Irma Irene (Ingles) Cress

Irma Irene (Ingles) Cress, 93, of Hillsboro, Illinois, passed away, in her home, Saturday evening, July 26, 2025, surrounded by family.

Irma was born February 12, 1932, in Sorento, Illinois, the ninth of twelve children of Harry and Rose (Pollard) Ingles. She attended Sorento Grade School and three years of Sorento High School, and her senior year at Greenville High School. As a teenager, in high school, she also worked nights at the Sorento Telephone office as a telephone operator.

Directly following graduation from high school, in 1950, she married Oran C. Cress and they resided in Hillsboro, Illinois until his death later that year in December. She was married from 1966 to 1969 to Max Lacey, a marriage that ended in divorce. Irma spent most of her younger life living in Sorento. In 1978, she moved to New Douglas, Illinois where she lived until she moved to her home on Fairground Avenue in Hillsboro in 2000.

As a lifelong blue collar/factory worker, Irma championed women’s rights in the workplace throughout her career and was employed for many years at International Paper/Consumer Plastics in Litchfield, Illinois.

In her younger years, Irma bowled on the women’s league at the old Sorento bowling alley, was a member of the Eastern Star in Sorento and belonged to the Assembly of God Church of Sorento, where her father was an original builder of the church.

In her waning years, she loved her two cats and liked to sit on the front porch and watch people go by. She would tell stories of the ‘old days’ to whoever would listen.

Preceding her in death are her parents; seven brothers, Cecil, Clifford, Francis, Shirley, Udell, John Dean, and Donald Ingles and four sisters, Goldie Saathoff, Lora Varner, Dorothy Enloe, and Opal Varner.

Surviving Irma are her son, Oran Cress of Hillsboro, Illinois; daughters, Pamela (Dale Nichols) Thompson of Hillsboro, Illinois and Rose (Harry) Loskot of Irving Illinois; grandsons, Shane Cress of Litchfield, Illinois, Travis Rapien of Mulberry Grove, Illinois, Cody Loskot of Hillsboro, Illinois, Lynn Thompson, Jr. of Litchfield, Illinois, as well as, her granddaughter, Erin Muhlenkamp of Loveland, Ohio; and 18 great grandchildren.

The family asks that donations and memorials be given to the Sunnyside Cemetery, in lieu of plants, flowers, and other gifts.

Memorials may be given at the visitation and funeral or mailed to the Sunnyside Cemetery Association, PO Box 267, Sorento, IL 62086

Visitation: 10:00 – 11:00 am, Friday, August 1, 2025, at the Assembly of God Church, Sorento, IL 62086.

Funeral: 11:00 am, following the visitation, with Revs. Dennis Day and Kevin Simburger officiating.

Burial: Sunnyside Cemetery, Sorento, Illinois, following the funeral.

The family has entrusted Assalley Funeral Homes with the ceremonies.

Please visit www.assalleyfuneralhomes.com to share memories or to offer condolences to the family.