Della Harl

April 6, 1952 — November 19, 2023

Hardin County, IL

“Love is so much easier when we care about people as they are, not as we wish them to be.” - Sue Harl

Sue Harl of Elizabethtown, IL was born April 6th, 1952 in Evansville Indiana to John and Dorothy Ray. She died Sunday November 19, 2023 surrounded by love. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Jim Ray. She leaves behind a brother, Glenn Ray, a son, Jay Harl, daughter Jan-Marie Harl, and Daughter Jessica (Derek) Pease. grandchildren; Jesse and Scout Harl, Brooklynn and Kenadee-Rae Sanders, Bailee and Harper Pease. Along with her many nieces and nephew and a multitude of friends that became her family.

How difficult it is to define a life well lived in a paragraph, to describe everything essential that is in that little dash between the dates. Sue was a child of the sixties in the best sense of that definition, carried peace and love with her all her days and spread them to everyone wherever she was. Independent and self-sufficient to her end, she was an idealist who despised injustice and selfishness and hatred with the same passion she lived her philosophy of peace and love and kindness.

She loved her family fiercely, and considered her friends as family. She loved all things of nature, loved her God, loved the many children that passed through her care as an educator, loved the underdog, loved reading and cooking and walking in the woods, she loved life and living, she loved. That might be the best definition of the woman and life contained within that dash between the dates, love, the highest form of it, the selfless love for all.

The Bible says that you can discern the good humans by the fruit they produce, the results of their words and deeds. Sue had a gift for making people not only feel better about themselves, but to also desire to be better, the fruits of her life were the good fruits, and she shared them joyfully with all. The world is a sadder place without Sue in it, but the world is also a much better place because she was in it, because of the many lives she touched with that love during that dash between the dates.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you Donate a book to the Rosiclare library or make a donation in her honor at a nature preserve of your choice.

Per her request, there will be no formal funeral services. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Della Harl, please visit our flower store.

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Della Harl

April 6, 1952 — November 19, 2023

Hardin County, IL

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