Billye Jo Marchman

Billye Jo Marchman, age 90, of St. Elmo, Illinois passed away at 2:20 p.m. Friday, August 13, 2021 at Willowbrook Memory Care Residence in Effingham, Illinois.           

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at St. Elmo United Methodist Church in St. Elmo, Illinois. A memorial service will follow.  Pastor Dan Laack will be officiating.  Memorials may be made to St. Elmo Library.  

Billye Jo was born August 18, 1930 in San Benito, Texas, the daughter of John S. Parker and Vera Woods Wagner.  She married Grady LeMar Marchman, Jr. on September 10, 1949 in Kingsville, Texas.  They moved to St. Elmo, Illinois in 1952.

Billye Jo attended Texas College of Arts & Industry in Kingsville, Texas and received her Bachelor of Arts in Education.  She received her Master of Arts in History from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois.  Her first teaching position was for the St. Elmo School District in a one room schoolhouse called Prairie View School.  She was later employed by the St. Elmo School District as Junior High Language Arts, Social Studies, and History teacher for 36 years. She was also the Junior High Cheerleading sponsor, Junior High Quiz Bowl sponsor, and Speech Contest Sponsor.  

Billye Jo was an avid bridge player and was a member of several local bridge clubs, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star serving as Worthy Matron several times and President of the St. Elmo Century Culture Club.  She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in St. Elmo.  She loved to travel around the world with her husband, LeMar.  They traveled all over the United States and Europe, Australia, Belize, Ecuador, the Galapagos, and the Netherlands.  Her favorite place to visit was Yellowstone National Park.   

She is survived by her husband, Grady LeMar Marchman of St. Elmo, Illinois; two sons, Grady LeMar "Lee" Marchman III (wife Mary) of Clayton, Georgia and Jay Marchman (wife Lori) of Hensley, Arkansas; one daughter, Melissa Marchman of St. Elmo, Illinois; two grandsons, Christopher Marchman (wife Amanda) and Timothy Marchman.

She was proceeded in death by her parents, John S. Parker and Vera Woods Wagner.

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