Jewel S. (Steele) Tipsword, 90, of Sorento died peacefully on Monday, May 11, 2026 at Regency Care in Springfield.
Visitation will be held on Wed. May 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sorento Municipal Center. A funeral service will begin at 1 p.m. and interment will follow at Sunnyside Cemetery in Sorento.
Mrs. Tipsword was born on Sept. 5, 1935, to Aaron and Pearl (Roberson) Steele in Sorento. As the youngest of four daughters, she shared her childhood with sisters Lucille, Ruby and Bernice.
Mrs. Tipsword attended school from first grade through junior year of high school in Sorento and graduated from Greenville High School in 1953.
On Oct. 27, 1956, she married Billie Lee Tipsword in Greenville. A long and loving marriage lasted until his death on Sept. 18, 1998. Together, they had a daughter, Sharon Lee Eck (James) of Springfield; grandchildren, Aaron Eck (Lorachelle) of Taylorville and Sarah Eck (Brady Meredith) of Riverton; and two great-grandchildren, Peyton Juatana and Elliot James Eck, of Taylorville.
Mrs. Tipsword’s employment over the years included working as a telephone operator in Sorento, at Basler Electric in Highland, as a homemaker and with the Bond County Health Department in Greenville, where she retired after 30 years of service. In retirement, she volunteered at the Sorento school for several years and was employed at JG and Associates until the COVID pandemic.
Mrs. Tipsword’s dedication to Sorento was endless. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, a founding member of the Sorento Homecoming Association and a key organizer of the Ripson Bridge Fall Festival. Her main love was her yard and garden, and she worked tirelessly to make sure there was not a single weed anywhere to be found. She was always eager to support local Sorento events by baking or working a job at the event.
Mrs. Tipsword is survived by her nieces, Marsha (Gruner) Lutz (Rick Kampwerth) of Highland, Vicki (Frigo) Durbin of Hillsboro and Yvonne (Bandelow) of Greenville; nephew, Rick Frigo of Jacksonville; and many great-nieces and great-great-nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Tipsword was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; sisters, Lucille Gruner (Harold), Ruby Tipsword (Duane) and Bernice Frigo (Bruno); nephews, Larry Gruner of Greenville and Vernon Durbin of Hillsboro; and niece, Bonnie Hamilton of Jacksonville.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be graciously directed to Sunnyside Cemetery. Sutton Memorial Home in Taylorville is assisting the family with the arrangements.
