Monna Lynn Thurston, age 67, of Boonville, Missouri passed away at 3:58 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, 2019 at Boone Hospital in Columbia, Missouri.

Funeral service will be at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, at Pagel Funeral Homes in Edgewood, Illinois. There will be a 2-hour visitation prior to the service. Jim Giffin will be officiating. Burial will be at Edgewood Cemetery in Edgewood, Illinois. Memorials may go to the Effingham County Humane Society, 12073 N 1000 ^th St. Effingham, Illinois 62401 or the Ronald McDonald House 3501 Lansing Avenue, Columbia, Missouri, 65201 or the donor's choice.

Monna was born on February 28, 1952 in Battle Creek, Michigan, the daughter of Merlyn William and Cleo Pauline (Edwards) Carroll. She married Dan Thurston on September 29 ^th , 2011. She worked as a freight conductor on the Union Pacific Railroad for twenty-five years. Monna was an advocate for animals and was associated with many rescue shelters. She enjoyed watching, playing, and conquering Jeopardy, working the New York Times crossword puzzle, cooking, loving on her pets, and being a social butterfly with her favorite beverage in hand. As an engineer, Dan always told her that she was the best conductor that he had ever worked with on the Union Pacific Railroad.

The staff at Boone Hospital, you were nothing short of wonderful, special thanks to Jane Rodman.

She is survived by her husband, Dan Thurston of Boonville, Missouri; brother, Morris William "Sam" Carroll (wife Megan) of Bloomington, Illinois; two sisters, Dorla Brownlee (husband, Mike) of Watson, Illinois, and Jenny Fruchtl (husband Ted) of Effingham, Illinois; step-son Casey Thurston.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Merlyn and Cleo Carroll, and numerous pets.