ARETTA MONTGOMERY

June 6, 1938 - July 6, 2016

Aretta Montgomery, 78, of Kankakee, died Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at Citadel Care Center, Kankakee. Visitation will be Friday, July 15, 2016 from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. at Lax Mortuary and again on Saturday, July 16, 2016 from 9:00 A.M. until time of funeral services at 10:00 A.M. at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church. Reverend Kenneth Edward Copeland will deliver the eulogy. Burial will be in Mound Grove Gardens of Memory. Aretta Montgomery was born June 6, 1938 in Lake, Mississippi to Hilmor and Maggie Parker Moore. She was a member of Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and sang in the choir. Prior to that, she had been a longtime member of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church and the choir, where her fine rendering of â€Å"I’m Free†is still very memorable. Ms. Montgomery was united in marriage to Johnie B. Montgomery on September 22, 1956 and to their union six children were born. She had been employed by Manteno State Hospital and Shapiro Developmental Center. She enjoyed baking, knitting and arts and crafts. She leaves to cherish her memory, three sons and two daughters-in-law, Mark and Danita Montgomery and Lorenzo and Sharon Montgomery, all of Dallas, TX and Travis Montgomery of Dwight, IL; three daughters, Glenda Montgomery of Kankakee, IL, Maxine Montgomery of Jackson, Missouri and Valerie Alexander of Bourbonnais, IL; her father, Hilmor Moore of Lake, Mississippi; two brothers, Clabe Moore of Kansas City, Missouri and Larry Moore of Detroit, MI; five sisters and one brother-in-law, Willie Mae Crawford of Union City, CA, Doris Banks of Kankakee, IL, Nannie Moore of Pearl, Mississippi, Dorothy and Jackie Bradford of Forest, Mississippi and Mary Price of Springfield, IL; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one aunt, Geneva Sims of Morton, Mississippi; one uncle, Oliver Moore of Lake, Mississippi; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband and her mother.