Frances "Fran" Watts

July 01, 2020

Private Family Services for Frances "Fran" Watts, 86, formally of

Eldon, Hannibal and Perry, will be held Thursday, July 2, 2020 at

Bienhoff Funeral Home in Perry. Burial will be in Lick Creek Cemetery.
Ms. Watts passed away at 12:20 a.m. June 29, 2020 at Tri-County

Care Center in Vandalia.
She was born in rural Ralls County in the St. Paul-Pleasant Grove

community on July 18, 1933, the daughter of James Fay and Mae Emma Gregg

Gay.
Survivors include: one brother, Jimmie (Jeanie) Gay of Perry; one

sister, Kay (Cletus) Sparks of New Hartford; two brothers-in-law, Bob

Willis of Cartersville and Matt Lane of Sedalia; and fifteen nieces and

nephews; Leisa (Dalton) Reynolds, Rusty (Glenda) Willis, Tracy (Lane)

Weiser, Terry (Lane) Brown, Debbie (Mike) Davis, Donna (Adam) Hudson,

Pam Smith, Jim Sparks, John Sparks, Jeff Gay, Robyn Lovelace, Kristen

Greenplate, Brent Gay, Tammy Pringle, Amy Macintosh.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Emma Faye

Lane and Rose Lucille (Rosie) Willis; and one brother, J.D. Gay.
Ms. Watts was primarily a lifetime area resident, member of the

Eldon First Christian Church and 1951 graduate of Perry High School.

She worked for Stehle switchboard in Perry and the Perry State Bank.

She moved to Hannibal in 1955 and worked as an operator for Southwestern

Bell and trained the first male operator. She moved to Eldon where she

continued to work for Southwestern Bell until her retirement in 1987

after 32 years of service. Ms. Watts was active in church and civic

organizations. She was a volunteer for Eldon Community Food Pantry, Lee

House, the local school and Relay For Life. Her participation in

Telephone Pioneers kept her busy sewing Hug A Bears for children and

pillows for nursing home residents. She won several honors in bowling

and golf. She enjoyed working with people, dancing, crafts and

flowers. She was a very creative person.
Pallbearers will be family members.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lick Creek Cemetery, Ralls

County Cancer Society or Eldon First Christian Church.