Bess L. Buckels

Bess Buckels, 97, of Olney, IL, passed away on Thursday, June 26, 2025 at Helia Healthcare in Olney, IL.

Bess was born September 2, 1927 in Keokuk, IA the daughter of Wilbur Beaird and Alice (McKay) Gambrel-Seltzer.

Bess was a homemaker, caregiver, and volunteered at Richland Memorial Hospital. She had a great sense of humor and enjoyed corresponding with her friends and family. She lived throughout the United States, including Iowa, Washington, Tennessee, California, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Illinois. She was an avid baseball fan, taking her children to games at the A’s Oakland-Alameda County Stadium and Red Sox Fenway Park. While listening to the games on radio, she created her own scorecard and symbols to track the progress of the game. Bess was also an expert at Cribbage.

Bess is survived by her son, Charles Buckels of Vincennes, IN; son, Lt. Col. (Ret.) James Buckels and his wife, Rhonda, of Noble; son, Matthew Buckels and his wife, Joyce, of Vincennes, IN; granddaughter, Elizabeth Goldman of Noble; grandsons, Wade Buckels and his wife, Jasmine, of Gainesville, FL and Dalton Buckels of Cleveland, OH; and great-grandchildren, Tristin Watkins and her husband Alex, and Desiny Buckels of Sumter, SC, Kaylee Goldman of Brownsburg, IN, Carmelita Buckels of Gainesville, FL; great-great-grandchildren, Caliope Buckels and Summer Watkins of Sumter, SC; sister, Janice Smith of Waynesville, NC; sisters-in-law, JoAnn Gambrel and Sandra Gambrel; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Wilbur Beaird and Alice Seltzer; daughter, Margaret Elizabeth Buckels; grandson, TJ Buckels; siblings, Margaret Traxler, Paticia Hurst, Kenneth Gambrel, Gary Gambrel, and Iris Jean Gilberg.

Kistler-Patterson Funeral Home in Olney has been entrusted with arrangements.

A funeral service will be held for Bess at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at Kistler-Patterson Funeral Home in Olney, with a visitation beginning one hour before service time at the funeral home.

Interment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Parkersburg, IL.

Memorials can be made to the Richland Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.