Mary Catherine Neal

Mary Catherine Neal, age 86, of Watson, Illinois passed away on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 in Springfield, Illinois at St. John’s Hospital peacefully surrounded by her children. 

Funeral service will be at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 2, 2021 at Pagel Funeral Homes in Edgewood, Illinois. Visitation will be from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 2, 2021. Jim Giffin will be officiating. Burial will be at Watson Cemetery in Watson, Illinois. Memorials may go to the donor’s choice.

Due to Covid-19 concerns, please follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask.

Mary was born in Beecher City, Illinois to Cleo and Frona Eunice (Grames) Hubbert on October 24,1934.  She married Gerald Dean Neal on March 15, 1959 in Watson, Illinois.  Before she was blessed with children, she worked in a photography shop.  Once she became a mother, she focused all her time and energy on her family.  She was an excellent homemaker, gardener, baker, crocheting wizard, mushroom hunter, chicken whisperer, and rescuer of every abandoned baby cow with hours spent bottle feeding them every year for the past 50+ years.   

She is survived by her spouse, Gerald Neal; children, Randy (Michele) Neal, Carolyn Mathewson, Tracey (Michael) Legel, Sandy Woodall, Rusty (Lori) Neal; grandchildren, Charity (Rob) Rock, Noah (Stephanie) Legel, Zachary (Cassidy) Lowry, Seth Neal, Coral (Tanner) Thoele, Ben Legel, Aaron Legel, Kiley Neal,  Cole (Abby) Neal, Connour Woodall, Brandon Mathewson, Quincy (Zachary) Edwards; great-grandchildren, Max & Asher Neal, Abigail, Julia & Grace Lowry, Tryson & Tripp Thoele, Sophia Edwards, Braydon Mathewson; and siblings, Irene (Phil) Sinkler, Clinton Hubbert, Geneva Hubbert, Nathan Rock and Phyllis (Chris) Eskew.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Cleo and Frona Hubbert; grandson, Derek Lowry; son-in-law, Joseph Mathewson; and sisters, Ruthie Karnes, Betty Kline, and Lilly May Mitchell.  

The family of Mary Neal wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Doctors and Nurses of St Anthony Memorial Hospital and St. John’s Hospital for their care and support during an extremely lengthy & challenging pandemic. Your efforts to keep our family updated when phone calls were the only access available until the very end will not be forgotten.

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