Mary E. Turner

Mary Ellen Turner, 95 years old, of Herrick, IL, passed away on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 2:43 p.m. in Pana Health and Rehab Center.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, November 2, 2025, at Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville, IL, with Pastor Tonna Percival officiating. Visitation will be from noon – 2:00 p.m. Sunday in the funeral home. Burial will be in Myers Cemetery, Herrick, IL. Memorials may be given to the Herrick Food Pantry.

Mary was born on October 25, 1930, in Long Creek, IL, the daughter of Harry and Goldie (Beck) Turner. She attended grade school at Bodark Elementary and then Mt. Zion High School until the second semester of her freshman year. At that time, the family moved to a farm in rural Herrick, and she started attending Herrick High School, where she met a boy with the same last name as her – Turner. Fred and Mary began dating and were married at the Herrick Methodist Church on February 12, 1949, until his death on May 3, 2017.

Mary leaves behind two adult children, Donna Colleen Turner and Bradley Wayne Turner (Kim) both of Herrick, IL; five grandsons, Matthew Weinberg (Snigdha) of Columbus, OH, Charles Weinberg (Corrie) of Champaign, IL, Luke Turner (Christy) of Mattoon, IL; Seth Turner (Anna) of Shelbyville, IL, and Alex Turner (Sadie) of Effingham, IL; and eleven great grandchildren, Lena Weinberg, Deven Weinberg, Jimmy Weinberg, Annie Weinberg, Lauren Turner, Clara Turner, August Turner, Mara Turner, Millie Turner, Lee Turner and Cal Turner.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Fred; grandson, Marcus Turner; and siblings, Harry W. Turner, Vivian Lucille Turner, Mildred Lourash, and Marie Turner in infancy.

Mary enjoyed singing at her church, for weddings and funerals, and just around the house when she was cooking or cleaning. Mary was a homemaker all her married life but also worked part-time at Price’s Livestock Auction and then Interstate Producer’s Livestock Association with her husband, the manager. When they both retired, Mary often babysat their grandchildren. She was a member of the former Herrick United Methodist Church and the Mattoon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. All who knew Mary loved her.