Ila Estelle Garrigus was born on December 23, 1913 in Palmersville, Tennessee to James Bedford Garrigus and Laura Mae Butler.

She died on September 12, 2013 in Union City, Tennessee.

The following was copied from “Graves County, Kentucky – History & Families” written by the Graves County Genealogical Society, page 250.

GARRIGUS

Ila Estelle Garrigus, the oldest of five children, was born in Weakley County, Tennessee to Laura Mae Butler and James Bedford Garrigus on December 23, 1913. When she was two years old the family moved to Graves County, Kentucky.

She grew up and attended school in Graves County graduating from Pilot Oak High School during the “Great Depression”. After graduation she went to Murray State Teacher’s College in Murray, Kentucky. With the depression on there was very little money. Ila lived with the Almon Beal Family and helped with the housework for room and board. She graduated from Murray and taught elementary grades in Graves County for seven years.

By this time the USA was in WWII and she was making very little money teaching, so she went to Detroit and worked. There she was a dynamometer recorder for the testing of aircraft engines.

After the war ended, Ila had no job, so she stayed in Detroit for about two years and worked in a dress shop. She was clerk and became assistant manager. Her mother lost her eyesight, so Ila decided to go back to Kentucky where she could be more help to her mother.

When she decided to go to work, she taught school in Paducah, Kentucky for two years. Then she heard of Peoria, Illinois needing teachers. They were paying more than Kentucky, and the pension was better She taught 26 years in Peoria and retired there. After retirement she worked in a fabric store for a couple of years before coming to Paducah, Kentucky, where she resides now (1999).

~Graves County Genealogical Society, “Graves County, Kentucky – History & Families” (Paducah, KY: Turner Pub. Co., 2001), page 250.

Obituary published in the Peoria Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois) on September 14, 2013.

Shared on Find A Grave by Linda Garrigus Davis

PEORIA – Miss Ila Estelle Garrigus, age 99, of Union City, Tenn., formerly of Peoria, Ill., died on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, at 5:20 p.m. at the Golden Living Center in Union City, Tenn.

Miss Garrigus was born near Palmersville, Tenn., in Weakley County on Dec. 23, 1913, to James Bedford Garrigus and Laura Mae Butler Garrigus.

Ila attended grammar school at the French School, which was a one-room school. She attended grades seven through 12 at the Pilot Oak High School, where she graduated in 1932.

Ila graduated from Murray State Teachers College in 1942 after stopping for 7 1/2 years to teach at the Pilot Oak School for grades three and four.

During World War II, Ila moved to Detroit, Mich., to work in a military aircraft engine factory testing aircraft engines.

In 1946, Ila taught school in Paducah, Ky., for two years at McKinley Grammar School.

Miss Garrigus moved to Peoria, Ill., in 1948, where she taught at the Columbia, Loucks and Tyng schools until her retirement in 1976.

In 1976, Ila moved backed to Lone Oak, Ky. Ila worshiped at the Lone Oak Church of Christ, where she was active in the Senior Ladies Group.

Ila moved from Lone Oak to live in the home of her nephew and his wife Larry and Joyce Russell in Union City, Tenn., in July 2006.

In Union City, Tenn., Miss Ila attended church at the Exchange Street Church of Christ when she could until her health declined, which placed her in the Golden Living Center, where she resided until her death.

She is survived by her nephew, Denton Russell of Searcy, Ark.; nephew, Larry Russell of Union City, Tenn.; nephew, James Dennis Garrigus of Lone Oak, Ky.; niece, Laura Faye Davis of South Fulton, Tenn.; niece, Linda Sue Holman of Wingo, Ky.; and niece, Patricia Hall of Palm Bay, Fla.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her two sisters, Gracie Russell and Fannie Garrigus; two brothers, James Garrigus and Vodie Garrigus; and a niece, Bonnie Willett.

Funeral services will be held today, Sept. 14, 2013, at 4 p.m. at the Brown Funeral Home in Wingo, Ky., with Brother Bobby Crittendon officiating. Burial will follow in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Wingo, Ky. Friends may call after 2 p.m. today at the Brown Funeral Home in Wingo, Ky.

Pallbearers will be Charles Russell, Gayle Hall, Craig Russell, James Denise Garrigus, Garrett Foster and Gabe Willett.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Fund, c/o Laura Davis, 9584 Fields Road, South Fulton, TN 38257.