Judith Harms Obituary

Judith Harms

August 23, 1938 - March 3, 2026

Belleville, Illinois - Judith "Judy" Ann Harms, nee Dintelman, 87, of Belleville, IL, passed away on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at Chatham Ridge Assisted Living, Chapel Hill, NC. She was born on August 23, 1938, in Belleville to Hugo Edward Dintelman and Gertrude Katherine, nee Kassebaum, Dintelman. She grew up in Belleville where she attended a one-room grade school and then graduated from Belleville Township High School.

A lifelong Belleville resident, she devoted herself to her family and her home. She took great pride in raising her two daughters and was a loving presence in the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her home was always welcoming, and those who knew her understood that family came first.

She had a gift for making things grow. She kept a large vegetable garden and beautiful flower beds and spent countless hours tending to both. Her yard was filled with bird feeders, and she loved watching the birds they brought in. She maintained a group of longstanding friends from high school, lovingly known as Card Club, who still regularly gather. She was a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ and a volunteer with Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

She married Robert "Bob" Harms on April 6, 1963, they shared 60 years of marriage and a lifetime of love and partnership.

She was preceded in death by her husband Bob, who died on June 15, 2023; her parents; and her brother, Hugo Dintelman, Jr.

She is survived by her two daughters, Debra "Debbie" (Jeffrey) Merryman of Chapel Hill, NC, and Peggy "Peg" (Mark) Twitchell of Greenfield, IL; four grandchildren, Nicholas (Kristen) Merryman, Keith Merryman, Lyndsey Twitchell, and Garrett Twitchell; and two great-grandchildren, Abigail Merryman and Natalie Merryman.

Memorials may be made to St. Paul United Church of Christ, Belleville, IL. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.

Visitation: Friends may visit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, March 16, 2026, at George Renner & Sons Funeral Home, Belleville, IL.

Funeral: Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, March 16, 2026, at George Renner & Sons Funeral Home, Belleville, IL.

Burial will be at Walnut Hill Cemetery, Belleville, IL.