Lea Ann (Wattles) Carter (68) of Ingraham

Lea Ann Carter (Wattles), 68, of Ingraham, passed away at 12:22 PM on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at the Cottages of Lake St. Louis, after a difficult and valiant struggle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

She was born on July 11, 1955, in Flora, Illinois and was the daughter of Warren and Betty (Ikemire) Wattles. She married her husband of 23 years, Gary Carter, on March 9, 2000. She lived and worked in Louisville for many years before she and Gary moved to rural Ingraham. Much of her career was spent working for Illinois Department of Human Services, both in Louisville and Olney. She was previously employed by Clay County State Bank, Richland County Hospital, and the original Joe’s Pizza in Olney. She took great interest in creative works and was especially skilled at creating stained glass and sewing. Many of her projects were given to friends and family members as gifts. Lea Ann was also an avid and skilled baker and made sure her loved ones were always well-stocked with treats of her own making like cinnamon rolls, especially during the Christmas season. She loved nature, especially hunting for morel mushrooms during the Springtime. She also enjoyed travel, and took many trips with her daughter, Lesta. On many of those trips they visited specialized shops and places that catered to their shared interests in crafting. Lea Ann was an enthusiastic fan of the Saint Louis Cardinals, attending many games in person. She was a long-time member of Hoosier Prairie Baptist Church and Louisville Baptist Church.

Lea Ann is survived by her husband: Gary Carter of Ingraham; daughter: Lesta (Andrew) Fitzpatrick of St. Charles, Missouri; son, Jay (Melissa) Carter of Liberty, Missouri; 2 grandchildren: Emma Carter and Ian Carter; and a special grand-dog, Charlie. She is also survived by siblings: Sherry (Leon) Hosselton of Clay City; Larry (Judy) Wattles of Louisville; Alan (Kay) Wattles of Waterloo, Illinois; and Brad Wattles of Effingham. Additionally, she was also a beloved aunt to nieces and nephews; Scott (Lori) Hosselton of Clay City, Mickie (Brian) Lykins of Woodstock, Melissa Smith of Effingham, Shannon (Kyle) Leonard of Ingraham, Mitch (Bethany) Wattles of Webster Groves, MO, Sonya (Justin) Howard of Bronston, KY, and Miranda Wattles of Indianapolis, IN.

Her parents, her brother, Jerry Wattles, ex-husband, Gary Blair, and grand-dog, Byron, preceded her in death.

Funeral services to celebrate Lea Ann’s life will be held at 10:30 am, Friday, August 25, 2023, at the McGriff Funeral Home in Louisville with Pastor Kelly Carruthers of Louisville Baptist Church officiating. Burial will follow at the Ingraham Cemetery, Ingraham, Illinois. A visitation will be held on Thursday evening at the funeral home where friends may call from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Lea Ann's memory may be made to the ALS Foundation of St. Louis, or the Team Gleason Foundation (another ALS support service) at the funeral home.

The family wants to extend special thanks to the Cottages of Lake Saint Louis and St. Croix Hospice. To sign the guestbook online or share a memory of Lea Ann, please visit by clicking here.