Mary E. Corlew, 101, of Edwardsville, Ill., born Aug. 11, 1914, in Edwardsville died May 14, 2016, at Rosewood Care Center in Edwardsville, Ill.
Mrs. Corlew was a 1936 graduate of Northwestern University, Evanston Ill., where she was a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority. She majored in English literature but was well grounded in Latin. She was a teacher at Collinsville High School for 13 years where she taught both Latin and comparative literature. Prior to that, she wrote a weekly column entitled “Main Street” for the Edwardsville Intelligencer. She was a member of Edwardsville’s first YMCA Board, being the first secretary, was a member and former president of the Edwardsville Junior Service Club and a member of the Edwardsville Branch of the American Association of University Women. Her other membership included Sunset Hills Country Club, where she played golf and bridge into her mid 70’s. She was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, First Presbyterian Church, and a past organization chair of the Edwardsville Girl Scouts.
Mary enjoyed travel, and had visited many of the countries of Europe including but not limited to the Soviet Union, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Austria, and those countries considered at the time to be part of Western Europe. She especially enjoyed her trips to Scotland. Her personal library was extensive and she had a grasp of European history, prose, languages, and poetry that was surpassed by few.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Morgan B. Corlew, whom she married on Oct. 10, 1936 at First Presbyterian Church in Edwardsville, Ill., and who died May 11, 1995; her parents, Jessie Johnson and George Allen Handlon; and two brothers, George Walker Handlon and Colin C. Handlon.
Surviving are her son, Philip and wife Louise of Edwardsville; daughter, Mary Georgia Simpson and husband Alvin C. Simpson of Granite City, Ill.; four grandchildren, Michelle Corlew of Naperville, Ill., Elise Reis of Florissant Colo., Sherry and Philip Simpson of Granite City; and a great-grandson, William Curtis Beasley of Granite City.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to the First Presbyterian Church Organ Fund. Condolences may be expressed online at weberfuneralhome.com.
Visitation: Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Weber & Rodney Funeral Home, Edwardsville, Ill.
Funeral: Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at the funeral home with Rev. Dr. John Hembruch officiating. A private interment will be held Thursday at Woodlawn Cemetery in Edwardsville, Ill.
WEBER & RODNEY FUNERAL HOME, Edwardsville, Ill. –
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