Gayle C. DesCombes Jeffries, age 87, of Waterloo, IL, formerly Columbia, IL, Gillette, WY, Carbondale, IL, died at 7:09PM, Sunday, January 3, 2010 at Oak Hill Nursing Home in Waterloo.
She was born on September 7, 1922 in the Owsley Community in Johnson County, MO to Everett and Ella (Champ) Craig.
She attended Johnson County, MO grade school.  She had worked as a secretary for the Laborer’s Union (Local 588) in Sedalia, MO.  She was also a Singer Company sewing instructor for 15 years and managed a consignment shop and shoe store for several years.
She enjoyed sewing, reading, cooking, jewelry (especially Turquoise), NASCAR (#3), yard sales, country music, fall colors, leather shoes and purses, the police blotter and her scanner, bragging on her children (“I’ve got four good kids!”) and “Great Big Fat Juicy Greasy Cheeseburgers”.
She will be most remembered for her loving ways and ferocious protection of her children and family; and certainly for the recurring question to her daughters “Where’s your purse honi?”  Her green beans, potato salad, stuffed green peppers and pots of homemade vegetable soup will be missed by all that had the pleasure to enjoy.  Remembered also will be her sense of style (always a trend setter, not a follower), her beautiful smile and bright blue eyes (they lit up a room), her wonderful laugh and sense of humor and perhaps most importantly her conviction that there was nothing she couldn’t do, nothing that she needed and that happiness was a choice.
She is survived by 1 son, Larry (Carol) DesCombes of Leeton, MO; 3 daughters, Jody (Ray) and Jack Miller of Smithton, IL, Dee Linda (Gene) Rohrer of Mayview, MO and Janet (David) Finnerty of Columbia, IL; 8 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild; nieces, nephews and other relatives.
 She was preceded in death by her parents and three sisters.
Services will be private.
Memorials may be made to Oak Hill Nursing Home, 623 Hamacher Street, Waterloo, IL 62298 in Memory of Gayle C. Jeffries.
Crain Pleasant Grove-Murdale Funeral Home, Old Rt. 13 between Carbondale and Murphysboro is in charge of arrangements.