Regina Kaye Steele

Mrs. Regina Kaye Steele, 57, of Elgin, IL formerly of Hickman, KY died Monday, August 20, 2012. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 1, 2012, at Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. James Roberson officiating. Interment will follow in Hickman City Cemetery. Regina “Kaye” was born July 16, 1955, in Hickman, Kentucky, to Jesse Howard McElrath, Sr. and Annie Louise Brown. She accepted Christ and united with Spates Temple Church of God in Christ in Elgin, Illinois, where Pastor Leonard Spates, Sr. presided and later Pastor Leonard Spates, Jr. Kaye was employed by Motorola for twenty-five years until her illness forced her to retire. Kaye was loving and giving and generous by nature. She had a heart of pure gold. Not only did she love and raise her own kids, her heart was big enough to love someone else’s like her own. Her favorite words were, “Blood does not make your family, love does,” and she had plenty of that for everyone, especially family. Kaye leaves to cherish her memory her husband, John E. Steele; three daughters, Lawanna Young, Ebony Young and Jaleisa French; six brothers, Jesse H. (Ruth Ann) McElrath, Jr., Steve McElrath, Jeff McElrath, Tommy (Wendy) McElrath, Richard McElrath and Jessie Foulks; four sisters, Linda (Kevin) Dodson, Rosalind McElrath, Doris Jean Higgins and Corene Foulks; five daughters she raised as her own, Frances Phillips, Stephanie Phillips, Shanelle (Dwain) Pelison, Cerilyn Bonds and Banika McCullum; the son she never had but who she raised and adored, Angelo Harrison; fifteen grandchildren, DeShawn Sutton, Rejahn Sutton, Jeshawn Former, Keshawn Freeman, Shafon Harrison, Shavion Harrison, Deshawn McCullum, Tionne McCullum, Tayshawn McCullum, Lashawn Riley, Deon Smith, Kayshawn Pugh, Treshaun Ellison, Tayshaun Ellison and Simone Bonds nieces nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her mother, Annie Louise Brown; her father, Jesse Howard McElrath and a special aunt, Annie Ruth Brown. Rawls Funeral Home – Union City 731-885-8110