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Erma Bryan Obituary
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Erma attended Clay City High School, and it was on the school bus that she met her future husband. On August 19, 1951, Erma and Bill were married at the Sailor Springs Baptist Church.
Erma graduated from high school in 1950 and went on to study early childhood education at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) in Charleston. Bill also attended EIU and subsequently became a fulltime pastor.
Throughout her life as a pastor's wife she served many roles: mother, pianist, Sunday school teacher, pre-school teacher, and hostess for church groups meeting in the parsonage. Her life of service was filled with love for family, neighbors, children, and the parishioners of the many congregations where she and Bill served.
Loved by many, Erma will be sorely missed. She leaves behind her children: Phillip (Connie Dent), Paul (Ellen Everett), Sue Cox and Beth Ann (Mandel) Denmon; grandchildren: Nathan Cox, Aiden Bryan, Rachel (Joey) Aldrich, Molly Denmon, and a great granddaughter, Sadie Bell Tuttle. She is also survived by her brother, Aaron Wright Phillips, his wife Sondra, sisters-in-law, Mary Ann Poehler and Jody Bryan, and many more dear relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband and by her sister, Alice Jean (nee Phillips) Adams-Fennessey.
A celebration of Erma's life will be held on Sunday, July 13, 2025, 2:00 PM at Grace United Methodist Church, 300 E. Gartner Rd., Naperville, IL 60540, (630) 355-1748.
A reception will follow at the church.
Interment will be private.
Donations in Erma's honor made be made to: The Bill and Erma Bryan Endowed Scholarship Fund, Garrett Theological Seminary, www.garrett.edu/giving
Arrangements by Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill Street, Naperville, IL 60540.
For more information, please call (630) 355-0213 or visit www.friedrich-jones.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Erma, please visit our floral store.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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