Martha Oleene McDonald

Martha Oleene McDonald, 82, formerly of Pinckneyville and New Athens, Illinois, passed way in Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, May 29, 2014. No services were held at her request.

Martha ("Oleene" to her friends and family), was born March 19, 1932 in Willisville, Illinois, the oldest daughter of Bertha Clarinda (Earhart) Floyd (later McKinney) and Archie Floyd. She married Willard Gillespie in December 1947 in Marissa, Illinois and later John McDonald in July 1975 in Pinckneyville, Illinois. Oleene was a Licensed Practical Nurse prior to her retirement, and practiced at Fairhaven Nursing Home in Moline before her main career at Moline Public Hospital (now Trinity). She was a former member of the Moline Gospel Temple.

Oleene spent the first part of her retirement in the southern Illinois area, then moved to the Las Vegas area in 1992 to be near her daughters and grandchildren. She enjoyed helping care for her grandchildren and great grandchildren, making friends at the knitting/crocheting club she attended twice weekly, crocheting for a Las Vegas medical center charity, and watching as many baseball games as possible on television!

Survivors include two daughters, Arlene Kropp (Nevada) and Arla Jordan (California); two granddaughters, Alisha Cox and Amy Mack (Nevada); four great grandchildren, Riley Cox, Rhiannen Cox, Rowan Lehikko, and Skylar Fischer (all of Nevada); one sister, Deloris ("Pete") Juenger, and one brother, John Floyd (both of Illinois). Oleene was preceded in death by her parents and former husbands.

She was greatly loved and cherished by her family, a wonderful mother, grandmother, sister and wife. Life will never be the same without her, but she remains in our hearts forever.

Memorials may be made in her name to The American Heart Association at www.heart.org.