66, Oblong, IL
Celebration of Rheta’s Life will be held at 11:00am Saturday April 20, 2019 at the First Christian Church, 206 N. Range St. in Oblong. Burial will be in White Oak Cemetery at a later date.
Visitation will be held from 9:00am until service time on Saturday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that expressions of sympathy may take the form of a contribution to the First Christian Church in Oblong or Prior Grove Baptist Church. Envelopes will be available at the church or may be mailed to Pulliam Funeral Home P.O. Box 121 Oblong, IL 62449.
Rheta A. (Purcell) Dunlap age 66, of Oblong, IL joined her Heavenly Father on April 11, 2019. She was surrounded by family during her final moments.
Rheta was born in Robinson, IL on Aug. 12, 1952 to Duaine and Mildred (Musgrave) Purcell. She enjoyed being a farmer’s daughter with brother Doyle and her sister Carolyn. She graduated from Oblong High School in 1970. Shortly after graduation she met and married the love of her life, Gary M. Dunlap, and still in love 48 years later. She soon found herself an Air Force wife and a mother to Duaine “Alan” Dunlap and Kathrine Sue (Dunlap) Ketner. They were able to travel due to the Air Force living in Norfolk, VA (Langley AFB), Spring Lake, VA (Pope AFB), Fairborn, OH (Right-Patterson AFB), Fairbanks, AK (Eielson AFB) and Mountain Home, ID (Mtn. Home AFB). She was an avid bowler and won several trophies and awards. She also enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, crocheting, cross stitch and gardening. She was a member of the Prior Grove Baptist Church in Hardinville, IL. She also attended Priscilla Circle at the First Christian Church of Oblong.
She is survived by her husband Gary Dunlap, Oblong, IL; a son and daughter-in-law Duaine “Alan” and Shannon Dunlap, Ft. Collins, CO and their children Zona and Laurel. Daughter Kathrine Sue (Dunlap) Ketner, and her children Gerald Richardson and his fiancé Nicole Kiger, Courtney Ketner and Christy Ketner; Her brother Doyle and Barb Purcell, their children Cindy (Purcell) and Jim Anderson and their children; Tammy (Purcell) and Tracy Judy and their children; Her sister Carolyn (Purcell) and Harold Sloan, their daughters Nannette Sloan and Kim (Sloan) and Chad Ulrich, and their children. She is also survived by her Mother-in-law Betty Dunlap; sister-in-law Marilyn (Dunlap) Rego and her children Angel (Rego) and Dustin Dillery and their children; Jedidiah Rego, Caleb and Tabitha Rego and their children; sister-in-law Cheryl (Dunlap) and David Rodrick, their children Jessica (Rodrick) and Joshua Butcher and their children; Josh and Samantha Rodrick; sister-in-law Darla (Dunlap) and Joe Boehl, their children Sarah (Brooks) and Michael Culter and their children; Jacob Brooks and his son; Matthew Brooks; brother-in-law Mark and Tanya Dunlap, their children Travis and Livia-Ray Houser and their children; Devon Houser; Miranda and Kyle Miller and their children; Kaylee (Dunlap) Warren and her son, Keysha Dunlap and her son.
Preceding her in death were her parents, two infant brothers, her daughter Debra Kay Dunlap, a granddaughter Cayla Lynett Ketner; father-in-law Byrl Dunlap, her brother-in-law Timothy Brooks, a niece, a nephew, and two great nephews.
Condolences and or memories my be sent to the family at www.oblongfuneralhome.com
Pulliam Funeral Home Oblong, IL is in charge of arrangements.
