Florence Hand Rector Dies at Age of 78 Years

Mrs. Florence Elva Hand Rector died at 11:40 Sunday morning at her home, 1001 south Sixth street. She was 78 years and ten days of age.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 2:00 p.mm. at Myers Chapel. The Rev. Ace Summers will officiate and burial will be in Farnsworth cemetery, in Wayne county.

The body will lie in state at Myers Chapel, where friends may call after 4:00 p.m. today.

Mrs. Rector was born December 23, 1881 in Wayne county, the daughter of John and Mary (Maulding) Whalen.

She was first married to Garfield Hand, who died in 1930. In 1949 she was married to Arley Rector, who survives.

Mrs. Rector was a member of the Bethel Tabaernacle.

Besides her husband, she is survived by one son, Leonard Hand of Mt. Vernon; three daughters, Noma Pigg of Mt. Vernon, Pauline Gardner of Lima, Ohio, and Nadine Mayberry of Wildwood, Ill; four brothers, Vern Whalen of Bluford, Roy Whalen of Roxanna City, Ill., and Robert Whalen of Wood River, Ill; four sisters, Laura McClure of Flint, Mich., Nora Jones of DeKalb, Ill., Golda Guthrie of Peoria and Clara Loge of Mt. Vernon; 11 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

*Note from Sandy:

My grandmother also wrote in the margin of the newspaper clipping that her sister Laura passed away in Feb of the same year 1960.

According to family documents, Florence was born 23 Dec 1882. We also have her first name as Elva and middle name as Florence.

Source: Mt. Vernon Register News
Date: Monday, 4 Jan 1960
Submitted by: Sandy Bauer
Relationship - Great niece, sister of my paternal grandfather.