Mary F. Lefort

Mary F. Lefort, age 76, of Monmouth, Illinois; passed away at OSF Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth on Saturday morning. She was born on September 13, 1933 and is the daughter of Paul H. and Ella M. Hopkins Sympson. She was raised and educated in Monmouth where she attended local schools and Monmouth High School. She married Alford Lefort on November 7, 1953 in Monmouth, Illinois. Mary Fern was employed as an operator for General Telephone Company in Monmouth for a number of years. She then was employed at Bersted's Hobby Craft of Monmouth also for a number of years. She more recently was a food preparer for the Monmouth College Food Service where she worked until her retirement 1996. Mary loved animals, flowers and gardening. She was a cancer survivor and participated in Relay for Life and it's fund raising. She was an Elvis fan and enjoyed being a homemaker and cook. Her main interest also was in her family. She will be sorely missed by her favorite cat " Spook" Surviving her is her husband Alford Lefort of Monmouth, IL; and her daughter JoElla (J.Dwaine)Roche of Macomb, IL. and her son John A. Lefort of Olathe, Kansas. Two granddaughters Jennifer Bollman Warmbold (Craig) of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and Daria Roche Carlberg (Russell) of Davis, CA. Great Grandchildren Marlana and Cassidy Warmbold, Nathaniel Carlberg, and Haley N. Lefort. One sister survives Mildred Norville (Russell) of Galesburg, IL and two brothers Robert Sympson of Hamlin, Kentucky and Charles Sympson (Eddy) of Norfolk, Virginia. Also a number nieces, nephews, and other relatives survive. Mary is preceded in death by her parents, a sister Dorothy Lipes, and a brother Roger Sympson, and her grandsons Joshua Lefort and Darek Roche. Services:A graveside service for Mary Fern Lefort will be at 11:00 am on Thursday April 15, 2010 at the Berwick Cemetery in Berwick, Illinois. Her family plans to receive friends at Turnbull Funeral Home in Monmouth, for the hour from 9:30 am to 10:30 am prior to the funeral service at the cemetery. Interment will be in the Berwick Cemetery. Memorial funds are being established for either Western Illinois Animal Rescue or the Warren County Relay for Life.