Martha VanCleve

CAIRO, Ill. -- Martha VanCleve, 91, of Cairo died Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

She was born June 9, 1920, in Cairo, daughter of John and Anna Creagan Luby.

Mrs. VanCleve was a registered nurse before her retirement. She was the former director of nursing at St. Mary's Hospital in Cairo, and first coordinator of the nursing program at Shawnee College in Ullin, Ill.

She received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Loyola University.

Mrs. VanCleve was a veteran of World War II, serving as a nurse in the Pacific at the rank of lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Navy. She was retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve.

She was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas VanCleve, in 1995; two brothers, Joseph and Edward Luby; and a sister, Cathleen Luby.

Survivors include two sons, John (Donette) VanCleve of Wickliffe, Ky., Thomas VanCleve of Grand Marias, Minn.; a daughter, Joan (Rick) Ball of Cobden, Ill.; a sister, Anne Duncan of Cape Girardeau; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

Visitation is from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at St. Patrick's Church.

Funeral Mass will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the church, with the Revs. John Agbasiere and Jerome Fortenberry officiating. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Villa Ridge, Ill., with military honors provided by local veterans organizations and the U.S. Navy.

Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.