Jesse Ready

1931 - 2019

JERSEYVILLE — Jesse Ellsworth "Bud" Ready, 88, died at 12:37 p.m., Monday, Aug. 12, 2019 at Jersey Community Hospital.

He was born on July 18, 1931 in Walnut Grove, Arkansas, part of a large family born to the late Edgar Richard and Bessie (Cooper) Ready.

He married the former Dorothy Mae Blasa on Oct. 2, 1954 at the Bethel Methodist Church in Dow and together their marriage was blessed with two children and 59 years together prior to her death on June 2, 2013.

Jess worked hard to provide the best life possible for his family, working as a shearman for Laclede Steel for 37 years, prior to his retirement.

He enjoyed the study and history of Indian artifacts, collecting and hunting arrowheads, and was proud to have been given the opportunity for author Julie Morrow to write a book about his extensive collection.

Surviving are a son and daughter in-law, Kenneth and Beverly Ready of Jerseyville; a granddaughter, Jessica and Andrew Purcell of Bridgeton, Missouri; three grandsons, Brett LeMarr, and his companion, Amber, of Jerseyville, Blake and Lisa LeMarr of Elsah, and Brandan and Melissa LeMarr of Jerseyville; seven great-grandchildren, Dawson, Aliyah, Wyatt, Jackson, Addelyn, Liam and Gary; a brother and sister in-law, Oliver and Janet Ready; a sister and brother in-law, Wanda and Paul Watson; a sister in-law, Mary Ready, of Grafton; dear friend and caregiver, Sheila Dawdy of Jerseyville; as well as his four-legged buddy, Hokey.

In addition to his parents and his wife, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Marcia K. Ready on Aug. 7, 2014; two brothers and a sister in-law, Raymond Eugene "Gene" Ready and Richard and Mary Carol Ready; three sisters and two brothers in-law, Delores and Doss Robertson, JoEllen "Jody" and William Lucas, and Azzie "Boots" Seib.

Visitation will be 10:30 a.m. until time of funeral services at 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. Burial will follow at the Meadowbranch Cemetery in Grafton.

In lieu of flowers or plants, memorials may be given to BJC Hospice of Greene County or to the Kid's Shouldn't Have Cancer Foundation.