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Essie Rutledge Obituary
June 6, 2025
MACOMB, IL - - Former 快活影院 professor and department chair Essie Rutledge, 90, of Macomb, passed away Sunday, June 1.
Rutledge was the first African American female chair in the history of WIU, serving as the head of the African American Studies department and spending more than 30 years teaching and empowering her students, colleagues and the broader community. She retired from WIU in 2006.
She was involved with the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, NAACP, Alliance for Racial Harmony, Lions Club and Association for Black Sociologists and served as a civil rights activist and advocate for equality and justice.
Rutledge was preceded in death by her husband Albert Chester Rutledge; her parents Algie Manuel Sr. and Ollie Mae Jones; and siblings Patricia McIntosh (Ted) and Thomas Manuel (Elnora). She is survived by her son Jeffrey Albert Rutledge (Tonia), grandchildren Jeffrey, Amani and Jabari, siblings Algie Manuel Jr. (Carol), Arthur Jones, Beverly Williams (Ken) and a host of nieces, nephews and other cherished relatives and friends.
A visitation will be held at Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home in Macomb from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, June 12. A celebration of her life and legacy will be held at First Christian Church in Macomb at noon, Friday, June 13. There will be a small visitation at 11:30 a.m. before the service.
For more information on her life, please visit .
Posted By: University Communications, University Relations
Phone: (309) 298-1993 * Fax: (309) 298-1606
