Esther Willitts

April 28, 1927 - January 8, 2012

Esther J. Willitts, 84, of Brownstown, died at 4:11 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012, at Friendship Manor in St. Elmo. No services and visitation are planned at this time. Burial will be in New Jersey at a later date. Hohlt & File Funeral Home in Vandalia was in charge of arrangements. Memorials: Friendship Manor. Mrs. Willitts was born on April 28, 1927, in Vandalia, the daughter of William and O'Dean Cripe Gelsinger. She was married to Jay Paul Willitts Sr. She was a homemaker and was affiliated with the Methodist faith. She is survived by a son, Jay Paul Willitts II of Johnson City; daughter, Vivian Barfield of New Jersey; brothers, Charles Gelsinger of Bluff City, Bill Gelsinger and his wife Ada of Decatur, and Jim Gelsinger and his wife Alice of Centralia; sisters, Flossie Johnson of Arkansas, Rosemary Case of Vandalia, Ella Lockart of Shelbyville, Bernideau Rush of Kentucky, Lois and her husband Darrel Finley of St. Elmo, Ruth Ann and her husband Bud Shipley of Mulberry Grove, and Sharon Circero of California; and three granddaughters. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and an infant brother.