Mary C. Castle of Marion, formerly Carrier Mills

Mary C. Castle, 72, of Marion, formerly of Carrier Mills, passed away at her home in Marion on Nov. 11, 2017.

Mary was born on May 8, 1945 in Harrisburg to James and Marguerite Richey Schofield of Carrier Mills. She married Eric F. Castle on March 15, 1984 and he survives in Marion.

Mary attend the first kindergarten class in Carrier Mills in 1950 and was a member of the First Baptist Church being enrolled in the Cradle Roll in 1945. Mary graduated from Carrier Mills High School and Southern Illinois University, where she earned a B.A. in History in 1974. Mary and her husband, Eric, traveled with his work for various historic sites across the country.

With her history background, Mary often volunteered her skills to support historic site projects. Mary worked in many corporate offices in her travels. One of her favorite jobs was working in the main office of the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad in western Pennsylvania and serving as president of the Venango County, PA Tourist Bureau.

Mary often returned to Southern Illinois over the years to visit family and friends, retiring back home in 2008.

Survivors include: her husband, Eric; sisters Joyce Jones and Beth Knight; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, James Henry Schofield.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 17 in the Absher-Nicholson Funeral Home in Carrier Mills. Rev. Harl Cockrum will officiate the service. Family and friends may call at the funeral home after 10 a.m. on Saturday until the service begins.

A special thanks to Mary's niece, Nancy Pemberton, Southern Illinois Hospice, and Ruth, for their help and support.