Eileen "Babe" Mary Hyett

Eileen Mary “Babe” Hyett, 101 of Aledo, passed away on Monday, February 1, 2021 at Brookstone of Aledo. Private family services will be held with burial in Aledo Cemetery. Due to Covid, there will be no visitation. Services will be published on the Speer Funeral Home Facebook page Thursday evening. Memorials may be made to the Mercer County YMCA or the Aledo United Methodist Church Capital Campaign. Condolences may be left at speerfuneralhome.com.

Babe was born April 10, 1919 to Valentine and Martha (Parchert) Vetter in Buffalo Prairie Township. She married L. Rex Hyett on July 2, 1938 at the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa. Babe and Rex met at a dance and continued their love of dancing for many years.

Babe was a devoted member of the Aledo United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Women, Mercer County YMCA (faithful participant of Water Aerobics) and the Mercer County Senior Center. She enjoyed bowling for many years, loved traveling on bus trips, playing cards (rather aggressively) and especially attending her grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s school and sporting events. She was an excellent cook, frequently baking a pie for a friend who was ill or taking care packages of goodies to folks in the nursing home. Babe always had cookies on hand in the freezer for her grandchildren and her Grandma sauce made from her backyard apple tree. Most of all, she loved her family and spending time with people, always the caretaker.

Babe was a friend to all, but also a good businesswoman. She managed Phillips 66 restaurant for seven years and managed her home and the family businesses after Rex’s death in 1982.

Those left to cherish Babe’s memory include her daughter, Carol (David) Close; grandchildren: Gayle (Scott Jenkins) Reid; Greg (Brenda) Close and Lisa (Jeremy) Finch; Nine great-grandchildren: Austin, Shelby and Connor Reid; Nicholas and Barbara Close; Taylor (Tyler) McVay, Tristen (Mollie) Finch, Lauren Finch and Natalie Finch; two step-great-grandsons, Jacob & Connor Jenkins; great-great-grandsons: Sawyer & Tucker Finch and Owen & Grady McVay and many much-loved nieces, nephews and friends. Babe was preceded in death by her husband Rex; her son, Lane; grandson, Lance; a granddaughter in infancy; and 6 brothers and 4 sisters.  

The family would especially like to thank the staff at Brookstone of Aledo; Genesis Hospice Care and Babe’s YMCA Water Aerobics Class; her Methodist Church family and her many friends for their friendship, care and support.