about the town. Even after they retired, she stopped by the store most mornings to make sure everything was where it belonged.

Joan is survived by her husband of 56 years, Bill; her son, Kurt (Melissa) Becker, who runs the store today; her daughter, Anne (Chris) Weber; and four grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Otto and Hilda Lutz.

The funeral will be held Wednesday, October 14, at 10 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Becker's Hardware will be closed that day so everyone can attend.