NORMAL - Velma Mary Moore, 86, Normal, passed away July 16, 2008, at Christiana Hospital in Wilmington, Del.

Velma was a member of First Baptist Church of Towanda, where her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday. Visitation will be two hours prior to the service at church. The Rev. Cal Gowen will officiate, with the Rev. Les Rempel and Pastor Mel Barth assisting. A graveside service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Manlius Baptist Church Cemetery, near Wyanet. East Lawn Funeral Home in Bloomington is in charge of arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church of Towanda, P.O. Box 101, Towanda, IL 61776. Online condolences may be submitted to www.mem.com.

She was born Aug. 7, 1921, in Momence, daughter of H. Omer and Hazel N. Snyder Estill. She married the Rev. Bonnie "Barney" L. Moore on Nov. 26, 1942, in Momence. He preceded her in death on Feb. 25, 2003, in Bloomington.

She was also preceded in death by one son, Garry Moore; one grandson, Tyler Huff; one brother, Orville Estill; and one sister, Maxine Sewell.

Surviving are one daughter, Janet (Terry) Huff, Bloomington; two sons, Larry (Beth) Moore, Elgin, and Randy (Connie) Moore, Howard City, Mich.; eight grandchildren, Joy (Tommy) Pfister; Sarah (Jeff) Stoller; Shawn, Scot and Stanley Moore; Lane Tingle; and Aaron and Adam Suarez; three great-grandchildren, Nicole and Morgan Pfister, and Shiloh Stoller; and one brother, Curtis Estill, Pear Blossom, Calif.

Velma was a former member of the Bureau County Chorus, a founding member of the Mental Retarded Association of Bureau County and a founding member of Gateway Center in Princeton. She attended Moody Bible Institute and Bob Jones University. She was an accomplished musician on the organ, piano, trombone and guitar, and sang with her sister on the WLS Barn Dance.

Her greatest love of music was in serving as a church musician. Until this past winter, she faithfully served for 18 years as organist in Towanda. Her primary goal was to serve the Lord with her whole heart using the talents He had given her and to see her children and grandchildren committed to serving Him, too.

Our sadness over losing Velma so suddenly is not without hope. We know we will see her again in heaven, and that takes the sting out of her death.