After a long courageous battle with cancer, Eileen B. "Tootle" Rickey was called home to God and everlasting peace on Jan. 12, 2011, surrounded by her loving family at home.

She was born in Bartonville, Ill., on Aug. 24, 1936, to the late Marvin and Erma (nee Cooke) Huffman. She graduated from Princeville High School with the class of 1954 before attending Southern Illinois University. On June 5, 1959, she was united in marriage to Donald E. Rickey and settled in Dunlap, Ill. Later she worked in the publishing industry as a typesetter at various companies.

She enjoyed league bowling and tournament bowling with her sisters, gardening, attending the farmer’s market and decorating ducks for the 4th of July Duck Derby at Regner Park. She was an avid Packer fan and had a fun-loving Packer Viking rivalry with her brother McGee.

Eileen was the loving and cherished mother of Todd of West Bend, Joel (Sue) of El Paso, Ill., Amy (Randy) Spaulding of West Bend and Ann (Bob) Bettinardi of Lemont, Ill.; proud grandmother of Kelly (Jason) Bishop, Lynne (Brad) Norris, Tracy (Brent) Kelly, Kim (Joe) Holt, Amanda (Jason) Baltz, Cassie (Joe) Erato, Katie (Matt) Wessel, Claire Spaulding, Randy Spaulding Jr., Jack Spaulding, Sam Bettinardi, Gia Bettinardi and Brigitte Bettinardi. She is further survived by her dear great-grandchildren, Mikayla, Abigail, Kate, Billy, Sammy, Madeline, Beau, Genevieve, Isabella, Guiseppe and Giovanni; her three sisters, Ruth Fosse of Woodstock, Ill., Lynda Stone of Princeville, Ill., and Gail (Ken) Campbell of Texas; her sister in-law, Vera Huffman of Duluth, Minn.; nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends and her pet, Zoe.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Erma Huffman; her brother, Ronald "McGee" Huffman; and two brothers-in-law, Richard Stone and Ron Blackmer.

Funeral services will be held Friday, Jan. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church with the Rev. Michael Koebel officiating. Visitation will be Friday, at the church only from 4 p.m. until 6:15 p.m. Additional visitation will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Hammit-Hott Funeral Home in Princeville, Ill., with funeral services at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Swan Lake Cemetery in Peoria, Ill.

The Schmidt Funeral Home of West Bend is serving the family. Online guestbook and condolences are available at www.schmidtfuneralhome.com

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Charles Kaufmann, Renee Kempfer and the nurses and staff at Heartland Home Health and Hospice for the tender and compassionate care given to Eileen.