Velma Jean Ifft, 86, of Fairbury passed away peacefully at 1:00 a.m. Saturday, May 26, 2012, at Fairview Haven Nursing Home, Fairbury.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 30, at the Apostolic Christian Church, Forrest. The ministers of the church will officiate. Burial will be at the South Apostolic Christian Cemetery, Fairbury.

Visitation will be from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury, and from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday at the church.

The family suggests memorials to Fairview Haven Nursing Home, Fairbury, or Misgana Ministries, P. O. Box 1331, Bloomington, IL 61702-1331, for mission projects in Ethiopia.

Velma Jean was born October 16, 1925, in Fairbury, the daughter of Edward and Lydia Fehr Huber. She married Harvey S. Ifft on June 16, 1946. He passed away March 7, 2011. Surviving are their children, Gary (Peggy), Ziway, Ethiopia; Nancy (Marvin) Dotterer, Forrest; Sherri Schlatter, Fairbury; and Keith, Peoria; 12 grandchildren, Angie (Walter) Reedy, Becky Ifft, Sam Ifft, Lori (Ben) Leman, Jason (Lynn) Dotterer, Clint (Rebecca) Dotterer, Heidi (Nathan) Bachman, Erika (Emery) Gal, Rachel (Scott) Hartzler, Amy (Grant) Hartman, Alyssa Ifft, and Alex Ifft; 23 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Virginia Blunier, Eureka; and Joyce Gasser, Wadsworth, Ohio. She was preceded in death by a son-in-law Mark Schlatter, a sister Katharine Fehr, and a brother Melvin Huber.

Velma Jean was a faithful member of the Apostolic Christian Church of Forrest for 65 years.

She had been a legal secretary and also helped her husband on the farm. She enjoyed church activities, Sewing Circle, traveling, and sharing hospitality with many people in her home. Her family, friends, and church were very special to her.