Melvis E. Sutton, 86, of Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community and formerly of Fairbury and Arkansas died at 11:11 am Friday, October 23, 2009 at BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 am Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at the First Baptist Church, Fairbury with Pastor Steve Anderson officiating. Burial will be in the Avoca Township Cemetery, rural Fairbury.

Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Tuesday at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury. The family suggests memorials be given to the First Baptist Church, Fairbury; Fairfield Bay Arkansas Baptist Church; or the American Cancer Society.

Melvis was born June 19, 1923 in Armstrong, MO, the daughter of Thomas Gordon and Mary Lou Brown Gibb. She married B. E. "Gene" Sutton on June 19, 1942 in Fayette, MO. He survives in Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community.

Also surviving are two daughters, Alyce (Chuck) Taylor, El Paso, IL; Sandra (Steve) Rieger, Forrest, IL; one son, Dale Sutton, Fairbury, IL; three brothers, Keith (Edith Ann) Gibb, Fort Walton Beach, FL; Bert (Diane) Gibb, Piper City, IL; Tom (Patti) Gibb, Johnstown, Colorado; one sister, Anna Brown (Murray) Green, Springfield, MO; one sister-in-law, JoAnn Gibb, Pontiac, IL; six grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by one brother and one sister.

Melvis was a Stanley Home Products dealer. She worked as a secretary at Limestone Transit, Fairbury and later was employed in the children's department at Sears Department Store in Bloomington.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church, Fairbury; the Daughters of the American Revolution; and was active in the Outreach Program in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas.

Melvis was a loving wife for 67 years. She also was a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother and will be sadly missed by all who knew her.