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Marilyn ‘Donabel’ Elam, 85, Vandalia

Marilyn ‘Donabel’ Elam, 85, of Vandalia, died at 6:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008, at Friendship Manor in St. Elmo.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Bethel Baptist Church in rural Vandalia, with the Rev. Dan Rush officiating. Burial will be in Fairlawn Cemetery, Vandalia. Visitation will be held from noon until time of services on Saturday at the church. Hohlt & File Funeral Home in Vandalia was in charge of arrangements. Memorials: Bethel Baptist Church.

Mrs. Elam was born on Oct. 21, 1922, in Vandalia, the daughter of Guy E. and Joyce M. Neathery Perkins. She married Burlie Ray Elam on Nov. 10, 1967, in Vandalia; he died on May 5, 2003.

She was a secretary for Louis Squibb Insurance Co. of Vandalia, and a member of Bethel Baptist Church in rural Vandalia.

She is survived by sons, Gary and his wife Margaret Kunz of Gathersburg, Md., and John Elam of Largo, Fla.; daughters, Judy Elam of Mattoon, Linda and her husband Scott McKerrow of Mattoon, Barbara Ziglar of Staunton, and Donna and her husband Doug Tackett of Brownstown; 16 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.

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