Mary Adelee (Pitcher) Shull

Mary Adelee Shull, 91, of Hidalgo, Illinois peacefully passed away in her home surrounded by family at 1:30pm, December 26, 2020, after a very short battle with pancreatic cancer.   

A private family visitation will be held.  A graveside service will be at 2:00 pm on Thursday December 31, 2020  officiated by her grandson, Tyler at Aten cemetery near Hidalgo. The Barkley Funeral Chapel in Greenup, IL is assisting the family.  Those who attend are asked to please wear a mask.  The services will also be available through Zoom.  Please contact Barkley’s for Zoom details.   

Mary was born December 21, 1929, the second child of Leonard and Izetta Van Tassel Pitcher.  Mary was born and raised on the Pitcher home place, near Jewett, Illinois that was purchased by her widowed great-grandmother in 1864.  Mary loved growing up on the farm with her four siblings and living in a tight-knit community, but she still found the courage to spread her wings and leave home to attend Eastern Illinois State Teacher’s College in Charleston, IL after graduating from Newton High School.

On January 17, 1949 she met Burell Shull at the Church of Christ in Hidalgo.  Two years later, on March 18, 1951 they were the first couple married in that church building.  That July, she was baptized by immersion into Jesus Christ at the same building.

Mary and Burell took up residence on a small rented farm about 2 miles northeast of Hidalgo for five years before purchasing and moving to their own farm 1 mile west of Hidalgo.  After Burell’s death in 2012, Mary relocated to a home she remodeled 1 mile east of Hidalgo.  While writing her memoir over the last 4 years, she realized that her address her whole life has been on the same road, 2100st Avenue.

The things Mary enjoyed most were being a farmer’s wife, helping Burell raise their children; appreciating the beauty of the world around her, the changes in the fields and finches at her bird feeders; attending church services, studying her Bible, teaching Sunday school and Christian fellowship.  She was so proud that her sons and many of her grandsons have become leaders in the church as elders, teachers, song leaders and preachers. 

Mary and Burell were blessed with five children.  Unfortunately, their middle child, Nancy Lynn McDaniel succumbed to leukemia in 2002. She is survived by two sons, Bradley James (Susan Marrs) and Andy Leroy (Jeanne Woods) of Hidalgo; two daughters, Beverly Jo (Craig Livermore) of Franklin, TN, Rosemary Kay (Steve Stone) of Glenarm, IL and son-in-law Mark McDaniel (Jervaise McGlone) of Albion, IL.  She is also survived by 19 grandchildren, namely Robert (Erin) Livermore, Benjamin (Kristin) Livermore, and Cole (Rose) Livermore; Brady (Alissa) Shull, Brandon (Lindsay) Shull, and Brock Shull; Luke (Monica) McDaniel, Meredith (Justin) Miller, Levi (Samantha) McDaniel, and Mariah (Kyle) Case; Tyler (Kashtyn) Shull, Caleb (Emily) Shull, Jahida (Terry) Neal, Dulce Shull, Abby Shull, and Tanner (Natalie) Shull; Zechariah (Heather) Stone, Thomas Stone, and Sadie (Seth) Wilkerson.  Nate Stone died at birth.  Thirty-five great-grandchildren also survive.  They are Robert, Elizabeth, Cooper, Charlotte and Mary Kate Livermore; Alivia, Faith, Amy, Savannah, Hannah and Alice Shull; Lincoln, Lynnley, Lillian, Clark, Lawson and Macy McDaniel; Madison, Jackson, Myah and Madelyn Miller; Kaiser and Kollin Case; Oliver, Case, Brooklyn, David and Natalie Shull; Jacob, Isaiah, and Aubree Neal; Ava Shull; Wyatt, Islay and Thayer Stone.  The thirty-sixth great-grandchild is due in March, 2021.

Mary is also survived by her sister, Adelia Rose Serron of Glendale, WI and brother, L.D. (Marlene) Pitcher of Montrose, Illinois and countless nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by brothers Raymond and A.J. Pitcher.

Memorials may be made to Effingham Area Alzheimer’s Awareness, EAAA,  (21354 E. 1200 Ave., Dieterich, IL 62424) or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (651 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60661). Online condolences can be expressed at www.barkleyfuneralchapels.com

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