PEARL MARY (PALMER) LANG MAGELITZ

Pearl Magelitz

Pearl Mary Magelitz, 63, of Rushville, died at 10:40 p.m. March 30, 2012, at Heritage Health, Therapy and Senior Care in Beardstown.

She was born Nov. 2, 1948, in McKeesport, Pa., the daughter of James Alvin and Alice Heckman Palmer. She married Marlon Dean Magelitz on June 7, 1997, in Neelyville near Bluffs. He survives.

Also surviving are her mother, Alice Palmer of Heritage Health in Beardstown, formerly of Liberty Boro, Pa.; two sons, Matthew Alan (and Donelle Marie) Lang of Loami and Jason Paul Lang and partner Steven Mayes (Pearl Mary's heart son) of Springfield; two brothers, Alan James (and Roxy) Palmer of White Oak, Pa., and Jeffrey Paul Palmer of West Mifflin, Pa.; one grandchild; and one step grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her father, James Alvin Palmer.

She was a graduate of South Allegheny High School in Liberty Boro, Pa.

On Jan. 14, 1967, she entered the U.S. Navy Waves. She did boot camp training at Bainbridge, Md., and tour of duty at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Calif. She worked as Aircraft Maintenance Administration, repairing squadron aircraft on aircraft carriers from Vietnam missions. She also maintained squadrons assigned to Naval Air Station North Island to insure readiness of defense in case of a stateside attack. She was discharged from the Navy on Dec. 1, 1969.

Her secretarial career began with Ziebart Rustproofing in Murphysboro, Pa., from 1966-69. She later worked at Western Illinois University in Macomb where she was the departmental and later chairman secretary for the Biology Department from May 1, 1989, until retiring on June 30, 2011.

She was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church-Honey Point and Schuyler American Legion Post #4.

Services were held Tuesday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 3741 Honey Point Rd., Arenzville, with Reverends Michael Bahr and Doug Evenson officiating. Burial was in Trinity Lutheran Neelyville Cemetery near Bluffs with military rites conducted by Schuyler American Legion Post #4. Wood Funeral Home in Rushville was in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to American Diabetes Association or Cass-Schuyler Area Hospice.

Condolences may be sent to www.woodfh.net.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 4/4/2012