Pauline Stealey, 96, of Olney, died Friday, December 18, 2015, at Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney.  Private family graveside services held in Haven Hill Cemetery in Olney.

Pauline was born April 24, 1919, in Olney, the daughter of Pearl and Rosa (Urfer) Colvin. She married Lloyd L. Stealey on August 19, 1944, in Chicago. He preceded her in death on July 24, 1999.

Pauline and Lloyd loved to play golf, and for several years spent part of the winter in Florida, playing golf with her sister and husband, Betty and Richard Dunn. In later years, Pauline and Lloyd moved to Olney from Fairfield to be near their sons. While they resided in Olney, Pauline got involved with a sewing club, which had many happy get-togethers. She also learned to do e-mail on the computer, and to make cards for special occasions for friends and acquaintances. Even in her advanced age she was very active. In her 70s, she began taking piano lessons. When she was 90, she took a European cruise with her sister Betty. Throughout her life she wrote hundreds of poems, often inspired by everyday events. Some poems were inspired by the trials of aging, illness, and loneliness. Most Sundays she would have a poem to go along with the Sunday school lesson. Wherever she lived, she was a devoted laborer for the Lord, and was known for hosting Christmas parties for her Sunday school class. She was a member of First Christian Church of Noble.

She is survived by a son, Dennis Stealey and wife Chae, of Springfield; son, Gary Stealey and wife Kay, of Olney; grandson, Adrian Stealey and wife Katie, of Springfield; great-granddaughters, Lily Stealey, Charlotte Stealey and Amelia Stealey; sister, Betty Dunn, of Sun City Center, Florida; and several nieces and nephews.

Pauline was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers, Jack Colvin, Delbert Colvin and Bobby Colvin; and sister, Selma Kessler.

Published in Olney Daily Mail (IL) – Monday, December 21, 2015