Barbara Wade (79) formerly of Greenup

Barbara Wade, formerly of Greenup, IL, passed away at 10:58am on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at the age of 79.

She is survived by her sister Judy Manning of Newton, IL; loving sons Michael Wade (Sonya) of Effingham, IL and Joe Wade (Hillary) of Mattoon, IL; grandchildren Jennifer Cross (Cody) of Effingham, IL and Ryan Wade (Hannah) of Belleville, IL; great-grandson Easton Cross of Effingham, IL; special friend Paul Smith of Greenup, IL and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Donald “Sawdust” Wade of Greenup, IL; parents Forrest and Dorothy Huddlestun of Hidalgo, IL; brothers Russell Huddlestun of Biloxi, MS and Larry Huddlestun of Jacksonville, FL.

A Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 pm on Saturday March 18, 2023, at the Barkley Funeral Chapel in Greenup. A Memorial Visitation will be held March 18, 2023, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the funeral chapel. Burial will be in the Greenup Cemetery.

Barbara Jean Huddlestun was born on November 15, 1943. She married Donald Wade in October of 1961, he preceded her in death on February 20, 2012. Barbara worked as a bookkeeper in the unit office for Cumberland School District #77 in Toledo, IL for 34 years. She was the first person you saw when you walked into the office. She always treated everyone with respect and was considered the go-to person by all school employees for any issues with insurance or payroll. Barbara’s greatest passion was gardening. She spent most of her free time planting and maintaining the landscaping in her yard. The “house on the hill” in rural Greenup was considered a state park by her friends and loved ones who would routinely visit and walk around the yard with her while she described the numerous species of plants and flowers she had amassed. Her passion inspired others to take up gardening and sometimes people would use her landscapes as back drops for homecoming and prom pictures. When Barbara wasn’t gardening, she spent most of her time supporting her children and grandchildren by attending numerous softball games, pool league matches and motocross races. Barbara was an avid Chicago Cubs fan and was finally able to witness her life-long dream of celebrating a World Series championship in 2016. When she wasn’t rooting for her beloved Cubs, she was providing support and suffering right along with her sons through several agonizing playoff defeats by the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts. Barbara will forever be missed by all those who knew and loved her. She was a loving and caring person who treated everyone like a friend…as long as you didn’t cross her.

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