She attended Ava High School Rebecca Steelman, 93, passed away Sept. 22, 2006. No services were held at her request and her body was donated to science.
Arrangements were under the direction of Klinger Cope Family Funeral Home at Rivermonte, in Springfield.
She was born Nov. 29, 1912, the daughter of James and Josephine (Clark) Schudy. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Joe.
She attended Ava High School, then after being out of school for 24 years, enrolled at SMS as a first term freshman. She graduated 27 months later and went to Fairbanks School in Springfield as a 6th grade teacher where she spent 20 years, the last 13 years as a school principal.
In 1968 she was selected to join the Teach Corp and spent the summer in Africa where she taught American teaching methods to Ethiopian teachers.
After she retired, Rebecca and Joe bought a mobile home in Texas where they spent 13 winters.
Joe preceded her in death in 1992.
They had three children, Jim, of Judsonia, Ark., Warren, of Houston, Texas, and Barbara, of Springfield; nine grandchildren (two deceased), and nine great-grandchildren.
