Elese T. Anthony, 96, of Springfield, Mo. passed away Monday, September 1, 2014 in her home. Elese was born in Enid, Oklahoma on March 26, 1918. Her parents were Birdie McKenzie Tagge and Leonard F. Tagge. Elese graduated from Enid High School, attended Ward Belmont College for Women, for one year, and graduated from Oklahoma University with a degree in Dietetics. Elese interned at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis; she then worked at Fort Sill, Ok. for 1 ½ years during WWII. On returning to Barnes she met Dallas Dean Anthony, Jr., a resident physician. Elese and Dallas were married on May 13, 1944 in Enid, Ok. They moved to Springfield, Mo. in 1950. Elese and Dallas were married 59 ½ years. She was preceded in death by her husband Dallas on September 10th, 2003. They had 3 children, Dallas Dean Anthony III and wife Sue, of Bethany, Ok., James Phillips Anthony and wife Rhoda of Stillwell, Ks., and Ann Anthony Weeks and husband Jeff, of Portland, Or.; 7 grandchildren, Shay, Zachary, Joshua, Dallas, Kathryn, Virginia and Sarah; and many great-grandchildren. Besides her children, Elese has many loved nieces and nephews and their families in the midwest and California. Elese served on the YWCA Board, SMMA Art Museum Board, President of Greene Co. Medical Auxiliary and Hopewell Charity Organization. She was active in Drury Women's Aux., Contemporary Art Group, Chapter ES of PEO, Member of First and Calvary Presbyterian Church and a number of Bridge groups. The family would like to offer a special thanks to Carol Caffey and the many caregivers at Integrity Home Care and Hospice for their wonderful care over the past few years. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 6, 2014 in First and Calvary Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Andrew Chaney officiating under the direction of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. The family would like to extend an invitation to a reception at the Church immediately following the funeral. A graveside service for family members will be held at Maple Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the P.E.O. Foundation, P.E.O. Executive Office, Treasurer's Dept., 3700 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312, or to the Dr. Dallas Anthony and Martha Ann Bolt Endowed Scholarship Fund, Development Office, Drury University, 900 N. Benton Ave., Springfield, Mo. 65802.