James Russell Rule

James Russell Rule, age 99, of Greenville, South Carolina, formerly of East Peoria, Illinois, passed away on Monday, August 18, 2025, at his residence. Born October 24, 1925 in Noble, Illinois to the late John H. and Inez (Davis) Rule, he married Shirley Davis on April 11, 1948, in East Peoria. She died May 30, 2013, in Greenville, South Carolina. He was a United States Navy veteran of World War II. A former member of First Baptist Church of Creve Coeur, Illinois, he was a member of Morningside Baptist Church of Greenville. He worked for Caterpillar, Inc. for 34 years, retired in 1982 from research at the Tech Center and Proving Grounds. In retirement, he worked for the Auto Auction in Morton, Illinois. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, traveling and spending time with family. Surviving are four grandchildren, Jeremy, Julie, Jennifer and Tim and two sisters. He also was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Walter Lee Rule; one daughter, Dianne Jones; two brothers and three sisters. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. at Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes, Northwest, with the funeral service to follow at 10:30 a.m. in the Northwest Chapel. Burial will be held in Swan Lake Memory Gardens in Peoria, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Morningside Baptist Church, 1115 Pelham Rd., Greenville, SC 29615, https://morningside.org/. Friends are encouraged to share their favorite memories of James with the family by clicking on the button labeled "Share A Memory".