Lucille Matilda Merkel

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Lucille Matilda Merkel, 87, of Tamaroa, passed away at 8:35 a.m., Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Memorial Hospital at Carbondale.

Lucille was a homemaker and had been a cook at Du Quoin High School for over 16 years. She was a member of Bear Point Freewill Baptist Church in Sesser.

She was born Oct. 18, 1922 at Elkville, Ill., the daughter of Edward and Emma (Wendling) Valerius.

She married Harry Allen Merkel on Oct. 11, 1941 at Cape Girardeau, Mo. and he preceded her in death on March 10, 1960.

She is survived by one son - Gary Merkel and wife Mary of Tamaroa, four sisters - Edna Finger of Mesa, Ariz., Katherine Norris and husband Norman, Matilda Harsy, and Dorothy Wiehn, all of Du Quoin, three brothers - Albert Valerius and wife Marlene of DeKalb, Ill., Edward Valerius and wife Sarah of Du Quoin, and Matthew Valerius and wife Shirley of Paducah, Ky., three grandchildren - Amy Bozeman of Pinckneyville, Nathan Merkel and wife Katie of Newburgh, Ind., and Jordan Merkel of Tamaroa, and one great grandchild - Braylee Merkel of Newburgh, Ind.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and two sons - Larry Lee Merkel and Harry Merkel, Jr.

Funeral services were at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the Bear Point Freewill Baptist Church in Sesser with Rev. Larry Cook officiating.

Friends called from 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesday at the Searby Funeral Home in Du Quoin and from 9 a.m. until the time of service on Wednesday at the church.

Burial was in the Maple Hill Cemetery at Sesser.

For additional information or to sign the memorial guest register, please visit www.searbyfuneralhomes.com.