Mary Louise Berkel

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Mary Louise Berkel, 71, of Chicago Heights, formerly of the Equality area, died Thursday, July 31, 2008, at Specialty Hospital, Hinsdale.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008, at Earl Jones Funeral Home in Equality with Father Mark Stec officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Equality. Visitation is 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008, at the funeral home.

She was born Feb. 5, 1937, in Harrisburg to Hubert and Vergie (Belt) Simpson. She married Randall Eugene Berkel, who survives in Chicago Heights.

She was a telephone operator and a member of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Chicago Heights. She worked at the General Telephone Company in Harrisburg, Skyline Answering Service in Chicago Heights and Illinois Bell/AT&T in Chicago Heights. She was a member of the Altar Rosary Society at St. Agnes Church and was active in Girl Scouts.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by three daughters, Anna Berkel, Cynthia Berkel and Julia Slager; four grandchildren, Melissa, Megen, Izaak and Sarah; a sister, Wilma Gulley of Harrisburg; a brother, Jim (Carol) Simpson of Harrisburg; a sister, Doris (Roy) Hughes of Golconda; and two brothers, Troy Simpson and Jack (Linda) Simpson, both of Harrisburg.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Janice Urban; granddaughter, Ashley Urban; a brother, William "Bill" Simpson; two sisters, Helen Gulley and Naida Rose; a brother, Roy Simpson; and two siblings in infancy.