OBITUARY: Verta Marie Aud Witherell

Verta Marie Aud Witherell, 92 of Marion, formerly of Equality, passed away at 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug.11, 2014, at the Marion Rehab and Nursing Center in Marion.

According to her wishes, Verta will be cremated, with her ashes scattered over the Wasatch Mountains in Utah.

She was born in Omaha on Dec. 2, 1921, the daughter of Lawrence Joel and Joseph (Harrelson) Aud. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Joseph Thomas Aud of Equality.

Verta is survived by two sisters, Irma Virginia Lappin of Harrisburg and Ella Louise (Daryl) Reid of Marion; one brother, George W. Aud of Tarpon Springs, Fla.; her four nieces, Sandra Genet of Eldorado, Susan Reynolds of Hopkinsville, Ky., Deborah Bartok of Harrisburg, Mary Holm of Brunel, Fla.; three nephews, J. Scott Aud of Harrisburg, David Aud of Equality and Joel G. Aud of Port Richey, Fla.; special sister-in-law, Virginia Aud of Equality; three great-nieces and four great-nephews.

She married Ray Witherell from Utah in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 1, 1946. Verta worked for Brown Shoe Company in St. Louis from 1948 to 1975 as one of two head factory production planners. After retiring in 1975, she moved to Equality and began working in March of 1977 for Green Thumb, Inc. as a clerk typist. In 1980 she was promoted to area supervisor, working 17 Southern Illinois Counties assisting low income persons in gaining employment; also, she presented job workshops and safety meetings. She retired again in 1988 from Green Thumb, Inc. And remained in Equality until her health began failing in 2010. She was a St. Louis Cardinal fan for many years and liked talking baseball. Even though she was blind, she enjoyed listening to every game. Memorials in Verta's memory may be made to the Equality Presbyterian Church and internet condolences at the website www.vickeryfuneralchapel.com. Vickery Funeral Chapel in Equality is in charge of the services.