Bessie Irene Oathout Griest, 99, of Rantoul died at 5:50 p.m. Friday, December 4, 2020 at Farmer City Rehab and Health Care.

Private funeral services will be held. Burial will be in Pine Ridge Cemetery, Loda. Baier Family Funeral Services, Paxton is assisting the family with arrangements.

Mrs. Griest was born February 27, 1921 in Pigeon Grove Township on the Loda Road, a daughter of Claude and Bessie Turner Oathout. She married Jewel Griest September 5, 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He preceded her in death May 28, 1984.

Survivors include two sons, Raymond (Debra) Griest of Urbana, Lawrence (Marsha) Griest of Mahomet; five grandsons, Travis (Crystal) Griest, Clint (Johanna) Griest, Jason Griest, Justin Griest, Rodger (Kendra) Watts; six great grandchildren, Vance, Reed, Aiden, Mitchell, Savannah, Alicia; two sisters, Dorothy Morgan of Hinsdale, Marjorie (Oscar "Dick") Orr of Dewey.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters in infancy, Frances and Claudia, and one brother Charles Oathout.

Bessie graduated from Zion School and Cissna Park High School in 1938. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 1943 with a Bachelor's in Education with a minor in history. She taught for 38 years in the high schools at Fisher, Momence and Rantoul. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Xi Chapter; American Association of University Women – Charter Member, Rantoul Branch; National Educational Association – lifetime member; and the Illinois and Champaign County Retired Teachers Association. For ten years she was a volunteer at Parkland College in the GED program, working with Tamara Covert and also a ten-year volunteer at the Museum of the Grand Prairie. Bessie was a member of the Ford-Iroquois Farm Bureau and the Loda United Methodist Church.

Her main interests in life were family, education and travel.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or American Diabetes Association. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.baierfuneralservices.com.